(Project In Progress)

 

I'm currently making some wall hangings that I would describe, for lack of a better term, marquetry.

 

They are 1.25" in squares about 3 mm thick that I will glue on some plywood, then trim the edges.  The issue going thru my mind is how to glue them on so that the squares are tight against each other and straight in line.   I am thinking to use a straightedge like a framing square or just a piece of wood and lay out the center line, let the glue set up, then  work  my way out.  Not sure to go perpendicular or parallel on the next row.  Each square will alternate grain direction.  I don't really think I can use any clamps because of both the thickness and I don't want to cover the pieces so I can see if they slide out of position.

I'm open to ideas and suggestions.

 

 

 

since you are gluing onto plywood, which won't be seen later, i think i'd find a metal straight edge/level, and screw that to the plywood to give me one baseline to work off of.

 

then i'd take a framing square, metal, and also screw that to the plywood, so now you have constrained things in both X and Y.  glue up that sector wait a day.

 

remove square, glue up next sector.  another day of waiting.  swap straight edge for framing square, 3rd sector......

 

so it takes 4 days, you want it done right or not?

Maybe use the framing square to position a piece of aluminum angle iron, like @DAB's idea. Start from the center and work out to the sides.

While thinking about it, I wondered if the technique of holding the pieces together with painter's or packing tape would help keep things in line.

It absolutely would, that's the way some of the fancier veneer layouts are held together. Packing tape might be a little harder to remove without damage, but it would let you see the pieces.

Do it just like laying wood floor tile. Layout a vertical line of tiles and let the glue dry and then layout a horizontal wing on each side. Let it all dry for an hour or so and then fill in the quadrants. That way you have two axis to push against. If you use titebond type one you can put a tile in place, hold it for about 15 seconds and then move on. 
Paul

9 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

It absolutely would, that's the way some of the fancier veneer layouts are held together. Packing tape might be a little harder to remove without damage, but it would let you see the pieces.

OOOH, I have some veneer tape that I could use.

 

alternatively, you could use double stick tape instead of glue.

Decided to proceed as follows -- laying up vertical lines, one column at a time, from the center out.

 

First one done.  Will sand, trim the border, and finish when the glue is dry.

 

 

very nice, very straight lines!!! yay.

That’s really nice!

1 hour ago, DAB said:

very nice, very straight lines!!! yay.

Yeah, I have my 10,000 hours in

 

I got the second one glued up before dinner.  One more to go, and I have enough tiles cut that I can do a square framed one..

Edited June 4, 20242 yr by kmealy

Looks great Keith.

Got them done, finish applied and sawtooth hangers on.  The rectangular one was made from "leftover" squares, but my wife says she likes it best.  Light squares are maple and dark are walnut that was salvaged from a church door.  1.25" square pieces.  Adjacent squares have alternating grain direction and maple squares just drawn randomly from the pile.  Someone asked if I was going to "frame" the larger ones.  Umm, no.

 

Edited June 18, 20242 yr by kmealy

I like the framed one, too.

They did turn out quite nice.