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Anyone care to share their techniques for carving the volute on the back of the headstock... I am a total newbie, but I am going to jump in feet first.

this is not easy for the first time so here are some tips for you. Practice first I found poplar is much like mahogany and it isn't that expensive. Get some at Lowes home depot etc. Rough cut the headstock out with a band saw , this will have the valoute profile. Now you have to draw the spine on it and lay out the angle. Use a SHARP chisle and after 3 attempts you should start seeing a good result.
One thing is the layout is the hard part . once you can master laying out and visualizing the end result you will do fine.

I always let someone else make the neck, that way I don't have any neck problems and I get the volute if I want it.

tippie53 wrote:this is not easy for the first time so here are some tips for you. Practice first I found poplar is much like mahogany and it isn't that expensive. Get some at Lowes home depot etc. Rough cut the headstock out with a band saw , this will have the valoute profile. Now you have to draw the spine on it and lay out the angle. Use a SHARP chisle and after 3 attempts you should start seeing a good result.
One thing is the layout is the hard part . once you can master laying out and visualizing the end result you will do fine.

Thanks John, yes i plan on practicing the chisel work. Good info on the poplar.

I was taking an art class learning to carve so rephrasing the instructors wisdom for your question: Just take away the wood that does not look like a volute.

I have planed off all my attempts at a volute, So there is not really a danger in trying one. I can at least say starting out make sure you leave enough wood (a hump in the right area) for the volute when you rough cut the neck.