This is my first attempt on making intarsia (made some time ago). The pattern is made by Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry Booher and was published in Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts, Issue 8. Most of the picture is made from pine (the eyes and nostrils are made from a piece of scrap hardwood I had in the shop – Itaube, I believe). I stained the pine in two different shades of cherry and finished with a clear lacquer on top. Even if everything is made from pine, I still made every piece separately to place the grain as suggested in the plans.
I discovered a nice thing about making intarsia: Even if you have a plan it is very much possible to personalize the picture as you may wish. ๐ When it comes to the work itself I realized that there is a good reason why people, who often make intarsia, have invested in sanding equipment as Kirjes, which have inflatable sanding drums. In my case I used a rubber drum in the drill press, a belt sander, a disc sander, sanding paper and a lot of elbow grease. A big task but I’m quite pleased with the result.