Ok day's done. I realize now that I didn't take a lot of pictures today. Oh well. Here's the very simplified photo rendering of my day.
First is a shot of gluing on the back linings. This was possible after shaping the sides down to their final depth.
Next is the completed rim assembly and finished back with carved braces. The back is now ready to be fit to the rim assembly. This will happen first thing in the morning.
So tomorrow (after a few cosmetic adjustments) we'll have an attached back and we'll see how far we can make it on the top.
Thanks for your management today. Good managers are easy to work for.