Cos I want to make some good pictures of this table before it's going to it's new home, i need a setting in which to stage it. I have one or two room-boxes but they just don't match. They are too shallow or don't have the right design and atmosphere I'm looking for. I've run into this lack of attribute before. So I figured I'd make me a nice slab of parquet flooring. Always handy to stack up the stock!I had some wooden strips lying around; mahogany, beech, walnut and some pine. I thought to do a herring bone design and beech seemed the best fit for it.
I used MDF as base and drawn the design onto it. Then cut the over 400 pieces to size and started gluing them in position. I've used some big pieces of metal as weights to press while drying. The big piece is a cut section of railroad. Quite handy actually cos it's extremely heavy. It's placed upside down here, cos the top surface is smaller and that increases the pressure applied. The weight also makes it very stable so I usually have it right side up in use as an anvil.
Then some sanding and deciding what finish to give... I've opted for wax, as I've done before in Nolda's House. It's like Josje said just recently; It gives it that beautiful natural glow, so much better than varnish!
To see the color of the wood darken and deepen as you apply the wax is one of the most satisfying moments. It's like feeding a starved animal or watering a dried up plant. You see it transform and come to life...
The next thing to do is to make some walls. I've found me a nice sea-green faux-silk wallpaper that works great with most shades of wood. But first a few more layers of waxing and buffing.
enjoy your weekend,
The flooring is beautiful! How long did it take you to make?
ReplyDeletegood work and perfect
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! I love to make wooden floor, but this sort of wooden floor seems a real challenge! Bravo Debora!
ReplyDeletePatience! Precision! Perfection! LOVE this floor!
ReplyDeleteQue perfecto ha quedado ese parquet! otra maravilla es esa mesa... es ideal!
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo Debora
A wonderful and perfect floor !
ReplyDeleteI love the floor and I like your idea of a setting for taking pictures of your furniture. I have been thinking of making something similar for my Castine exhibition pieces to anchor them a bit, nothing grand because I am not going to have time and I really just want it to a background.
ReplyDeleteThank you all! I'm pleased with it too, cos I just know this will become a very useful item.
ReplyDelete@ Elga, too bad you don't have enough time cos I would love to see what you would come up with if you would do something grand... Can't wait to see what you'll be exhibiting too.
@ Dale, 2 days but there was lot's of waiting in between the gluing. It took me in total 8 hrs I guess?
I can see that you have great patience, you need that to create such beautiful things!
ReplyDeleteMona
The flooring is beautiful! I agree about the wax, looks very realistic and gives the perfect glow.
ReplyDeleteYour Table is just STUNNING! The care and time you put into it have produced an item of singular perfection! I an AWED at your patience and quest for perfection! Just Amazingly beautiful!! The new owner is a lucky person!
ReplyDeletePerfect floor for a perfect table!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Paloma
Don't we all need patience, Mona? Don't we all? I guess real-life is speedy as it is and maybe that's why some of us dive into the world of miniatures.... to escape from it all and play a little, just like we did when we were kids and we'd all the time in the world?
ReplyDelete@ Victoria, I love to use the real thing; what's good for my life size floor can't be bad for this one, don't you think?
@ Daydreamer Betsy, thanks! Done with snail-speed but I'm glad you like it.
ReplyDelete@ Paloma, thank you too.
To me, there is something so satisfying in making wooden parquet flooring. Of course part of that satisfaction comes from the beautiful end result and the joy you get from it for such a long time after it is finished.
ReplyDeleteThe herringbone pattern is a classic, and you have done it beautifully, as always.
Oooohhhhhh! Your floor is just perfection!
ReplyDeleteMercedes
Thank you Josje, and for your visit here. It's always nice to read your comments.
ReplyDelete@ Mercedes, funny no? That we both worked on a similar project. I really lóve the way your's turned out. The combo with the walls do them both justice. Great atmosphere in that scene!!!
Gran trabajo, tan meticuloso y bien hecho, genial como todo lo tuyo....haces q sea bonito tener esta aficion, me recuerda q es una aficion preciosa y muy versatil, gracias por ello, un gran beso.
ReplyDelete>Susi
Un parquet perfecto y una mesa maravillosa...Haces un gran trabajo!! Felicidades.Un beso.
ReplyDeleteHow did you accurately cut the wood to get the parquetry pieces?
ReplyDeleteRichard.
Hi richard, i cut a straight edge on a piece of veneer. I backed it up to a raised edge and laid a strip of metal of the desired width on top of the veneer, and also against the edge at the back. I used the metal strip as a ruler and cut a single strip of veneer. Then repeated it like 40 times? These strips i then stacked together, no more then 10? These stacks i then tightly wound with paper tape to secure them. Then i moved to my table saw and cut these secured stacks like they were just like any regular piece of wood. The length of the pieces was taken from my design and transferred to a stop block i have made on my saw sled. Each cut resulted in ten identical pieces of veneer, stacked together yet held tight by the paper tape. All i had to do then was peal of the paper. This method seemed the most logical way for this job to quickly and accurately cut identical pieces.
ReplyDeleteHope my explanation is of help to you
Nice designer method. Its really taught to me how to create design. If you have a knowledge about creating Bed Linens please share to me.
ReplyDelete