So I've started bosting in (as master-carver Chris Pye would call it) - I'm lowering different sections of the wood down towards the levels or planes that they will have towards the end. For example I need to leave the thumbs high, but I need to cut the middle fingers down to a lower level.
The old lime-wood is dry and tends to fray and splinter, even after I sharp the tool I'm using at the time, so before I wrap the hands in plastic for the night, I lightly spray a mist of water over them to add moisture.
The tools in the picture are: Pfeil (Swiss Made) gouges, a Robert Sorby gouge, an Allen Goodman knife and a Helvie knife (coloured handle).
