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General Category => Intarsia => Topic started by: tcleve4911 on January 11, 2015, 10:17:29 am

Title: To back or not to back
Post by: tcleve4911 on January 11, 2015, 10:17:29 am
I'm new to the Intarsia world
Do you glue your finished piece to a plywood backer?
or do you just glue the pieces to themselves with no backer?
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: pddesertrat on January 11, 2015, 11:41:43 am
I think most use a backer.  That is how it has been done in the videos and books I have looked at.
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: Brian Pardue on January 11, 2015, 08:30:40 pm
I always use a plywood backer, the cheapest  thing i have found and lookes great is 1/4 floor underlayment non primed.
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: julief on January 12, 2015, 07:07:53 am
Definitely use a backer.
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: ChuckD on January 17, 2015, 08:46:21 pm
It is really up to you.  I have made free standing intarsia that had the same look front and back.  Like the Calla Lily I did.  And a beaver standing up by a stump.  They are more work but worth it.  I don't have a picture here with me to show you, but if you do it right it will almost look like a carving.  Then there is the intarsia that you frame with the frame itself holding it.  Remember, have fun :) :)
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: Ray on January 19, 2015, 02:32:33 pm
Definitely a backer for me!

In addition to strength, it can help with warping over time. I usually leave the backer 1/4 inch from the edge on larger pieces or 1/8" on smaller ones.

One other note. For me, I don't skimp on the backer for nice intarsia. I figure that if I'm using exotic and often expensive woods for color and grain and putting all the time in to create a piece of art, I won't use cheap luan for the back. I usually use nice baltic birch. I also sand and give it a light coat of satin lacquer to the back of the piece.

Ray
Title: Re: To back or not to back
Post by: troy_curtis on February 17, 2015, 02:45:37 am
I have only done a few intarsia but the two lighthouse scenes I did I glued to a backer.