The scroll part II

This is what I did yesterday. I tried to get the first turn of the volute ready. That means getting the sides vertical and the faces perpendicular, if that makes sense. Here Baker's book was a good resource. She wrote that it is easiest to get the faces perpendicular with a flat chisel. I started with a gouge going radially in, but that was tricky because of the varying angle of the grain and often the direction was not good. Going with a flat chisel down the face was quite easy and effective. After the first round was ready I drew the next turn on the new side and got most of the material away with a  saw. The rest was done again like the first turn, a gouge for the side and a chisel for the face. I only have 3 gouges but they are enough. I have a 3/25 which really is too shallow/open everywhere but still useful. I then have a 7/20 which is a perfect fit maybe half way up the volutes. My final gouge is 7/10 which is a great fit for the eye, but eye only.

I have never done much woodcarving and I was a little afraid of the scroll. It is by no means finished, nor perfect, but I am enjoying the work none-the-less. And it is again one of those things in cello building which I like where one can make quick progress one moment (with the saw) and then it is time for slow work (with the chisels and gouges).