Finish Planing the Mahogany for the Top and Cut Out the Pattern

Well I hand planed the mahogany board so I could see all of the grain and imperfections in the board.  One end looks good enough for the top half which has to be good both sides.

So I flipped it over and planed the other side to make sure it was ok.  Then I worked on the other end of the board.  It looks like there is enough for one good side.  Each of the boards will be 16 3/4 inches wide by 33 1/2 inches long.  I would like them perfect but there are worm holes which I can not avoid.
After I hand planed the ends to reasonable flat, I cut off the 2 ends at 38 inches each.  So now I had 2 short board to mill.  I used my wide belt sander to finish the two boards.

Here they are back to back in the open position.  The grain looks book matched so I am happy with that.
Next I traced the pattern on the boards and cut the pattern out with a jig saw.  I wonder what the old guys used.  Probably a coping saw.

 This is just after sawing.  I probably should have clamped them together and cut both at the same time.  That would have insured that they would have matched.  But since I didn't I will have to shape them together.

There is not a lot of work to do but I could have saved myself some time.
Tomorrow I'll round over the edges.
Here is today's video