The Marquetry Course
by Jack Metcalfe and John Apps

This could be a 3-word review: Get It Now! I mean it. This is a most incredible book.
As far as I know, there is nothing in print that is 100% dedicated to Parquetry. This
book has five Parquetry projects. If we consider the definition of Parquetry as
"the building of geometric patterns", then most of the book is dedicated to Parquetry.

In the first section on Tools and Equipment, the authors break up the required items into
Marquetry and Parquetry. The authors say: "A simple yet effective means of cutting
repeat angles is achieved after making a small jig. This and other tools are detailed
in the following section." This jig is a small, easy to make wooden miter box. The
60 degree angle set up is demonstrated, but you will be able to easily adapt it both to
45 degree and 90 degree angle cuts. This section is where I learned how to cut 60
degree angles (diamonds) with only two cuts, rather than four.

The book is laid out as a series of lessons called Tutorials. Each of the tutorials will
show you how to complete a project. Here is a review of this book by Mike Reese:
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive04/5_12mikemarquetry.html

Here is the table of contents in a .pdf file:
http://www.chrysalisbooks.co.uk/book/0713488506/media

This book is the reason that I started this list dedicated to the art of Parquetry. Recently,
I was browsing at Woodcraft for books on working with a scroll saw. This book caught
my eye and I just couldn't put it down. Some of the 3-D effects in some of the projects
actually fooled me. The "Basket-Weave" designs looked so real that I truly believed
that it was woven strips of veneer! I thought, how cool! Weaving the veneer strips looks
like a fun project. The basket-weave and the "Fans" are both flat as a piece of glass.

The fans and the compass rose are shown in the Marquetry section, but they qualify
as Parquetry projects, in my opinion. In the section that is named Parquetry presents
the standard Chessboard, Louis Cubes, two different Basket-Weaves, and Chevrons.
The Louis Cubes are known as the Baby's Blocks pattern by those who make quilts.
After studying these tutorials and making the sample projects, you will be able to
design and complete the projects that exist only in your very own mind.

I saw a few other books on Marquetry in the Woodcraft shelves but they all paled
in comparison to this tome. If you are looking for a book that has what you need,
this is for you. I have seen nothing closely comparable to this volume, at any price.

Reviewed by Ray Langley

(Yahoo Parquetry Group)

Sacramento CA
November 2004