chevalet de marqueterie

[giacomo]

Hi everybody,

I'm a little tempted to build something like this:

http://www.wpatrickedwards.com/EtudeMarq.htm

Looked for plans an found them too expensive (150 euro) for my pockets.
Maybe someone knows a place (museum or something else) in wich the chevalet is shown. Does anybody?

another question: the blade on chevalet seems longer than usual. Were can I buy longer blades in europe?

thanks a lot

 

[Gill]

Hi Giacomo

If I was going to cut marquetry with a saw I would use a variable speed fret saw with a zero tolerance insert on the table. My choice would be a Diamond saw because it can be slowed down to much lower speeds than other fret saws. The reason I would use a conventional fret saw is that it is easy to find blades which fit them. I don't know where you might find blades which are the sort of length you want for your chevalet. Perhaps you might be able to use a length of fine bandsaw blade, ground behind the teeth? Perhaps a bow saw blade could be adapted? Perhaps a bandsaw blade retailer such as Dragon or DureEdge might be able to make a suitable blade for you? Since the American School Of French Marquetry obviously supplies blades with their kits, it would make sense for them to also have a stock of spare blades - perhaps they could supply you.

I suspect you'd enjoy looking at the Redbridge Marquetry Group's website. They have plans for a marquetry donkey saw here.

Something is nagging at the back of my mind. I suspect I've seen proper plans for a marquetry donkey in one of my books - I'll have a look later and let you know if I find anything useful.

Gill

 

[AndyBoyd]

I saw, a couple of years ago one of these being demonstrated in France. It was put through it's paces against a high quality fret saw (Hegner). It was far superior (which somewhat surprised me) and to make sure the instructor was not kidding us he gave us all a go of both machines and again to my surprise the chevalet was much easier to use and way more accurate..

I'd love to see you build one if you have the time, and let us know what you think

Good luck

 

[Gill]

I'm not at all surprised, Andy. Most electric fret saws have a range of speed variation which is quite unsuitable for marquetry. The fragile veneer will be ripped or splintered even at their lowest speeds. I came to fretwork by way of marquetry. The knife cutting method I was taught can be rather tedious (although it's fast once once you've practiced) and I thought a saw might speed things along. How wrong I was! The single speed Hegner decimated the fine veneers. In later years I learned that this was because the veneers we use in Europe nowadays are much thinner than those which were once used; moreover, you need to use a very slow speed on an electric fret saw. I'm wondering if perhaps it might be possible to adapt one of those old iron treadle saws that sometimes appear on internet auction sites.

I've seen some very fine fretwork cut using nothing more than a handsaw and a supporting piece of wood with a nick in it, called (I believe) a "birds tooth" table. Indeed, I believe Mike Moorlach has contacts who use this technique very successfully; I'm hoping he'll see this thread and offer his advice.

Like you, Andy, I'd love to see Giacomo's chevalet if he manages to build one.

Another thought has struck me - with Giacomo being based in Italy, he might be able to find a blade for his chevalet through the various marquetry museums in Sorrento. Just a thought .

Gill

 

[AndyBoyd]

Thanks for the reply Gill , I see it now, and why the chevalet does what it does so well.

 

[giacomo]

by now thanks everybody!

I'm still looking for plans. Maybe I'll try to build one in a smaller scale.

You will be the fist to know if I'm going to do something.

bye!