Brian Gray
Posts: 339
Joined: 2004-01-21
Location: Sandusky, OH
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When centering a skin to a round panel, I use a plumb bob.
Hang the bob so that it will hover just above your skin, and center your skin. Tape the skin to the tabletop so it doesn't move. Then place the substrate centered below the bob on top of the skin.
I like to leave my skin larger than the substrate. It gives me a place to register blocks that I hot melt glue in place. Once the skin is placed perfectly, I hot melt glue blocks to the overhanging skin. This way, I can take the skin off the substrate, (as I will use it as a template to cut the backer veneer), and it will always return to right place. Try and put the hot melt glue on the block and the skin only...keep it off the substrate...or else you won't be able to remove the skin.
With this technique, however, you will need to press the piece with the skin face down in the press.
What I mentioned above really works well with round panels.
For square or rectangular, I won't bother to try and center the marquetry perfectly to a pre-sized panel...instead, I'll leave the substrate bigger then intended, and then trim. Typically, if I have nicely mitered corners on the edge, or something else that needs to be perfectly matched and centered, I will press the piece on a substrate that is oversized on all four sides.
I won't really care if the piece is centered well. From here, I will use a circular saw with an edge guide (Festool, my preference...SUPER clean cut.) to make the first cut right along the edge of the marquetry, and establish the first side...then a crosscut sled at the table saw to establish a right angle for the next edge, and then finish up at the table saw for the remaining edges.
This is how I do it, there might be some other techniques...
Good luck
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