ASFW at MASW!

The New School of French Marquetry

I realize that, in the world of French marquetry, there are a few "chevalets" sitting in workshops in large cities like Paris, Brussels, London and New York.   However, these tools belong to the artisans who built them and use them for highly specialized work, usually restoring period furniture for dealers.  In general, the design and function of this tool has remained somewhat "secret" over the centuries.  You could just say the "chevalet de marqueterie" is obscure.

In fact, there is only one school in Europe where students can get instruction and practice using these tools.  That school is ecole Boulle, in Paris.  Even in that school the chevalet is part of a curriculum which includes Colombo Filippetti  jig saws and other cutting tools to make marquetry.

When I was there as a student some 20 years ago, Dr. Pierre Ramond taught a rather strict traditional approach to making marquetry which focused on the chevalet.  There were 12 such tools in the class and a similar number of students, working diligently every day to design, cut out and assemble real masterpieces of art in wood.  The new professor at that school has a new building and encourages a diverse mix of traditional and modern methods to create the work.

In 2000, when Pierre retired, I asked him and received his permission to create my own school in San Diego, where I endeavored to continue his work, using many of his exercises and methods.  I built 7 chevalets and created a simple introductory program for students which would allow them to experience the amazing properties of this tool.  That program has been a great success and I have had hundreds of students, of all ages and skill levels, over the years.  Every one of them is delighted to have the chance to use this tool, and many of them have followed up by building one for their own use.

During the past several years, Marc Adams and I have had phone and email conversations about me teaching at his school.  Although I had never visited his school, I had had many students here at ASFM who also were graduates MASW, and they encouraged me to go.

The biggest problem is that the chevalet is a large tool and cannot easily be transported, so it would be necessary for Marc to build a chevalet for each of his students who wanted to take a class.  That means, essentially, that there was no profit motive for him to do so.  It is to his credit that he decided to proceed, and the only motive I can suggest is that he really loves woodworking and his desire to create the best and most diverse woodworking school in the country is sincere.

At any rate, Marc built 8 chevalets this summer, and I agreed to fly out and teach a class.  I was impressed and amazed at the facilities and quality of instruction which I discovered when I arrived.  I had no idea how complex and professional the facilities were.  He is celebrating 20 years of classes and it shows.  The walls are covered with student's work and souvenirs of past instructors, many of whom I know and admire.  On top of it all, it was spotless.  Imagine all the woodworking machinery and activities running continuously and not a spec of dust anywhere.

First Class at Marc Adams

I was provided with a room to myself, full of benches and a chalkboard with video hookup.  In the center of the room stood 8 beautiful new chevalets, ready to use.  I arrived a day early to run through the final tune up procedure so they would cut properly and empty my bags.  I had brought 100 pounds of materials and supplies to run the class and it took some time to set that stuff up for class.

Cleaning Up the Marquetry on Friday

I was pleased to meet the 8 students who showed up bright and early Monday morning for the first class.  It was an honor to be able to bring the chevalet to another school in America, and I personally want to thank Marc for his vision and support to make this possible.

I had suggest that Marc build his chevalets in several different sizes, but he chose to build them all the same size, which was 61 cm.  This size tool is fine for a person who is over 6 feet but one of my students was only 5 feet tall, and that presented a problem.  I have different size chevalets here in my school, and it makes it easy to fit the student to the tool.  The solution we came up with at MASW was to make a second seat blank and use wood spacers to raise the seat.  This required raising the foot pedal an equal amount with a block of wood, and allowed the shorter students to easily work the larger tools.

Adjustable Seat Height

At the end of the week, all students had successfully completed the three basic projects in Boulle technique.  Everyone was pleased with the class and I felt that I had contributed to the diversity of the woodworking program that Marc has developed over 20 years.  It was an honor to add my name to the list of famous and distinguished instructors who have passed through these doors over the decades.

Now there are twice as many woodworking schools in America as there are in France where students can create art using the "chevalet de marqueterie."  The American School of French Marquetry, in San Diego, will continue as usual to offer classes, as we have done since 2000.  Marc Adams School of Woodworking, in Indiana, will offer similar classes in the future, so keep watching their schedule.

I am rewarded each time I see a woodworker sit for the first time on this tool and smile at the results.

Mr. Lecount Ready For Adoption.

Meet Mr. Lecount

Over the years I have lectured to groups, large and small, thousands of time.  Public speaking is easy for me.  Just tell me how long you want me to talk, pick a subject, and let me go.  I never talk over the time allowed.  I can easily tell a story which is adapted to the audience with facts and anecdotes, letting the questions from the audience direct the presentation.  If you were to ask me how I do it, I would tell you a few basic rules:  have the confidence in your material, speak clearly and vary the delivery to "sell" the story with enthusiasm, and, most importantly, maintain eye contact with everyone in the audience.  As you speak, there will be those who nod in approval.  That means continue on that topic.  Also there will be those who nod off in sleep.  That means change the topic.

Original Works from 1690

It is important to use humor at times to put the audience at ease.  Knowing what kind of humor is the secret to success.  Having a joke fall flat is perhaps the worst type of mistake a speaker can make.  I have a good selection of humorous remarks that fit nicely into my presentation, and I am never afraid to use them when it feels right.  For example, when I am talking about making furniture and the amount of time it takes to do it by hand, they always have a question like "That must take a lot of patience!"

I then quote from Toshio Odate, a wonderful woodworker who says, "Why would I do something in 10 minutes that I could do all day?"  In other words, it is not "patience" but "passion" that drives me to work the way I do.  When you are passionate about your activity, it is not "work" but a "lifestyle."

As I remember from Be Here Now, the bible of the 60's, life is a journey, you better enjoy the trip.

Olive, Yew Wood Oysters, Marquetry

At times I am speaking to a small private group of mature individuals and I can use a  metaphor which exactly explains how I feel when making a piece of furniture.  I tell them that I enjoy being pregnant, what I don't like is kids.  In a crude way that illustrates that I enjoy the creating process, giving birth to a new form, but I don't want to take care of it when it's done.  I just put it up for adoption and then start over.

This is where I am with Mr. Lecount.  I have labored over it for over a year to get it to stand up on its own and be ready to face the world.  Now that he is finished, I hope he finds a good home.

When I returned from my vacation, I finished applying the shellac finish, installed the glass and gold mounts.  Then I fixed the hinges for the upper door and installed the latch which keeps the glass door closed.  I rubbed out the shellac and applied a coat of Kiwi paste wax, which gave a nice patina.

Bullseye Bellybutton

The last thing I did was install the hand blown glass bullseye in the lenticle.  The lenticle is an oval window in the door which allows the owner to see if the pendulum is moving or the weights are down a certain length.  When clocks evolved from the marquetry period to the Georgian period, for some reason the lenticle was no longer popular.  I like it and think it is an attractive feature.  With the bullseye glass, in my mind, the lenticle becomes the belly button of the clock.

It seems appropriate that, as a parent giving birth, the belly button would be the last thing to do, since cutting the umbilical cord is the actual last act of separating the child from the parent.

Now all I need to deal with is the postpartum depression.

Blue Birds of Happiness

We've Got Nails!

Tools for Nailing Veneer Packets

When you practice an art form which was perfected in France over 200 years ago, it is natural that you will need some specialized materials, usually not available in America these days.  Home Depot carries a lot of stuff, but they do not have animal protein glue or cast iron glue pots, as I understand it.

Some of the things I need to do my job properly include sawn veneers in a variety of exotic species, bleached bone, 16cm fret saw blades, backer board (ayous) in both 3mm and 1.5 mm thickness, Kraft paper and, of course, veneer packet nails.

Veneer Packet Properly Nailed

"Veneer nails?" you ask.  Why, those are easy to find.  Perhaps, if you don't want the "correct" nails which are used in France exclusively to make the veneer packets.  The problem is that the nails you find in America are more like pins than nails.  The shape is wrong.  The point is not sharp.  The steel is the wrong hardness.  They usually have no flat heads.  Otherwise, they work ok, I guess.


Some years ago it was easy to bring in kilos of the correct nails from Paris, packed in Kraft paper and carried in my carry on bag.  That was before paranoia changed air travel.  Heck, I used to bring liquids of all types, powders in paper bags, tools, and a wide variety of professional materials all the time.  Now I worry about how much toothpaste I have in my bag.  How long does 3 oz last?

Anyway, the last kilo of nails lasted a long time.  So when I returned to Paris and made a trip to the nail factory which had operated in the Faubourg St. Antoine for more than a century,  I expected that it would be easy to buy another kilo.  I still remember standing in the street, looking at the building which was completely gutted and the impressive sign which proudly announced the new condos soon to be finished.

No more nail factory...Instant panic set in.  What now?

Searching on the internet made me realize that nail guns had replaced brads generally with the special nail strips that these guns used.  Useless for my projects.  Other than that I found small brass nails which were used for model building.  I couldn't believe that small nails had become obsolete.

These nails are used in building packets of veneer for marquetry.  They have a special hardness which makes it possible to drive them through hard woods, and, after the excess length is cut off, the ends are riveted in place.   They come in different lengths for different thicknesses of veneer, usually 15 mm and 20 mm in length.

Finally, after some time searching for another factory which understood the special type of nail we needed, we got a tip from Yannick Chastang, ebeniste working in England.  He pointed us to a factory in Creil, near Chantilly, North East of Paris.  I discovered this factory was the last factory in France which was able to make these nails, but they had a minimum order requirement of 50 kilos.  That meant that to place an order I had to spend more money than I had.  Also, 50 kilos of these small nails would last me for a century.

Not only that, these nails were not normally in stock.  The minimum order was because they needed to actually make the nails for us on demand.  We needed to order 25 kilos of any size before they would tool up and make them.  Note on the label that there is the date (11/9/13) which is September 11, 2013, the actual date of manufacture.

It took me two years to get the money together to place the order.  So two months ago I sent the money transfer for 25 kilos of 15mm nails and 25 kilos of 20mm nails.  Naturally, they took August vacation, so the shipment was delayed.  Then it was sent by air freight, which added to the cost, and arrived in Los Angeles to clear customs (even though I told them to send it to San Diego.)  Thus, I had to pay the duty and trucking to have it delivered to my shop, which further added to the investment.

15mm Nails in Can or Box

Last French Company Making These Nails

15mm Length

What a crazy thing it is to spend all this time and money for a bunch of tiny nails!  The  only consolation is that I will never need to buy nails again.  Also, I can now supply nails to students and other marquetry workers here in the States so that they don't need to go through what I went through.

20mm Nails in Can or Box

"Acier Clair" means "Bright Steel"

20mm Length

I am making these nails available, if you need them, at reasonable prices, for several sizes of packages in both lengths.  These nails are 0.7mm in diameter which is American wire gauge #21.  The 15mm length is packaged in tins which weigh at least 200 grams or 7 ounces and cost $15.  The 20mm length is packaged in tins which weigh at least 100 grams or 3.5 ounces and cost $9.  The 15mm length is also available in a box that weighs 1Kilo or 35 ounces and cost $50, and the 20mm length is sold in a box which weighs 500 grams or 17.5 ounces and cost $25.  Shipping is extra for any size, of course.

Please contact me if you want to get some of these nails for your project.  I will be happy to send them to you, and you don't need to invest the kind of money I did to get them.  Frankly I am amazed that any factory still makes them, and I wonder how much longer this supply will be available from France.

I also import 90gm/square meter Kraft paper and sell it for $3/meter and the impossible to find backer board in two thicknesses, 3mm for $3.50/square foot and 1.5mm for $3/square foot.  These are speciality items for the serious marquetry professional, and I need to purchase them in substantial quantities to be able to offer them in this country at these prices.

If you are interested, just call or contact me by email.

Mr. Lecount Gets First Coat

First Coat of Shellac

As I work to create tall case clocks, I am constantly reminded of the human characteristics that we share with this form of woodwork.  It is not just a coincidence that the clock stopped, never to run again, when the old man died.

I am also deeply in love with the first generation of time pieces, from 1650-1700.  During this period, I imagine it was like when Jobs introduced the iphone.  Before we had one, we didn't need it.  Once we got one, we wondered how we lived without it.  That is what it must have been like back then.

Before 1650 there was no real accurate way to measure time.  Knowing what time it was meant that you were within an hour or so of the real time, and that was fine.  However, once the pendulum clock was perfected, by adjusting the length of the bob by a slight amount, you could accurately determine the time to the minute.  Where would we be today without that invention?

These "new" clocks were so important that the clockmakers searched out cabinetmakers to make cases which justified the expense and verified the importance of their work.  The last two decades of the 17th century saw the most highly decorated clock cases ever made, and I am sure they commanded a place of importance in the rich man's home, announcing to the world that he was a "modern" man, who knew what time it was.

Only Missing Glass and Mounts

So, with this in mind, it is curious to think about how human characteristics were transferred to this type of woodwork, unlike any other piece of cabinetry.  For example, the clock case has "feet" which is not in itself unusual, since most furniture has feet.  However, it also has a "face" which "tells" the time, in a kinetic way, whether you want to know or not, since the bell strikes on a regular basis.  The case also has a "waist" which might make it more attractive, and perhaps more feminine.

It has "hands" which are strangely attached to the "face" (strange).  The works rest on the "cheeks" of the side boards.  The average height of the "face" is at eye level with the average person.  The top case is a "bonnet" which of course represents the hat covering the face and protecting the works.  The "backboard" is similar to the spine, in that it holds the clock upright and straight.

To regulate the clock, you set the "beat" which is analogous to a heartbeat.

A tall case clock requires regular attention to operate fully.  Without human support it stops.  That means that every week or month the owner needs to adjust it and reset the weights.  No other piece of furniture requires regular attention to survive.  It is like owning a pet; you need to feed it often to keep it alive.

I am comforted by the sound of the ticking and reminded every hour of the passing of time, when I am near one of these wonderful objects.  It reminds me that I, too, am human, and my time is measured and finite.  I should make the best of it while I am able.

That is why I am leaving tomorrow for a well deserved vacation at my cabin on the Madison River in Montana.  Leaving time behind and following the stars.

Blue Birds of Happiness

Mr. Lecount Gets Fitted For A Bonnet

Le Count Ready For Fitting

I have spent several days this week fitting the Lecount works to the case, which is assembled without the bonnet.  I prefer to make the bonnet last, as I don't work from plans, and need to see where the works end up to actually put the top together.  It is important the bonnet fits exactly right, since its primary purpose is to keep the dust away from the works, and it needs to be a relatively airtight fit.

As I said in earlier posts, my method for making tall case clocks is to start with the back board. This becomes the spine of the clock and all measurements are taken from its center line.  Then I build a lower case (just a box) and fit it onto the back board.  That allows me to cut and fit the sides and front frame, which makes it easy to fit the large door properly.

The door itself has a wide overhanging molding around it, which needs to be carefully measured so the the edge of the molding clears the case when it opens.  That is why these doors have a unique type of hinge that has an offset pivot.  Also the door has an opening, the "lentical" which allows the owner to see the weights and pendulum from a distance.  In my case I am having a glass blower make a bullseye glass oval to fit in this space.

The last job for the lower case is to make and fit all the molding.  In these early cases the molding is short grain, so it is usual to cut and glue sections of short grain wood (olive) onto strips of beech or oak and make the molding lengths this way.  I am also using cherry molding which is ebonized to provide contrast, like the original clock.

Initial Fit 

Now that the case is assembled, I set up a thick piece of wood on the floor and make it absolutely level.  Standing the case on this floor allows me to properly fit the works.  I have lots of lead weights on the floor to keep it stable.  Placing the works on the cheeks of the case, I can then adjust the fit and set the crutch to make the beat even.  That means that it works perfectly in an ideal flat and level location.

However, not all homes have that ideal flat and level place for a clock.  I have made a special modification for this clock, which is not original to the 17th century.  The works are old and some of the gears are worn slightly uneven, so the beat is not always regular.   Also, the works are designed to run for 30 days, so when the weights are low enough to reach the pendulum bob, it sets up sympathetic vibrations which can act to stop the clock.  That took about 2 weeks to happen when the works were running on my test stand, which is not that stable.

I solved this problem and also the problem of making sure the case is level with a modern solution.  The round feet are turned from cherry around a large bolt.  This bolt is set into the bottom of the clock with standard "T" nuts, so the feet can be screwed up or down slightly to fit the floor.  At the same time, I made a large hollow space above the bottom board and covered it with a second "false" bottom board.  Inside this hollow space I added a fair amount of lead shot.  When you look inside the case at the "false" bottom, it looks fine.  You cannot judge the distance easily so it just looks like a standard case.  However, the addition of lead shot provides stability for the case and the loose shot absorbs any vibrations which may affect the operation of the clock.

As soon as I put the works into this case, standing on the level floor, they ran perfectly, even though the weights were all the way down into the case.  Problem solved.

Today I was able to glue together the basic bonnet, which fits nicely to the works.  During the next week, my attention will be to add all the veneer and molding which will dress it up.  I expect that the clock itself will be ready for the finishing process in a couple of weeks at most.

I cannot wait.  Either can Mr. Lecount.

The Bonnet Assembled

Chicago Kitchen Job

Some time back we received a call from a designer who wanted us to supply marquetry surfaces for a kitchen remodel in Chicago.  Although this is not our normal market or business, we agreed to make the panels and began designing some classical motifs which we thought would work.

There were many cabinet doors and some large panels which were made from cherry, and we asked that they be sent to us so we could apply the marquetry here.

When they arrived, we were surprised to see that they were already finished.  They had a deep cherry stain with a blue cast, probably due to the synthetic finish which was used.  Our challenge was to match the finish of the cherry on the marquetry panels which we were making.

Normally, we build our panels face down on Kraft paper, and then use cold water to remove the paper after the panels are in place.  However, the only way we could match the cherry color was by using water based dyes.  Therefore, we had to find a way to assemble the panels to avoid any water cleanup.  If we used water, the cherry dye would migrate into our marquetry, which included lots of lighter woods, and we wanted to keep it clean.

Therefore, we experimented with clear sticky shelf paper, purchased at the local Home Depot.  It had a slight tack, and we thought we could use it to hold the designs (face down, of course) while we did our glue up.

It worked fairly well.  We had some issues that needed to be worked out.  But it worked.

Here is a VIDEO of Patrice and I applying Old Brown Glue to one of the marquetry panels and placing it in the press.  We did this operation each time for each door and panel.  It worked fine and we were able to remove the tape and shelf paper without using any water from the surface.

When the panels arrived from Chicago, they were in a beautiful plywood shipping crate, which was as strong as any shipping crate I have ever seen.  We placed the doors and panels back into the same crate and shipped them back to Chicago for the client.  We received a call after a few days and it was the client, who said, "I have some good news and some bad news."

It seems that the good news was that the marquetry was perfect and just what they wanted.  The bad news was that the crate was smashed in shipping and all the doors had to be remade.  Only the marquetry center panels survived.

Shipping companies always seem to amaze me with their creativity.

Assembly Board Videos

Lately we have been encouraged to make more videos, and YouTube provides the perfect venue for others to see what we do and how we do it.  We are working on a series of videos which will explain the different methods for making marquetry, according to Dr. Pierre Ramond.  Those will follow as we get the time to put them together.

However, as we are building the second series of Treasure Boxes, we thought it would be nice to show how a picture is put together on an assembly board, according to the traditional French process.

I have posted previously about this method, and it is important to note that the idea of building marquetry face down in hot glue on stretched Kraft paper is something developed by the French and not usually done in other countries.  In fact, the type of Kraft paper used is not even available in America, and I have searched for it.  We import rolls of it from a company in France, and the shipping costs exceed the cost of the paper.  (Last shipment arrived by air freight, and the "friendly" customs inspector drove his fork lift over the shipment and thought that was funny.)

Anyway, the French Kraft paper is shiny on one side and dull on the other.  The shiny side resists moisture and is the side we glue to, and the dull side absorbs moisture, and is the side we apply water to to remove the paper from the marquetry when we are finished.  By applying moisture to the shiny side and allowing it to soak in for several minutes the paper expands.  Then when we wrap it around a board and glue it to the edges, it shrinks tight.  That is an assembly board.

A more exhaustive explanation of how to build an assembly board is found on this blog by searching earlier posts.  Use the search word "assembly board."

Patrice finished cutting all the pieces for the marquetry panel using the Classic Method ("piece by piece"), and we set up the camera to film the incrustation of the elements.  Each picture took about a half hour to assemble, working normally, and we speeded up the video so it takes half that time to see what goes on.

Hot hide glue is spread on the paper and the background is laid face down on the board.  Each piece is then picked up, flipped left to right and placed into its appropriate cavity.  We use a special marquetry knife to install the pieces.  It is a soft steel, so we can pry with the point without breaking the tip.

When all the pieces are in place, we clamp it under a piece of plexiglass and start over.  It is fast and easy.  Note we are using sawn veneers, which are quite thick, and you can easily hear the "click" as they plug into place.

As soon as we posted this to YouTube, we noticed that our friend, Paul Miller, had made a similar video last month.  The difference is that he is using sliced veneers, which are much thinner, and he has applied paper to the veneers before cutting them to strengthen them.  After he installs the pieces on the board, he must then carefully remove the paper with a slight amount of water and scraping to clean off the surface.

In either case, once the picture is done, we mix hot glue, hot water and fine sawdust to make a mastic.  That mastic is applied to the entire surface, which fills any gaps and holds the parts together.  Only then can the picture be cut away from the assembly board and applied to the final project.

Hope you enjoy this.  Patrice's video is HERE

Paul Miller's video is HERE