All,
I’m researching how to do intarsia gemstones because that is one of
the things I eventually want to do.
So far I have been trying to figure out how they were created before
the modern age, because I do not want to deal with using epoxy… it
would seriously detract from the value of any intarsia gemstone which
I might attempt.
However, there do not seem to be any publicly searchable methods or
techniques on the classical intarsia methods. The only hint I have
been able to glean was to use pins of some type.
I otherwise have had to consider first principles once I started
considering pins.
So far I am thinking I might need to carve relief patterns into the
base mineral to fit with grooves in the which I could
possibly do the the necessary accuracy with CNC.
But, the problems with that as far as I can see, is that the design
would neither be stable along the edges nor along the Z axis. Then I
thought of using dovetail joints, but the problem with that is that I
cannot find a diamond point inverse cone whose angle is precisely 45
degrees.
Could any master of classical gemstone intarsia please possibly
consider giving me a few hints as to how joining used to be done
before adhesives, so I don’t have to be more ultratech about creating
mechanical joins this than I absolutely have to?
Thanks in advance,
Andrew Jonathan Fine