Marquetry Tutorial

 
Cutters & Cutting Techniques

Probably the most important tool is your cutter. Make sure you always have a sharp blade and that you know how to use it. I find it better to have two cutters, even though both cutter knives fit in the same handle, because changing blades every time is time consuming and a hassle.
I sometimes sharpen my blades on an oil stone or 400 grit sandpaper but if you are not up to the challenge then simply replace the blade when it gets dull.
I use X-ACTO #1 handle with #11 blades and #5 handle with #18 blades.

The wrong way
Be careful not to 'buckle' your finger at the first joint when applying pressure to the blade or you will end up with a very sore finger.

The pointed cutter is used with a pulling motion to score the veneer. Do not apply too much pressure or you might split the veneer along the grain instead of along the line where you want it to cut. Rather go over the score line several times than trying to cut it in one sweep. When using a ruler, the piece you want to keep must be underneath the ruler and keep the blade at 5 degrees, slightly cutting 'under' the ruler. This is to ensure you have the right angle on the cut.

The flat chisel-like cutter is used to pry the veneer apart. This cutter is used when the grain of the wood is brittle and likely to splinter. It is also used for cutting out circles. The flat side of the blade always faces the part you want to keep.  Do not start in the middle of a piece of veneer but cut from the edge inwards. Place the point of the blade in the veneer and with a rocking motion press along until you have cut the full width of the blade. If you just push the blade down on its full width the veneer is likely to split along the grain.  Remember to cut at a 5 degree angle.

Why 5 degrees?
The reason for cutting the veneer at about a 5 degree angle is to have a better fit.  It does not have to be exactly 5 degrees, but as long as the cut is slightly in.  If you cut two pieces of veneer at 90 degrees and place them together, edge to edge, there is a possibility of there being small gaps between the pieces because cutting with a blade is not always accurate. By leaning the cutter out slightly you create a narrow edge at the surface of the veneer, which, when two such edges are placed together, they sort of 'weld' to each other.

Copyright Reserved - Created April 2000 - Greentree Creations - e-mail Jane