Even though I need to replace the plate periodically, I still use this method as opposed to a more permanent one because it is inevitable that even on wooden overlay plates which are popular, the hole will show signs of wear and get larger. Also with a wooden plate, you are raising the surface of your table the thickness of the wood and this could affect the performance of reverse-tooth blades, which I use often.

I did a bit of searching. Typing “marquetry patterns” or even “marquetry designs” into a search engine doesn’t get you very far, but there are alternatives if you think a bit laterally and this is what I came up with:

Assembly – First of all, make sure your scroll saw table is clean. Give it a spray with WD-40 and use some fine grit sandpaper to clean any adhesive or debris that may have collected on it.

1988 saw the introduction of the Bond Elite knitting machine which in addition to the chunkier yarns could also handle 4-ply and double-knitting yarns. The Bond Elite came complete with a row counter, tools for helping create fancy stitches, a needle pusher, an illustrated instruction book, and an instructional video which demonstrated how to set up the machine and how to knit with it. One of the innovative aspects of this particular model were its four, double-sided keyplates which made possible different stitch sizes, and by turning them around, they could also be used for picture knitting (known as intarsia).

For the most part, this does not interfere with production, but when cutting small, delicate pieces sometimes required for intarisa or segmentation, it can cause the problem of lack of support as well as losing the piece as it is cut off. In order to rectify this, many scrollers make what is referred to as a ‘zero clearance plate’ for their saw. The purpose of the zero clearance plate is to provide better support for small and delicate pieces, as well as avoid losing them in the pile of sawdust underneath.

The beginner level knitting patterns are for first time knitters with only basic skills. They are mostly based on basic knitting and purl stitches and minimal, if any, shaping styles involved. Experienced knitters will find them relaxing and repetitive and can easily work on them with no problems or distractions.

There are many free instructions online for both beginners and experts. Basically, you can stick your paper template on wood and cut out the lines. The surface should be depressed with about the same height of your pieces before inserting the pieces themselves.

Make pictures out of wood by using wood inlay. Let’s try intarsia, a type of inlay. Intarsia basically involves putting together pieces of wood of varying shapes, color and grain to create a picture. Intarsia makes any flat surface look 3 dimensional.

– Reattach the blade and tighten the tension.

Well there you have it. Five ways to make marquetry patterns ranging from buying them for a couple of dollars to going back to your school days! I hope one of them will provide you with all the supplies you need until hopefully someone will actually start a dedicated marquetry pattern site. Now there’s an idea… if only I could draw.