A little bit on the back

I roughed the inside of the back out the other day. Took about the same amount of time as the belly did, about 2 hours. The back isn't as deep, but my plane didn't want to work, the flames were conspiring against me. I tried my Japanese incannel gouge and it worked like a charm. That gouge cuts with a slicing or paring cut. Cutting across the grain, from the edge to the middle, the flame didn't bother it. The only thing it needs is a longer handle. I usually like short handles, but this one, at 9.5" just seems too short. Should have bought the Gooseneck, but it was $30 more.
I always cut the violin shape out after roughing the inside. I can't see the shape or the thicknesses when it is a rectangle. I try to rough some of the thickness off the outside to make it easier to saw. On the belly I use my aluminum coping saw. On the back I use a bow saw with a Japanese blade. It cuts like butter. The blade is sold by Highland Hardware, along with the saw frame. I figured I'd save some money and alter the bow saw I had that came with shorter, not very sharp blades. Seems like the way I try to do everything. I had to make a new crossbar, and adapters for the attaching the bade on each end. After I strung it up with a scrap piece of maple for the tightening block I found the one that came with it. Oh well. As I said, it cuts really nice, but the smallest radius is not small enough for the form, so I do all the finish cuts with the other saw.
As far as I can tell the Red Maple seems about midway in hardness to American Sycamore (softer) and Black Cherry (harder). The flames in the maple are closer together, and stand out more, but the ones in the Sycamore seem deeper. The ones in flamed Birch are nasty. All said it is fairly easy to carve. Much easier than the Sugar maple and flamed Birch I've used.