page 46

Remember: when ever you remove tape from a wood surface, do so by removing tape in the direction that will hold the wood grain down. Removing the tape so that it lifts the grain can often pull the wood fibers off the surface of the soft spruce wood used in the top plate.

A very accurate cut out pattern (usually copied from a famous violin maker) is positioned on the centerline and held down while the ourline is traced with a sharp pencil or pen (I prefer a fine ball point pen as it is more durable... we do not want this line to be rubbed off!).