Aha! Your problem is your cutting method. A chisel point is required, not a "slicing cut" with a blade. Exacto do a chisel point blade that would do for parchment/paper, and probably cardboard. Small carving chisels thinned down without "blueing" the steel are best. These come in flats and various radiuses of curve to make the curved roses. I don't think you will succeed in any material with a slicing cut. Nick
-----Original Message----- From: Stuart Walsh [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 20 January 2006 09:02 To: Christopher Challen; [email protected] Subject: [LUTE] Re: making a simple rose Many thanks for all the suggestions. I did try using some parchment - or that's what the craft shop called it. It just tore, even with a brand new scalpel blade. It was impossible to get any kind of clean line. I'll try, as suggested with some ordinary cardboard. Thanks again. To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
