Creative Woodworks & crafts 1997-12, страница 6

Garnet's "Sweet Dreams" Clock appears in the premiere issue of Scroll World.

mural for the City Hall of Regina, Saskatchewan, my first place awards from the Toronto Wood Show "Wood In Art" competition, and, coming soon, a cable show on scroll saws that 1 just recently filmed. I now design and market a line of intarsia patterns through PS Wood Machines. I also teach seminars and workshops al wood shows as well as offer classes in cities across Canada.

All of this bragging is to show where intarsia really can take you. Intarsia can be enjoyed as a hobby, making pieces for your home or as gifts, as a business to make a few extra dollars or even earn a living, and finally, as an art form, creating one-of-a-kind works.

After all these years, I think I have found a home in woodworking. I enjoy developing new designs, and the creative process is more enjoyable than any production work. It is also rewarding to teach people a craft and to see the joy on their faces when they realize what they have created with their own hands.

Wildlife subjects are my favorite, with western themes and vehicles close behind. As you develop your intarsia skills, you'll also develop your own style unci area of interest.

Intarsia allows great latitude for creative expression, as each piece will be different depending on the woods you choose, how you shape the pieces. and on the finish that you apply. No two pieces will ever look the same.

Tools of the trade

You don't need a lot of tools_

or a large work area. If all

you had was a fret saw and some sandpaper, you could create an intarsia project. But we all know that woodworking is really about the tools. Posi-trac belt sanders, dual exhaust dust collectors, chrome reverse scroll saws— shiny new toys right out of the box. There is no happier person than a woodworker with a new tool.

And with each new tool comes the perfect justification—namely that power tools can make the process go

Christmas Friends, another example of Garnet's talent. Turn to page 76 ot this issue for complete instructions on making this beautiful project.

quicker and easier. Which brings us to sanding. You can usually adapt whatever sanding tools you have on hand to do the job, but you will soon discover the great array of sanding tools available that will make this process simpler

and faster.

Every intarsia artist will eventually discover their favorite sanding tools. My sanding proccss works as follows: 1) Belt sander—to remove material in a hurry for initial shaping. 2) Hand-held pneumatic sander-—with 80 grit paper also for initial shaping, then with a finer grit paper to form over the curves and to start the finish sanding. 3) Flap sander, such as Robert J. Hlavacek's (Creative. Woodworks and Crafts, August '97), to finish sand even very small pieces. All of these tools are inexpensive, safe, and useful for other sanding jobs as well. You don't need a large shop to enjoy intarsia, either. You'll need enough room for a scroll saw, the sanding tools mentioned above, and a dust collector.

I used to think that a table saw was the most important tool in any shop, but now I'm convinced that a dust collector is the most vital tool you can own. You can develop allergies to wood dust over time, which can affect your health and deprive you of your favorite pastime.

Intarsia is a wonderful art form thai will provide you with endless hours of enjoyment. Speaking of which, I have enjoyed being able to share a bit about myself and what I do with you. If you

_choose to create intarsia from

^— one of my patterns. I hope you have as much fun doing it as I had designing it. Feci free to write to me with any questions, comments, or just to shoot the breeze.

Garnet Hall's patterns are available in the U.S. from PS Wood Machines. 6367 Mitch Haven Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15/02, (800) 939-4414, and in Canada from Garnet Hall, Box 549, Soughion, Sask., Canada SOG 4T0. {j

Creative Woodworks & Crafts