WOODEN INLAY

Example of Parquetry Source ; Andersons 1999 web site

Contents

What is Wooden Inlay ?

Wooden inlay is a technique where different coloured woods are used to create a predetermined image for aesthetic appeal. It is believed to be one of the most decorative forms of forest wood product. The two major types of wooden inlay are marquetry and parquetry. Marquetry has a long history and is slowly becoming an extremely popular hobby. Parquetry on the other hand does not have as long a history but is also becoming more popular as time goes on. The techniques for these wooden designs are different and have also changed over time. Overall there are many reasons why wooden inlay is and should be used.

What is Marquetry ?

Marquetry is the art of painting with wood. Also called intarsia it encompasses making pictures and geometric designs with thin slices of coloured wood. It is a popular technique for decorating the smooth surfaces of pieces of furniture, as well as a versatile means of creative expression.

What is Parquetry ?

Parquetry is very similar to marquetry, It also involves using wood to create a desired image. One of the main differences is that parquetry is only for creating geometric images. It usually involves using larger pieces of wood and is most commonly used as a design pattern on flooring panels.

What techniques are used to create Marquetry ?

This delicate form of veneer inlay involves many different stages and requires a great deal of craft and artistic talent. Firstly an image is drawn on a piece of paper which represents the exact sizes and shapes of the final image. The next stage is the pricking out along the outline of the master copy with fine holes. Bitumen powder can then be dusted on to additional sheets of paper to make any number of identical copies. The next stage involves the assembling of a pack of veneers. The pack includes all the pieces required to be cut as well as one sheet of veneer on the top and one sheet on the bottom. The duplicate pattern is then glued to the outer sheet of veneer. These additional sheets on the top and bottom are to take the rough splitting edge due to the saw cut. To improve the efficiency several sheets of veneer may be cut at the same time. Glued pieces of paper between the layers of veneer hold the sheets firmly in place during the cutting process. Next the pieces are cut out along the lines of the duplicate sheet through the entire pack of veneer. This was achieved originally using a machine called a donkey. This traditional marquetry cutters donkey incorporates a simple form of foot operated clamp with which the work is held steady. The fine horizontal saw blade has some lateral movement but curves are achieved by moving the veneer. The final assembly of all the elements of the design occurs on a sheet of paper which is carefully marked out around all of the elements. This second pattern is used in the same way as the first and ends up as the background veneer. All of the pieces are then placed together and glued.

What techniques are used to create Parquetry ?

Parquetry, due to the fact that it only involves geometry is a simpler and quicker process then marquetry. It most commonly uses timber blocks to form decorative flooring, but it can also be built up of thin veneer in furniture design.

A simple example of parquetry shows how contrasts may occur and how with similar techniques different patterns can be achieved. Two contrasting woods are chosen and are cut into standard width strips. The strips are then laid side by side alternately between dark and light. The strips are held in place with glued paper. The composite block of light and dark wood is then cut again but this time perpendicular to the original cuts. After this the rows are then moved one unit to the left or right to create the desired pattern. Many parquetry designs can not be made up in this way and have to be arranged by hand. This usually involves using pieces of wood that are machine cut to standard sizes and then placed in their final position before gluing.

What techniques are used for Inlay in solid pieces of wood ?

The art of inlay is achieved in solid pieces of wood by first drawing the basic shape or design either onto a sheet of paper or directly onto the wood itself. The shape or design has to be basic because it has to be recessed out. The recessing is first done using a chisel and gouge and then it is finished off with a router. The outline of the recess is then transferred to paper by laying the sheet of paper over the recess and rubbing over it with a heel ball. This pattern is then used in cutting the inlay from the wood veneer.

This bed and the inlay in the centre of the bed head was created by George Froud in 1901 as a wedding present to his newly wed wife Mary Froud. Photos courtesy of Rebecca Froud

What woods are used ?

A large range of woods are used in both marquetry and parquetry. The main determinant of whether a wood is suitable for inlay design is the colour. There is a wide assortment of natural coloured wood available but with the aid of dyed wood there is an infinite variety.

Veneer manufacturers classify wood into three categories:

1. Exceptional-figured qualities, which includes walnut, elm, oak, tropical wood, nearly all mahogany, avodire, makore and teak.
2. Luxury wood, which includes tropical wood that provides veneer that is moire, waved, speckled or flamed, as well as maple, European cherry, tulipwood, kingwood, rosewood, amaranth, satinwood and ebony.
3. Common wood, which is used for plywood and industrial veneer, and includes poplar, beech and most of the species in the other categories if they don't contain any unusual characteristics.

All wood types that are used for marquetry or parquetry are selected from exceptional-quality wood, usually from the first or second category. Certain diseased woods may also be used because of their unusual appearance.

The History of wooden inlay.

The art of inlaying is ancient and dates back to marble incrustations in the palace of King Mausole in 350 B.C. For many centuries after that time, marquetry was centred in Paris, although English and German cabinet makers were actively decorating furniture with marquetry as well. This fine art developed enormously during the fourteenth century particularly in Italy. During this time in Italy this type of decoration was known as intarsia and was used extensively on such articles as boxes and coffers. At first contrasts were achieved simply by using lighter woods such as boxwood or spindle versus dark woods such as ebony or walnut. By the end of the fifteenth century shading effects were obtained by using stains or blackening with a hot iron. During the second half of the fifteenth century remarkable panels had been made depicting such scenes as great architectural ruins or purely geometric patterns due to the new understanding of perspective viewing.

Through the following years marquetry and parquetry grew in popularity throughout different regions in the world. The marquetry that was used closely followed other art styles of that period. An example of this is how the marquetry created in the time between the two world wars greatly reflects the Art Deco style so popular in that period. Although the merit of the artistic taste during this period is questionable, the marquetry created was of a very high technical standard. In fact, to cut the very fine grill work that was essential to cloisonne motifs, experience and great manual dexterity were required. Works by Jacques Emile Ruhlmann with their delicate ivory interlacing are proof of such skill.

Since the last century, there has been considerable mechanical progress such as the workbench in its most advanced form and the pedal or electric scroll saw which is able to cut a number of veneers simultaneously, producing several copies of a marquetry motif. Also many tools, including the small circular saw and trimmer, accelerated the use of marquetry and improved the precision of the arrangements, thereby reducing the cost by increasing output. This should have seen an increase in the amount of wooden inlay products but instead during this time there was a decrease. This was due to the production of synthetic and other products as well as the mass production of timber products in recent years. It is also due to the progressive disappearance of artisans from the workforce.

Throughout time there have been changes in taste but wood products as a whole as well as wooden inlay have always remained to some degree. These days parquetry flooring is becoming ever more popular and marquetry is becoming a great hobby for many different people.

Why use Wooden Inlay ?

Like all products made from wood, inlay yields a highly desirable finish which is not only natural, but to some extent every design is unique. As a wood product, there is a pleasing appearance as well as a warm and soft touch. Inlay marquetry also adds a whole new degree of detail to woodworking. Marquetry is also important when trying to create a style for older furniture because of how prevalent it was during earlier periods. Parquetry as a form of flooring is very popular these days and one of the reasons for this is due to how easy they are to clean. With a tough polyurethane coating or oil based finish they only require a simple damp or dry mop over. This makes it the perfect surface for allergy sufferers or asthmatics. They also have a low thermal capacity and are therefore easier to warm up in winter and are faster to cool down in summer. Wooden inlay has also become more cost effective due to the discovery of new technologies which make the job simpler.

References

Bramwell, M. 1976 The International Book of Wood Simon and Schuster, New York.

Lincoln, W. A. 1998 Marquetry manual Linden publishing inc.

Middleton, D. & Townsend, A. 1999 Marquetry techniques Government Press, Sydney.

Gibson, S., 1998 Fine Woodworking magazine 130 pp 23-31

http://www.andersens.com.au/links/links3/parquet.html

http://www.taunton.com/admin/giftfw.htm Fine woodworking mag

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Copyright (c) 1998 The Australian National University
Author: Trent Froud
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Date Last Modified: 26 Oct 1999
URL: http://www.anu.edu.au/Forestry/wood/nwfp/inlay/inlay4.html