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Some of my intarsia and fretwork

Started by TJB, December 27, 2009, 12:14:23 PM

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TJB

Howdy Group
I have been looking at some great woodwork photos from the members here. I added a few of the kind of woodwork I do, hope you enjoy them! You can see more on my website.
TJ 











TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

Burlkraft

TJ,

That is awesome work!  8)  8)  8)

I love the Indian Maiden, she's a beauty for sure  ;D  ;D  ;D
Why not just 1 pain free day?

LeeB

Those are fantastic. What did you use for models or is the artwok original?
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

jim king

Those are beautiful .  I have problems with miter joints fitting, I can only imagine the patience to get those peices to fit.

TJB

most are patterns I changed around to suit me. I make original designs when I feel like it, but there are already tons of patterns and designs for most of what I'm asked to create. The dragon came from a picture I saw on a banner. I redrew it so it could be made from wood. The intarsia designs shown here came from others and I came up with the woods for the colors. The maiden reminded me of my late sister when I first saw it, so I put a lot of effort in trying to make it as life like as possible before giving it to her son. Thanks for the nice comment!
TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

LeeB

You caught the lifelike beutifully. The wood grains realy look like the naturtal ebb and flow of natural skin. Your nephew should charish the gift.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Left Coast Chris

Very, very nice work!    What scrol saw and what finish do you use?
Home built cantilever head, 24 HP honda mill, Case 580D, MF 135 and one Squirel Dog Jack Russel Mix -- Crickett

TJB

Thanks Burlkraft!

Jim, You may not believe this but I cant build a square worth a dang. I have a lot of trouble getting the cuts precise enough with the normal wood tools, I would love to be able to build bookcases and beds like most woodworkers. When I first started using a scroll saw I was always able to get it to do what I wanted and I thought I could try and be good at one type of woodwork or just OK at at bunch of different kinds. I decided to stick with what came natural to me.

Thank you Lee!

Chris I use a Excalibur saw from Seyco.com and put 3 coats of Old Masters clear gel varnish on the intarsia. 
TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

Patty

Oh my God those are so beautiful! The best I have ever been privileged to see. Amazing work you do.
Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings....
We simply continue to fly ........
on a broomstick.....
We are flexible like that.

SwampDonkey

That there is awesome works of art.  :) At one of the local markets that open in the summer, there is a lad that does the same type of work and has a booth. I have dabbled a bit with marquetry and inlay, but nothing like that has emerged. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

TJB

Thank you Patty, those are some mighty nice words!

SwampDonkey, it just takes a little practice, you get a little better with each one you do.

Plus this stuff is like my ex, it looks a lot better in photos than person! LOL
TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

tomsteve

   you work is exceptional!!! the indian woman looks like there's quite a few different species of wood in there. i have the plans for the eagle, just havent gotten a round tuit yet.
    i like how you use different woods in your fretwork. i have been doin fretwork for a few years now and have a few hundred patterns. still lookin for that right piece of wood for some of the projects.
     been to yer website b4 too. awesome work.

TJB

Thank you tomsteve, I used western red cedar, spalted hickory, aspen, eastern red cedar, walnut, maple and some olive wood from Bethlehem in the maiden. I tend to get carried alway sometimes when I'm doing intarsia.
TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

IMERC

Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

TJB

TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

Brad_bb

TJ, How about telling us about your technique?  Like for the Indian woman.  do you start with flat pieces?  How do you get the radii in the various sections?  What carving or sanding techniques to you use to get everything smooth?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

TJB

Here's more than you probably wanted to know.  Intarsia is a form of woodwork where you use different species of wood to get the different  grains and colors that you shape to make a 3-D picture. No stains or paints are used, the colors you see are the natural colors of the wood. Different people have different ways of doing Intarsia, here's mine. When I decide what I want to make, I start going through my wood piles until I find all the colors I want to use. Then I plane the wood to get it all the same thickness. When I have all the wood ready I start laying out the design or pattern, matching the woods grain direction with the way the design goes. I cover every piece of wood I cut with clear packing tape, it lubes my blades and makes cutting a little more easy for me. I cut all the pieces and put them together to make sure I like the colors. If I dont like the way some color turned out I throw away those pieces and recut them from a different wood. When I'm happy with the colors I start shaping the pieces one at a time on a drum sander checking it against the piece before to get the height I want. Once all the shaping is done I start hand sanding, every piece is sanded and a clear gel varnish is applied as I go. After I sand the first piece and blow the dust off with a air compresser, I apply the first coat of finish and then start sanding the second piece.  When I get the second piece sanded I apply the finish to it and go back and the wipe the extra gel off the first one. Then I do the third piece and so on and so on. When you have a design with hundreds of pieces, this method can take a long time. I apply 3 coats of finish over 3 days. After that, I glue the pieces together and wait a day for it to dry and then I glue it down to a backer board and wait another day for that to dry. I install the hanger on the back and its ready to go. TJ



TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

Brad_bb

So you have a pattern on paper and transfer that to the wood pieces?  There's got to be more detail to the shaping?  You only use a basic drum sander to completely shape it?
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Lud

Fine,  fine work TJ,   a pleasure to see.
Simplicity mill, Ford 1957 Golden Jubilee 841 Powermaster, 40x60 bankbarn, left-handed

TJB

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you Lud!

Yes Brad you can buy patterns or draw them.  Some people will use trace paper under the pattern to transfer it to the woods. Other people including myself make copies of it and cut them up and use a glue stick to attach them to the woods.  I use a small drum type sander attached to a bench grinder to do 95 percent of the shaping, I use a dremal tool and even a knife sometimes for those small hard to reach pieces.  A lady named Judy Gale Roberts rediscovered this type of woodwork back in the 70's and I have went to her place a couple of times to learn this from her.
TJ
TJ Brown
www.tjswoodshop.com

GF

That is some exceptional work, thought about trying it oneday but not sure if I have the patience.  Thanks for sharing the photos.

Gary

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