you will have to repeat what was done to the back,
until you reach the cutting out of the groove preparatory to
insertion of the purfling; and I only stop you here to direct your
special attention to one feature of that groove, or, rather, four of
the same character, viz., the corners. These, owing to the soft
nature of the wood, will be difficult for you to cut out clean, so
as to leave the sharp point (so much admired when well done, so much
condemned when ill) clear and distinct; and you must use small sharp
knife, No. 8, to effect this, not taking the gouge, 52, to the
extreme corner when using it near to it, as the pressure would,
without doubt, break it off.

Leaving you with this caution, I shall imagine all done as was the
work on the back up to cutting the groove after purfling, plate 6,
and resume there, for the purpose of warning you that the gouges for
this same work on the soft pine, as opposed to the sycamore, must be
exceptionally sharp, and you _must cut_, and very clean, too, or you
will tear the wood, and go below your level, as I before cautioned
you. More than this I need not say just here, so proceed with the
modelling of the belly, on the former lines gone over for the
development of the back, with this difference, you must only use
coarse sandpaper in the very early stages, and continue the work
over more stages by at least three than on the back; for pine takes
more readily scratches, and takes them deeper, than sycamore; and
more patience in bringing it to a surface like satin, where no trace
of scratch from scraper or sandpaper can be detected under delicate
varnish.

Then you must continue until the finished plate 9 is reached, only,
as I said above, bringing up the surface to a finer state than the
back--not to be called waste of time by you on any account, as you
will soon understand when you come to find out what a heartless
exposer of any frailty is oil varnish.

So at length we come to the hollowing out and to the thicknesses of
the belly.

CHAPTER VIII.
THICKNESSES OF THE BELLY.

Cut the three channels across as explained for the back, but in this
way:--At the upper nodal point, so that your calipers register bare
one-eighth of an inch from one side to the other, centre as
well--same at the other node; and at the centre, full--rather
over--one-eighth across, all to be for the present only, as a slight
correction will be effected as the final stage of the use of the
calip