Josh’s Rose Marquetry

A good friend gifted me an antique pie crust table. With laminated legs separated, blistered veneer, and failed joinery, it was a complete re-do. Once the finish was stripped complete, I re-assembled and made all necessary structural repairs. The blistered veneer and getting it to look good, which was my biggest concern, was all that remained.

After cruising the inter-web for helpful tips and tricks, I came across a video titled “Router-Based Inlay” introducing me to The Wood Whisperer himself. Thanks to Marc, I was able to endeavor into this as a solution with sky high confidence, minimal trial and error, and an overall understanding of this technique.

Carefully considering the location of the damage and shape of the table, I laid out my rose. Then I chose several species that best fit the design. Bloodwood Rose pedals and thorns, Walnut stems, and Maple leaves. Keeping track of so many pieces can be hectic. I found it useful to create a highly overly-complicated hieroglyphic systematic process (Which I won’t go into) to coordinate each part into the design. And to top it all off, I found a reason to get a cool pair of magnifying goggles and a really tiny bit!