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The Cello top is rough-arched, and ready to purfle.
All thicknesses are approximately correct
The European Spruce top, from International Violin Co., carves easily, but is quite crisp, too. I reduced the top to 24mm thick, using an abrasive planer, then reduced the edges to 5.5mm, using an Ibex plane, modified to take a wooden handle.
Poor Man’s Scrub Plane:
Here is the tool, from a year ago, when I was working on a different cello:
This tool allows me to apply much more force, and cut deeper, faster. Sort of a “poor man’s scrub-plane”. Once the edges were close to the 5.5mm line, I switched to a 10mm Ibex plane and shaved the edges of the spruce right down to the line.
And here is the result of about two hours’ work:
Ready for purfling
The cello top is ready for purfling. Tomorrow I will begin the purfling, and complete it on Friday, I hope. Then I can complete the arching, trace the f-holes, and start making this thing look like a cello.