Sculpting

After cutting out a rough outline with the jigsaw, I tried various tools. I wanted to find one that would be able to remove a decent amount of wood if necessary, but also leave a smooth-ish finish. I tried various grades of sandpaper, a plane, chisels and a flat rasp (practise on a scrap piece of wood!) None of them were really suitable. Then I got my hands on one of these!


It's a round rasp (mine was made by Stanley). That thing was unbelievable. It cut through the ash like a hot knife through butter and left behind a very acceptable surface. I used it to not only smooth the sides, but also the sculpt out the area at the back of the body (that leans against your ribs) and at the front (that your forearm rests on), as shown below: