Editing Marquetry (section)

== Materials ==
The veneers used are primarily woods, but may include bone, ivory, turtle-shell (conventionally called "[[Tortoiseshell material|tortoiseshell]]"), [[mother-of-pearl]], [[pewter]], [[brass]] or fine metals. Marquetry using colored [[Straw marquetry|straw]] was a specialty of some European spa resorts from the end of the 18th century. Many exotic woods as well as common varieties can be employed, from the near-white of [[Buxus|boxwood]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Mac Sween |first=Peter |title=Boxwood: Buxus sempervirens |website=Canadian Woodworking |url=https://canadianwoodworking.com/woods/woods-to-know-boxwood/ |access-date=21 September 2024 |quote=European boxwood has a creamy white to pale yellow colour. }}</ref>{{efn|Boxwood turns golden-tan as it ages.}} to the near-black of [[ebony]]; colors not found in nature can be achieved by applying dye to a veneer that retains stains well, such as [[sycamore]].
[[File:Marquetry-TwoLovers.JPG|thumb|An example of sand-shading and shellac-inking; subject copied from a [[Moronobu]] print]]

The French cabinet maker [[André-Charles Boulle]] (1642–1732) specialized in furniture using metal and either wood or [[tortoiseshell]] together, the latter acting as the background.

The simplest kind of marquetry uses only two sheets of veneer, which are temporarily glued together and cut with a fine saw, producing two contrasting panels of identical design, (in French called ''partie'' and ''contre-partie'', "part" and "counterpart").

Marquetry as a modern craft most commonly uses knife-cut veneers. However, the knife-cutting technique usually requires a lot of time. For that reason, many marquetarians have switched to [[fretsaw|fret]] or scroll saw techniques. Other requirements are a pattern of some kind, some brown gummed tape (this kind of tape is used because as its moistened glue dries the tape shrinks, pulling the veneer pieces closer together), [[Polyvinyl acetate|PVA glue]] and a base-board with balancing veneers on the alternate face to compensate stresses. Finishing the piece will require fine abrasive paper, always backed by a sanding block. Choices of sealers and finishes that can be applied include ordinary varnish, special varnishes, polyurethane (either oil or water based), wax, and [[French polish]].

Sand shading is a process used to make a picture appear to be more three-dimensional.  A piece of veneer to be incorporated into a picture is partially submerged in hot sand for a few seconds.

Another shading process is engraving fine lines into a picture and filling them with a mixture of [[India ink]] and [[shellac]].