Preserve the beauty of your work by understanding the effects of time
by Mike Mathieu
For me, the best part of an intarsia project is picking out the wood to use. I spend hours matching up different colors and figures of wood. Often, woodworkers don’t realize the vibrant wood they use in their project will change over time. Careful wood selection and a knowledge of how aging affects the color of specific woods will help your intarsia project stand the test of time.
I have been very fortunate to be able to use many different types of woods in my intarsia. I have learned a lot about the color changes wood goes through as it ages. When I created my first rose box, I used pink ivory for the rose. It was the most beautiful wood I had ever seen and it made the perfect rose. Unfortunately, pink ivory turns brown. I did some research and found bloodwood. As the name implies, the wood is red, and best of all, it stays red.
To save you the expense of choosing wood through trial and error, I’m sharing what I have learned from experience. Please note this is not a complete list, but it does provide a range of colors to help you make the most of your intarsia projects.
Click here to download a printable PDF: PAGE 1; PAGE 2.
About the Author
Mike Mathieu lives in Midlothian, Va., and runs Woodworking Plus. Mike specializes in designing and creating custom intarsia. Visit his website at www.midlothianwoodworks.com.
This article was first published in of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Spring 2009 (Issue 34).
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