Manufacturing process
The manufacturing of our marquetry is done in 4 main stages:
The design: In addition to the speed of cutting, the laser process provides the advantage of only having to prepare the design once. It is therefore a one-off cost, which will not be repeated in the event of a new order. In the context of mass production, the cost of design and programming then becomes anecdotal. We can carry out the design entirely in-house based on just a few instructions from you. The pattern will then be reworked with you and validated before moving on to the next step. We can also transcribe a photo or drawing provided by you into marquetry. Or use your own creations which we will reproduce exactly and according to your color codes. Depending on the complexity of the photo or pattern, we sometimes adapt the contours of the different pieces in order to adjust them to the technical requirements of the marquetry. If some parts are too thin to be inlaid, we can replace them with engraving. But please note that we can inlay parts up to 0.02mm wide. Cutting: Thanks to the laser, there are no packages to prepare. We cut directly on the veneer sheet. This is also a time saving compared to traditional cutting. We start by cutting out the complete pattern in the chosen background species. Then we cut the pieces by color. If the pattern requires it, it is entirely possible to choose the exact area of the wood that you want to use. A darker grain of wood, an undulation of the wood or a knot that will go perfectly with the design... The wire connections for the suns for example can be made without worries. For optimal cutting, each material and each species of wood has its own setting. Indeed, depending on their nature and density, they will react differently to cutting. An ebony will not cut as easily as a sycamore. Traditional hot sand shading: Some patterns require a three-dimensional reading. To obtain this effect of depth, each piece of wood is shaded individually and by hand in Fontainebleau sand heated to nearly 200°C. The wood is then burned on part of the piece and it is this burning which will give the overall design an effect of depth. Each species of wood will react differently to sand. Some go very quickly, so you have to be very reactive, others need to stay submerged longer. Controlling this heating time is essential to obtain a natural effect. Assembly: This involves mounting the marquetry piece by piece in the chosen background. This is a crucial step that requires a lot of patience and precision. Poorly assembled marquetry will reveal gaps or unsightly shifts. The inlays are delivered ready to veneer or we can carry out the gluing in-house as well as the finishing.