A narrow bladed saw such as the compass or the turning saw is the proper tool to use in cutting to an irregular or curved outline It is always possible, however, to work out such pieces with a common saw, a knife, and a chisel.

Fig. 29.

Fig. 30.

Fig. 29 shows how this should be done. One must always observe the grain of the wood, and cut in the direction of the fiber, not against it. A half-round 12" bastard file is often the best tool with which to finish such cuts.

In paring to the line A B (Fig. 30), start the chisel in at the end A and proceed toward B. Why not begin at B? (Note the direction of the grain of the wood.) The work should be laid out on both sides so that the chiseling may be done from both surfaces toward the center. It is also best to clamp your work on top of a cutting board so that you can use both hands in guiding and forcing the chisel to its work.