I brace in three tiers, and shape each tier before moving on to the next. If I feel I went a little too far, there is some recovery available in the next tier. At each stage I remove enough material from the braces to "free" the top. I doubt I could verbally quantify what I mean by that, though possibly I could demonstrate it if you were observing. Still, it is fifty years of experience speaking to you, and there may not be a short cut.
If you missed my explanation of "the top as a membrane", this is a good time to pick it up.
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