Cutting the blocks

I started cutting the blocks today. I cut the upper and lower blocks to their final shape. Compared to last time it was so easy going with the split wood. I could go pretty close to the line with the chisel I finished the surface with a block plane and sandpaper. In the end I sawed and planed the blocks to be flush with the mould front and back.

I also started with the corner blocks. These I gouged only roughly to the line with a gouge that had the bevel on the inside. Here again the work so easy going compared to last time. It really pays to prepare the wood so that the grain goes nicely. Before finishing the corner blocks I will first make them flush with the mould front and back, scribe the shape on them again and only then finish the shape. This is because I want to have the blocks flush with the mould before I put the C ribs on, but the other side of the corner blocks will be done only after the C ribs are on. This is something I did wrong the last time. I re-read the chapter in Strobel's book and there he also says one should only do the one side before the C ribs. I didn't read the instructions properly and paid for it later. It was quite tricky to get ribs meet nicely in the corner when both sides of the corner blocks have been cut before hand.