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Latest piece done. Segmentation Koi bowl. I used 3/4" Poplar for two layers and 1/2" Maple for the third layer. Black is Osmo finish. Colours are acrylic paints. Finished with triple glaze gloss. Pattern is from an old Creative Woodworks magazine. Pattern designer is Deborah Nicholson. Thank you @Denny Knappenfor providing it to me. Original pattern is 12" diameter. This is reduced to 8"diameter.

Wasn’t sure where to put this, so….. One of the things with the Bauer 22” saw is the arm pin being so far back. Some I’ve heard use a 2x4 to support it. I like to make gadgets, so here’s my crude set up. Have a ‘cleaner’ one in the works, but this is what I had on hand to play with to get the idea a visual. IMG_6515.mov

With rare exception we don't box anything other than Ornaments. I hope to do a high end Artisan event this summer to sell Intarsia pieces and turnings. I will provide a box for the Intarsia pieces primarily to protect them for transport. I will get professional pricing help for this event.

Yeah, most people use a pegboard with hooks to hang the ornaments on.. Nothing wrong with that method but I feel like they all get blended together and don't really stand out.. building a rack so the boxed ornaments can stand up at an angle towards the isles to grab attention is key.. IF customer wants to get all touchy feely they can simply open the box.. the box with cotton also gives a bit of protection from the kiddos that like to grab and touch everything too..

Thanks for the nice comment @kmmcrafts Kevin. We have been selling Ornaments since 2005, not sure who's idea it was to box them. Probably my wife. They are clear topped boxes and we put sparkly felt under the ornament. It really makes them pop! It is a bit of additional work but my wife enjoys the process. The Jump in sales was dramatic! The boxes make it easy for someone to gift the ornament with just a bit of wrapping paper. I cut 6 at a time and charge 12-15 ea. I only do a couple of events a year. The image is from 2009.

I use the clamp Steve Good showed how to make. A couple pieces of wood a couple bolts and wing nuts. I don’t have to use tape all the time with that. When I do, I am very careful about putting tape on the side that hasn’t been cut.

I struggle with setting a price on some things I've made. I take into account my location (not a high priced area to live in), complexity of the item (how long it took to make), and type and cost of wood it was made from. Plus, the "ready made" competition of similar items found in stores like Hobby Lobby. Some of my items have taken 2 years for the right person to come along and buy. Over the past 3 years doing this, I have reinforced and come to believe the best I can do and am quite OK with, is that I have a hobby/pastime that pays for itself, and makes me happy as well as the people who buy my works.

I think a lot would depend on where you're trying to sell at and also how are they packaged if they are.. All of my ornaments starting priced at $15.97 + shipping ( I sell online so shipping is a factor for me ).. I also package every ornament in a gift box.. so they're ready to give as a gift if the customer is purchasing it as a gift.. if not the box gives a bit more padding for packaging in the mail as the gift boxes are cotton filled too. Shipping is usually right around $4 - 5 for ground advantage.. so they're spending a total of around $20 some of my ornaments are double layered so they're priced closer to $18.97 + shipping and then adding any type of personalized or custom design is yet more money.. I sell a lot of them too and being priced higher like this allows me to be able to run a sale, or do bulk / wholesale orders which is really the larger part of my income.. The lowest I will sell a bulk order is $10 each.. for a pretty basic design..and goes up from there.. Selling at a craft show or farmers market.. I'd probably price things similar to the others saying $10 - 12 if there is no gift box etc.. I just think the gift boxes are a must have as then if the customer does purchase they have a box to easily carry with them rather than just handing them a ornament in a bag or something.. Everyone will have a different idea of price and many times it's based on experience and the market in their particular area..

The older I get, the fewer muscles I have.

I adapted a photo of a Mallard Duck in Flight to create an 11 ¼” x 10 ¼” Intarsia pattern. Wood used: Aspen, Basswood, Orange Osage, Roasted Birch, Sapele, Yellowheart, and Wenge. Very accurate cutting is needed to get a good fit of the many small parts, especially in the wings. To enhance the piece, I used dye to color Aspen for the Green and Blue areas. For my version I also added some dark shading to match the image using an Airbrush. Backer is 1/8” thick BB Ply and the completed Assembly was protected with multiple coats of a Clear Gloss Acrylic Finish. Original Photo. My version! Comments and critiques welcome. I will post the pattern in Pattern Exchange.

#ArtisanPirate

Jerry, I use a hard rubber roller to press everything down; from the clear shelf liner, the pattern, and clear tape when needed. I bought mine at a thrift store but Amazon has them: https://www.amazon.com/POWERTEC-71010-Handle-J-Roller-Rubber/dp/B00NFAOCVU/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=2ZJ8D0381JOY4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.z5mkOdfAWQLKEmA9mO45d1AGUJEXSFQ70UiZ6JIyDT1unyKkCA0tIwfLTcGAp5IEWtBublooQSe0WzlnO4-OJVEkFTcsW6FTPw_FhREM2U0xZA0-_Pqm-UflLcfl0OICsXNWRVeD7Phc4ixQL3om0TY8RmmHyzcQ2Nn8jH9-K4dUy6n2Jhve4Sf9EFw-H1pWXzjTiR8IWrq4_nAJFSWN8A.-Krxt8MamGhrSik2jeRDU8CyaICIMwcqPBWwoDdd0pI&dib_tag=se&keywords=hard+rubber+roller+tool+for+adhesive&qid=1738096242&sprefix=hard+rubber+roller+%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-13

It happens to me from time to time but, I can usually tell where the cut line is or, where it's supposed to be

I rarely make ornaments, so I never sell and never buy, but if I went to a vendor show. I would think the boxes would be a more attractive display. A nice background displays the ornament really nicely, and I think it makes it easier to store them from year to year. And that is my unproven, unsolicited, worthless opinion.

I like to use boiled linseed oil thinned about 50% with mineral spirits. I feel it gives the ornaments I make (mostly from Poplar) a vintage look. They darken a little with time and light exposure, but I like that antique appearance.

I've been to a lot of craft shows over the years (as a customer/observer, not a vendor). I've seen a lot of ornaments and bought a few. I've never seen any displayed in boxes. I have no idea what that might mean or if the boxes would hurt or help sales, I've just never seen them displayed that way.

See that usually does not work for when I see people that sell them They usually have some sort of display such as a Christmas tree or just metal tress where they can thumb through them easily. Hey if selling with a box means more $$ then go for it but I have watched many people sell ornaments next to my booths or in the show when I walk around. I have been told I should make them but my answer is too small and not worth my effort. Can not do multiples. Just not built for making multiples. I have a very active mind as I mentioned before. Have so many ideas run through it and to get bogged down with cutting same things is a drag for me. Just the way I am built. I leave that all to you Kevin Have fun. My sister makes ornaments that are knitted. No boxes. Displays on a stand. As I said when selling my pens or even giving them away I ask if they want a box and then ask will they keep pen in the box because it is waste to buy a $50 box to throw away. That is why I offer different range of prices in boxes. I just bought a couple days ago some $3.50 pen boxes that are beautiful and make great gifts with a pen. But I will not charge for those boxes because there is enough markup in the pen. Have boxes that are $10 each. People use pens differently than ornaments. Can be a desk pen or a carry pen or a special gift pen. I do not display pens or anything in a box. People love to pick up and touch and feel.

This is basically how most people think who make this and other things as a hobby. It is not a job where you rely on the income. Because then you would approach selling a whole lot differently. prices vary from state to state and even area to area if selling in person. If selling on line you set a price that you are comfortable with and everyone draws from the same pool of items. We went through the pros and cons so many times on this forum it gets boring. I see the same questions asked in the pen turning forum and the same answers apply. I made my money in my real profession. This business was a hobby with the ability to make a few extra dollars. I will say that just about all shows I ever done and been at no one sells a box with ornaments. Just about every crafter sells some sort of ornaments weather scrollsaw, knitted or some other medium way it was made. I do see people with small bags for lack of a better word. You can buy those in bulk for very cheap prices. I sold some pens and ask my customers if they prefer a pouch or a box. Now if they say box I have to decide or let them decide what box because I have 50 cent boxes that do just nice but also have $50 boxes that drive cost of pen up and have to charge as such. Now selling on line you have to put in a box of some sort so why not a decent one and reflect it in the price but again you can buy those in bulk for cheap money. That being said though size of ornaments can determine how it is shipped also. I use plastic boxes for my birdhouse ornaments that I sell both in person and send in mail. They can be delicate so needs protection. All this stuff depends how, where and what you sell.

Tyler, How do keep sawdust from getting under the tape? I will usually have some sawdust get under the tape obscuring the line. I have tried really hard to make sure the tape is really pressed down on the pattern, but no matter how hard I try sawdust get under the tape. Thank You, Jerry

Thanks Marie. I just follow lines. It is Gayle's pattern.

Whatever the market will bear. If they don't sell, lower your price until they do. Then decide if it's worth your time and trouble.

Example of redheart.

My price would be $8 to $12 especially if stack cutting. Tops. Really not complicated of a cutting. Type of wood plays a role too. if BB I lean more toward $10

Whenever I have paused for more than a week or two I have to re-learn the muscle memory again. The older I get, the less my muscles remember.

I too am a dipper in Danish oil. I love Watco Danish oil. I sand all my projects to 220 grit. Then dip and drain and wipe. Let dry for a few days. The small amount of poly in the Danish oil will give a nice warm glow and feel to the piece. Now on occasions like with shelves I will put a light coat of Watco liquid wax on them. Have to be careful not to get into fret work because you will not be able to wipe it out and it could clump. I just put small amount on a soft cotton cloth if I do this. But most times not needed.

Pants. long sleeve shirt with laytex glloves ooverlapping and taped, full face respirator mask with scarf to prevent dust from getting on head and neck...and then go at it. Comments from other Intarsia makers have stated the same thing about various woods. Seems like everyone reacts alergy wise differently. I use a full respirator mask when shaping and sanding and a vacumn system. However, my shop is small and dust gets airborn, so it still gets into my nose and it makes me sneeze a lot. Fortunately, no other adverse reactions. I've been meaning to try Bloodwood. I think I will be very careful when I do.

Hang in there, it's like riding a bike, like @JTTHECLOCKMAN said, it will come back to you !!! Remember, we're all on your side here!!!!

It will come back to you. I was in the shop today and started turning a pen. I have not been in my shop close to a year now and it has been that long since i turned a pen. I have to train my brain all over again. getting a feel again for the tools. I am sure I will pick it back up. It is sure good to get back working in the shop again though. that is where I am at peace. You too will get the feel back and it will be like second nature.

I used to use Mineral Spirits but have found I like Alcohol best. Either denatured or rubbing. I have been using up a couple of old bottles of Rubbing alcohol that have been around the house for years. The smell of Denatured does not bother me as much as the Rubbing. I find there is less residue left from the adhesive on the wood when I use alcohol, and it dries a lot faster than the Mineral Spirits.

Unfortunately the answer is "it depends". Many of the adhesives have been reformulated, due to a number of reasons, I have run into several lately that I had to resort to acetone to remove, and that was only partially successful. I would start with mineral spirits, move to lacquer thinner, and be prepared to go to acetone, if necessary. Do not use blue towels, they are tougher than white paper towels, but the blue towels can transfer the blue dye to the wood. Guess how I know

My year (2024) has been rather busy. This was the first year I really got involved in vendor shows and attended a little less than a dozen. As most others have experienced, some shows I did well, and others were a flop. But something I enjoy more is getting commissions from customers who come up and seen my work. The black lab (pattern is in Village Library) I created for a lady who had a vendor booth set up across from mine at one of the shows. She had recently lost a black lab and unfortunately didn't have any pictures. I was able to find a picture, create a pattern and make the cut. She was extremely pleased and said the piece did look like her dog. The Silky belonged to a lady that is in a dog training club with my wife. This was a champion dog in both conformation (Best In Show) and obedience training. I made the pattern from a picture she had and if I remember correctly, the pattern has around 650 cuts. It was tricky, but a lot of fun to cut. The heart was added at the request of my wife. Unfortunately, the dog had passed just before I got the commission. The two cowboy pieces are patterns by Jim Blume. I love his patterns and have cut many of them over the past couple years. The most challenging was the six team stagecoach going through water. That piece had a few cuts short of being 1500. These pieces didn't have near that many, but they were challenging because of the delicate places with small bridges. I guess the reason I like Jim's patterns is because they challenge me. The last piece I cut for a local restaurant chain. Obviously, it is a Mexican restaurant, and I cut it at the request of one of the wait staff. When I finished it and brought it to them, the manager seen it and had a fit. (Good fit.) He had to hang it up right away. The young lady that asked me to do the cut was pleased and had intended to hang the piece in the restaurant anyway. I felt kind of bad for her, so I cut one of the 3D bird houses and gave it to her once they had their Christmas tree up. She did hang it on the tree but once they took it down, she kept it and hung it in her car.

I've thinned polyurethane be with mineral spirits (50/50) and it dries fast, but not as fast as shellac. What ever you use, be sure to wipe down all the drips before the start setting up.

Shellac works pretty well if you thin it. Thin the caned shellac with an equal part of denatured alcohol. Dip it and let it soak for a short time, then wipe off the excess. I sometimes have to blow it out of sharp corners.