Carving the Tailblock

The Tailblock is the other anchor for the dulcimer body. It terminates the strings and re-inforces the acoustic pickup output jack backing plate

The tailblock is carved from a solid piece of quartersawn walnut. First the block is marked and rough-sawn at the bandsaw. Then further waste is removed with a dovetail saw. Note that the central "ear" has already been defined with a curved gouge.

 

Next, the block gets some preliminary carving to establish the general external shape of the scroll. This is done with curved gouges, which give a nice gentle curve to the outlines.

 

 

 

Now the carving of the scroll ramp can begin. First a series of saw cuts are made to establish a rough depth. Then the waste is removed. A proper "ramp" is established as we go around the "ear."

 

 

Finally the curve rolling out of the ear is defined, then the ear itself cut in. Cleaning the junction between the ramp and the ear finishes the carving.