I always use the cutters from both sides, first a little way in from the inside, then from the outside in. This prevents chipping (Fig. 4). The lobe cutting can go wrong quickly so I take my time here. Once the four holes are cut, I place the inside templates à la Strad (Fig. 5) between the eyes (as shown in Stewart Pollens's The Violin Forms of Antonio Stradivari where he analyses violas, Figs. 34 and 35). It is interesting to find Stradivari used a pair of templates and not just one. I would guess one reason could be a practical one. If you poke a needle through the paper template in order to fix it to the top, the point of the needle gives you a slightly tapered hole. If you only use one and have to turn it around, the hole will wear out more quickly. But this is simply speculation.

I have used some plastic for the inside templates. I fix them to the top with two needles and mark them well inside the template, as I don't like removing markings from a practically finished arching and fragile f-hole edges. Also I have a little more freedom in the cutting process. The tips of the wings must be marked particularly well inside. The template has to be a bit wider at that point as well, because the gap on the instrument is often so small that a paper template would certainly break there otherwise. Having marked the f-holes, I am ready to saw them out with the fret saw. I've found the following works best. Start by putting the blade through the bottom hole on the treble f-hole, make one cut down the wing, go backwards to the hole, cut the lower arc and go up all the way to the tip of the upper wing, release the blade, go through the upper hole, again cut to the tip, go back again and finish off the rest. This way I can hold the remaining wing with my left hand and prevent the now flexible f-hole wing from wiggling too badly (Fig. 6). It is not a good idea to saw towards the eye.