Fun Woodworking Ideas For The Beginner

What's great about woodworking is that there are so many woodworking ideas you can try. It's fun, challenging and rewarding. Below are some ideas you can try yourself!

Carving Ideas

Woodcarving isn't just about carving out figurines. Elegant and intricate designs can be carved on many other objects. Once you learn how to carve basic motifs and other patterns, you may apply this to your other projects such as furniture and jewelry boxes for that extra touch.

For inspiration, look around you. Take photographs of leaves, animals and even the patterns on other furniture and interiors of buildings. Once you have your photographs, keep them as clip files. Arrange them by subject matter for future reference. Photographic references are perfect if you're planning on carving out realistic objects and animals.

You should also keep a sketchbook for all your woodworking ideas. This is so you can sketch out any idea that comes to mind. You can roughly sketch out random details and put them together in a more cohesive manner later on for your project.

If you want more technical information get a book on carving designs. Books provide you with a platform for practice on basic and traditional designs including Celtic, American Indian and Art Deco. You may also find free designs on the Internet.

Wood Finish Ideas

How about making your furniture look antique? You can make any piece of woodwork look exquisite with an antique finish. Try out this type of finish on any inexpensive, plain furniture and your guests will never know!

First, apply stain on the wood. Choose a color that looks more antique, like earthy colors. Secondly, use fine sandpaper over the stain to imitate the wear and tear of antique surfaces. You can refer to an antique piece to see where the tears are located.

You may also add a few scratches and dents with a file or chisel. But be careful and make sure they're evenly spread out. Making a scratch or dent that's huge isn't going to make a piece look antique, but damaged!

Inlay Ideas

Make pictures out of wood by using wood inlay. Let's try intarsia, a type of inlay. Intarsia basically involves putting together pieces of wood of varying shapes, color and grain to create a picture. Intarsia makes any flat surface look 3 dimensional.

To get started, get a picture for reference. There are hundreds of free intarsia templates online! Intarsia is like putting together puzzle pieces, so templates may be needed for more accuracy.

There are many free instructions online for both beginners and experts. Basically, you can stick your paper template on wood and cut out the lines. The surface should be depressed with about the same height of your pieces before inserting the pieces themselves.

Use color and grain on different parts of your subject matter to make your work stand out. Experiment with depth by using pieces with varying thickness. Use intarsia on cabinet doors, picture frames and boxes. There's lots of room for creativity.

Painting Ideas

You can add your personal touch to any furniture you make. Why not paint on some of your own patterns? You can paint on traditional floral or geometric designs. You don't have to be an expert at painting. You can always use stencils, which you can buy at any crafts shop.

There are many more woodworking ideas out there. Simply go online for a quick search. Improving your skills means trying out different kinds of techniques.

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Marquetry Patterns - 5 Great Ways To Find Or Create Them, Especially If You Can't Draw

Ever had trouble finding marquetry patterns? If you're anything like me you probably got into marquetry via one of the marquetry kits - the one's that are a bit like painting by numbers but with a few sheets of veneer, a knife and glue. They're a great introduction to the art but once you've completed your first one, where do you go?

I soon found a good marquetry supplier quite locally and there are many others around the country. If you can't get marquetry veneers locally there are plenty of mail order and online companies who will provide materials and marquetry tools. The one thing I couldn't find was marquetry patterns. I don't have the drawing skills to do my own, and I don't want to keep buying marquetry kits, so where could I find them? Bear in mind that I'm not expecting these things for free. If someone has gone to the trouble of producing the patterns I'm quite prepared to pay for them.

I did a bit of searching. Typing "marquetry patterns" or even "marquetry designs" into a search engine doesn't get you very far, but there are alternatives if you think a bit laterally and this is what I came up with:

1. Scrollsaw Sites

I looked at several scrollsaw sites without much success because although you can use a scrollsaw to cut marquetry, the type of pattern offered doesn't really suit because they're not the "picture" style that most of us would be looking for. Then I discovered ScrollsawSegmentation.com whose work is much more like a marquetry pattern. They're also very reasonably priced. Although segmentation is quite different, using raised and painted or stained pieces, you can easily see how the designs could be used to suit marquetry. You can also download them straight to your pc, so no waiting impatiently for the mail!

2. Intarsia Pattern Sites

Many of the patterns at Scrollsawsegmentation.com are actually modified intarsia plans from a site called IntarsiaDesigns.com who also offer instant downloads. Once again it's easy to see how these translate to marquetry and there's a range of different subjects to choose from.

3. Clip-Art Sites

There are many, many clip-art sites and whilst I couldn't find complete "pictures" which suited what I wanted to do, you just need a little ingenuity to combine different elements into a picture form. Perhaps not the most naturalistic way to create marquetry patterns but good for caricature or cartoon type pieces, especially if your drawing ability is as limited as mine!

4. Software Programs

A friend of mine is a graphic artist who uses a software program called Adobe Photoshop which is absolutely brilliant for manipulating photos. I think it's quite difficult to learn to use well, but if you have a version pre-installed on your computer then why not give it a go. Another program that started life as something for stained glass makers but is also very popular with intarsians and marquetarians is from ConnectedLines.com. In their own words, "The Connected Pattern Maker is the easy to learn and fun to use software program that lets you create unique line art patterns from digital photographs, scanned pictures, and clip art images". I haven't yet used it myself but it looks just the trick.

5. Good old tracing paper!

In these days of PCs and digital scanners it's easy to forget good old fashioned tracing paper. Just take your picture and trace the different areas of color. If you don't want to use the tracing paper itself as your marquetry pattern you can turn it upside down onto a sheet of plain paper and rub the back so that the pencil marks are transferred to a clean white sheet. This does take a bit of practice to get good at but you can start with simple pictures and move on to more complicated stuff as you get more confident. If you're looking for photos to work from you can find more than you will ever need in books that you can borrow from your local library or online, and if you have a scanner you can use your pc to resize them if you need to. Just make sure they're not protected by copyright.

Well there you have it. Five ways to make marquetry patterns ranging from buying them for a couple of dollars to going back to your school days! I hope one of them will provide you with all the supplies you need until hopefully someone will actually start a dedicated marquetry pattern site. Now there's an idea... if only I could draw.

Dennis Cordy is a woodworker and writer. He gets many of his marquetry patterns from http://www.scrollsawsegmentation.com and http://www.intarsiadesigns.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Cordy

Guide to Intarsia

In addition to the basic artistic skills needed Intarsia involve cutting and contouring wood, gluing and fitting pieces. Each of these has it one techniques to master.

Intarsia Tips and Tricks

For Intarsia projects to look their best, the parts need to fit together tightly. Besides sawing right down the middle of the pattern lines, what else can you do to prevent gaps? These surefire pointers from Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry Booher could improve your results dramatically. 


The Art of Intarsia

Intarsia is the process of cutting, shaping, fitting and gluing various species of wood onto a wooden background for decorative purposes.


Intarsia & Stained Glass 

This Intarsia/glass art was developed in the summer of 1999 by Jeff Meuwissen, a stained glass artist for 12 years. He began experimenting with Intarsia and combining it with stained glass. After a few attempts at various techniques, he refined the procedures which he describes below.


Cutting 

After all the patterns have been applied, it’s time to start cutting. This is an art in itself. Much needs to be considered when cutting wood. There are many brands, sizes, and types of blades from which to choose. Skip tooth blades cut in one direction. Reverse blades cut up and down. Spiral blades cut in any direction. Also, different size blades may be used. For thick woods, use larger blades and for thinner woods, use smaller blades. Blade sizes can range from 2/0 to 12. Blades also range in teeth per inch.


Contouring 

After all the wood pieces have been cut, it is time to contour your project. Contouring will bring your pieces to life and give your project a realistic look and character. Many tools are available for this process. They include contour sanding sleeves, oscillating sanders, detail hand sanding tools, pneumatic sanders, and sanding shims. Double-sided tapes can be used to hold the pieces to sanding shims when contouring.


Intarsia, an Artistic Craft and Hobby

For those with artistic ability, Intarsia can produce wonderful works of wood in three dimensions. The good news? There are plenty of sources for instruction and patterns for this art and craft, and the power tool requirements are very modest. I had the pleasure of engaging in some Intarsia some years ago, and it might be something you would enjoy. Before I go on, look at the examples in the following links. They show you what Intarsia is, both in simple and more complex projects. But don't be intimidated by the complex examples. I'm showing those so you can appreciate the levels to which Intarsia can be taken by those with advanced artistic talent. There are plenty of simpler patterns available to get you started, or to match the level of complexity you are comfortable. 


Selecting Wood for Intarsia Projects 

The wonderful aspect of creating Intarsia is that through the use of different types and colors of wood, the artisan can create truly remarkable works of art. The trick is finding the right type of wood, and one that will hold a consistent color over time. While many of these woods are common, some colors are rare and may be difficult to obtain unless one knows where to look. Light colored woods are often the easiest pieces to cut. These are the "soft" woods often used for carving or woodburning projects. Light colored woods are Ash, Aspen, Canarywood, Holly, Lacewood, Maple, Pine, Poplar, and Sycamore. Canarywood, Maple and Poplar all experience slight darkening with age while the other woods mentioned experience little to no change over a period of time. 

Source--  http://www.fundamentalsofwoodworking.com/introduction-to-woodworking/marquetry-intarsia-antique-tools/guide-to-intarsia

Intarsia Woodworking Is So Addicting And Intriguing?

I have been creating Intarsia pieces for a number of years now. Free time has even been donated to teach this addicting woodcraft to others. Recently I wrote an article on Intarsia Woodworking as well and I am still drawn back to the scroll saw, with every spare minute, to work on other Intarsia pieces.

This woodworking hobby is not something that has to be done and it certainly is not something just to put in time. It is a very rewarding hobby that can be done with a relatively small investment in dollars.

I would like to see as many people as possible consider Intarsia as a retirement hobby when making those necessary plans for the use of retirement free time.

The question that needs to be answered is, why? Why is Intarsia woodworking so addicting and intriguing?

A. Maybe its a love for the wood itself?
-the smell of wood can be intoxicating when it is being cut or sanded.
-the beauty of wood with its grain formation, the shapes and designs around a knot.
-maybe it is the colors. Different species have different color ranges.

B. Could it be the challenges associated with each Intarsia Creation?
-what will the next Intarsia piece be and how can it be made different, distinctive?
-the accuracy of cutting that is the driving force, the pieces have to fit so precisely.
-is it the creativity that has to go into each piece, getting the color and grain just right?

C. Is it the creativity that can be infused into each piece?
-no 2 Intarsias will be the same, color and grain structure will be different.
-is it the selection of the wood species for their grain and color?
-there is almost no limit when we are sanding the 3-D shape of the intarsia piece.

D. Maybe it is the pride in seeing, handling and showing your new intarsia creation.
-at the very least the new Intarsia will have subtle color and grain differences
-maybe you have creatively changed the shape when you were sanding
-receiving accolades from friends and family.

Perhaps the question wasn't answered to your satisfaction, maybe it will never be answered until you experience your first Intarsia Creation. That moment will be a thrilling experience for sure.

Intarsia Creations are one-of-a-kind pieces and as such have a market potential. The possibility of marketing your Intarsias is very real.

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Woodworking Patterns - Free Woodworking Patterns

You can make furniture, pictures, and wall hangings, as well as beautiful additions to walls or windows in your home. Once you learn how to make these wonderful pieces of woodwork with this method. You can find out what tools you will need and how to measure the pieces, as well ashow to use other tools to finish the pieces. Moreover, the proper tools are the key to making each one of these pieces come to life.


Woodworking is a fabulous hobby to get into. Chances are you probably have some tools already that would work and get the job done, but for precision and to have your projects come out just as you want them, you're going to need to get some woodworking supplies that are designed specifically for this. While there are over one hundred different woodworking supplies you could pick from, if you're just starting your collection there are a few pieces that are most important. Out of the many available there are a few that are absolutely essential to get started with.


Anyone getting into woodworking needs to supply themselves with the appropriate safety gear. You need a pair of safety goggles to keep your eyes protected and a dust mask to cover your mouth and nose. A lot of woodworkers also prefer to wear thick gloves to cover their hands and protect them in case they get nipped by a saw. All good woodworkers know that having the proper safety equipment is essential.


Intarsia woodwork can be in many forms and many things can be, created by using this method of inlay. Furthermore, you can get free patterns for some of the things that you can make using the Intarsia method right here on the internet. You can do a simple search for, free Intarsia patterns and they can be, mailed right to yourhome address.


If you are in a cool climate keep a large old pot on the stove and toss all your food scraps in. Each morning add some water and heat it up and add some mash and you have a lovely hot breakfast for your chickens. They will love it and reward you with lovely fat healthy eggs every day. Let your chickens out for a scratch every day because they need the grit to digest food. Give them some shell grit too as it will help. They love grubs and garden pests and will keep your yard pest free.


You're also going to need to focus on gaining a collection of woodworking patterns and projects. You can look online and download and print off patterns and projects for free. You're going to want to get lighting pieces, and in particular a lamp that you can hang above you would work well. There are even online organizers to help you keep track of your plans so you can easily refer back to them in the future if you want.


Therefore, if you wish to learn how to do something truly wonderful and make a hobby of Intarsia then you should begin searching on the internet. Find the tools you will need, the materials to use, and get all the free patterns to the things you wish to make. Go get into your workshop, have fun, and make amazing things with you spare time.


Others who have an outside dog will need adequate living accommodation for him especially at night. The dog needs to have his own little house to sleep in and retreat to and feel comfortable in. He is still an asset in the yard especially at night in case of an intruder. So make his dog house warm and dry so he is comfortable especially if the night get a bit cold. If you don't want him to have free reign of the yard he will need to be chained which is a shame but the dog seems to be accustomed to it. Keep the chain light enough so as not to be a burden and attach it to a long wire so he can at least have a run for exercise. Make sure he has plenty of fresh water at hand all the time.


Hand tools are some of the most important. You're going to use hand tools quite often, especially for smaller projects. Guides, jigs and stands to work on are also important and a few of the most basic and importantwoodworking tools. Jigsaws are especially useful and are used in a lot of projects, used for precision and careful crafting.


The method of this kind of woodworking is cutting out the pieces of the wood and then layering the pieces. The layered wooden pieces are then, glued together in the layers to give and Intarsia a living effect. This method is also; called the three-dimensional effect meaning it makes the Intarsia stand out off of the background piece the project is attached.

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Intarsia - 6 Different Ways To Change Intarsia Art

Intarsia art, an artistic form of wood inlay. Whether your an experienced intarsia artist or just a beginner, you will soon have a style that suits you when doing intarsia art woodcraft. Mostly the intarsia artists you will meet are intarsia purists, using various species of wood for color and using its grain direction to help create form. This form is enhanced by sanding to give a 3 dimensional look. The more shaping that is done with sanding the more pronounced the 3 dimensional look. The individual pieces are oiled and the pieces are either glued together or to a background. NO STAINS, PAINTS OR DYES, are used Just the natural beauty of the wood.

Let us throw out the perceived rules and suggest that there is no wrong way to create wood art, whether you want to call it intarsia or not will be entirely up to you. The changes you make will depend on your own artistic ability and the following suggestions will help with the changes you may want to make.

1: Change the intarsia pattern. We can change an intarsia pattern by just copying a portion of one pattern and joining it to another pattern or part of another pattern. This can often be completed by simply joining a few lines to make a completely different arrangement. Patterns can be enlarged, reduced, reversed, etc.

2: Consider using a readily available type of wood such as pine and stain each piece to create the look of oak, walnut, cherry, maple, and many other types of wood.

3: Why not use adornments such as glass, colored stones, feathers, metals, etc. Frequently glass eyes give birds, animals and fish a more realistic look.

4: Washes and stains on specialty woods can create or enhance colors that you absolutely cannot accomplish with the special woods you have available. White stain is acceptable to most intarsia artists to keep white woods from darkening, so why not use other color enhancements?

5: Think about just cutting your pieces and not shaping them into a 3 rd. dimension, in order to create a 2 dimensional wood art painting. Glue the pieces to a backing and put it all into a frame. Great for wooden scenic pictures.

6: The 3 most important words to remember when cutting any form of wood art. Patience, patience, patience. Depending on the complexity of your project, If you are intimidated by the number of pieces, separate it into several sections. Finish each section, then assemble the sections.

The only limit in what you can create is your own imagination. Pure intarsia art creations generally use all natural wood and natural wood colors in their creations. However, various degrees of these suggestions can help you develop an art form that will be strictly your own.

Working with wood is very rewarding for most of us. As a retirement hobby for that free leisure time there may be a definite place in your plans for intarsia or some other form of wood art. The ideas here will, hopefully, help suggest some ways baby boomers and others can fill up those free hours after they choose to retire.

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Intarsia - Painting With Wood - Seven Rules to Follow When Doing Intarsia

Intarsia is a mosaic of small wood pieces all glued together in a specific order. Call it painting with wood. Think of wood intarsia pieces as ''Pictures In Wood'' which are more life-like than paintings, because they have a three dimensional appearance.

Each piece of wood is specially cut using a scroll saw (some may use a band saw), The piece is then sanded, try to visualize the project as if it were real. Then carefully contour to give a three dimensional look, when fitted together it will form an architectural scene, flowers, or maybe an animal, etc. The colors in the intarsia pictures are almost always the natural colors of the various varieties of wood (true intarsists do not stain the wood) combined with numerous grain patterns, we literally paint pictures in wood.

Everyone that does woodwork of any kind has developed their own techniques based upon the tools they own. There are a few rules we normally follow when doing an intarsia.

- Included in your intarsia pattern are suggestions for types of wood and grain direction. You can change these to suit the woods available to you. Most intarsia patterns will benefit from certain special grain patterns and shapes. Knots are seldom acceptable in the Intarsia itself, but often the grain pattern around the knot is very desirable. I love to find boards with knots so don't disregard a board just because it has a knot.

- There are several ways to layout your pattern on the wood, the most common is to use carbon paper under your pattern. The pattern is given as actual size, however; you may want to enlarge or reduce to suit your taste. When I have done this I cut the pattern out of lexan or some similar clear material with the scroll saw. This allows the intarsia pattern piece to be positioned perfectly on the wood grain. This can enhance the finished wood intarsia.

- The most important thing you need when cutting Intarsia can be summed up in three words; patience, patience and more patience! If you use lexan templates, cut, removing the line will give you the desired cut. If you are intimidated by the number of pieces of an intarsia project, separate it into several sections. Complete the sections, then assemble them together.

- Now make sure everything fits together using a dry fit. Whether you are going to use a backing board or not, any adjustments you need should be made now. Maybe your blade wandered a bit and you don't have a perfect fit, you will have to do a little sanding to correct the error. Sometimes you just have to re-cut a piece to make it fit properly.

- The most important portion of your project, contouring. Now you change a two dimensional piece of wood into a three dimensional piece of wood art. Think three dimensional. Try to keep in mind how you want the picture in wood to look, especially how the piece you are working on belongs to the overall intarsia project.

- Assembling your project: If you don't use a backing board assemble your Intarsia on a piece of waxed paper to prevent it from becoming part of your workbench. Simple yellow wood glue works well and it is easy to clean up and gives you some leeway if you make a mistake. If you a backing board assemble your intarsia directly on the board. Use glue on the backs of the wood pieces so they will adhere to the backing. Caution: Make sure you don't have glue oozing out on the finish side of your project. If you do, clean it off immediately.

- When the piece has dried, coat with a good finishing oil and put a hanger on the back.

The time has come for you to sit back, admire and enjoy your creation. You will probably feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and you deserve it.

Finding information on Intarsia can be a chore. To help you find more information and learn ways to enjoy this hobby, come on over to http://www.squidoo.com/intarsia-hobby and enjoy what we have for you there.

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