Introduction to Intarsia

If you want to make some extra cash from your hobby but don't have much in the way of tools, timber or capital, intarsia is definitely worth investigating. To get going all you need is:

If you've never done it before you might possibly need a how-to intarsia instruction book.

Either out of your head of if you need inspiration, surprise, surprise, we have some intarsia patterns that may just fit the bill.

Small bits of different coloured timbers. Or cut them out of one piece of cheap pine and stain the pieces different colours as you can do with this free Elephant Scroll Saw Pattern.

This is very cheap and easy way to produce something amazing. I recently posted to my blog on the subject of sourcing different timber colours.

Either a scrollsaw, a cheap one will do, or a bandsaw with a narrow blade to cut out the shapes.

Some sandpaper preferably attached to a sanding machine. Unless of course you are a masochist and enjoy hand sanding. A cheap drum sander that fits in your drill or bench grinder is perfect.

A large bar of chocolate.....oops sorry, no you don't absolutely need the choccy and anyway I'm on a diet. The quantity of timber you will use making a large intarsia is only a fraction of what you would need to make a small coffee table. And the finished intarsia will most likely be worth heaps more than the table.