Tiki Chess Set, Beginner’s Carving Project

Step 25: Let’s make this chess piece a bishop by giving him a small crown. Begin by marking pencil lines for three leaves above the eyebrow ridge, centered over the nose bridge. Also mark a pencil line 1/4″ from the top edge of the block.

On the top of the block mark a line about 3/16″ from the edge. This will be the inside guideline for our leaves and crown points.

Step 26: Check the sharpness of your large round gouge, work it a few times across your strop. Starting at the marked guideline roll the large round gouge across the top of the block, towards the center to create a bowl shape. You are working across the grain.

My bowl developed a small area at the center that was not easy to reach with the round gouge rolled cutting stroke. To remove it easily I first scored this area with my bench knife, cutting straight into the wood for about 1/16″. Cut multiple slices across this bulge, then turn the piece and cut again at a right angle to the first cuts.

This creates a tight cross hatching of straight cuts into the grain. When I return to my large round gouge this area cuts easily, leaving small
rectangular chips.

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