Boulle and wood marquetry, simple veneering and French polish

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BOULLE MARQUETRY (Stage 1) 3 days

This course is designed to introduce students to the marquetry donkey and cutting marquetry. It will provide an overview of the main marquetry techniques. No previous experience in marquetry is required.  This is a mandatory foundation course before taking any other Yannick Chastang course.

The course is not only an introduction to marquetry technique but it is also an introduction to simple veneering (preparation of the veneers for the marquetry), cutting marquetry using the donkey and other tools, sharpening and learning to master the cabinet maker scraper and eventually finishing with French polishing (true French polishing!)  It is an intensive three days with each student going home with a finished marquetry, glued, scraped and French polished.  Previous students have said that it is a very good value course.

The Boulle marquetry technique consists of cutting all materials in a single packet simultaneously, so that by interchanging the elements, positive and negative designs called “premiere” and a second “contre-partie” can be created.

In this three-day course you will create two marquetry panels from contrasting woods. You will select the materials, learn how to assemble and cut them and then to turn them into a marquetry.

Below are examples of marquetry designs made by our students.  The frog is after a design by Emile Gallé and was cut using the Boulle marquetry technique, producing one “premiere” and a second “contre-partie” marquetry.

This course will be taught and hosted by Yannick Chastang in his Kent workshop. Course size is limited to 1 student to enable the close supervision that such finely detailed work requires.

All tools and materials are provided. Each student will be assigned a donkey. Donkeys will be available for purchase at the end of the course.