[Chuck Burrows]

Here is one trick for "hitting the groove". Groove the face piece and do the other things to the face as I mentioned in the sewing tutorial. After gluing the back to the face and getting the edges even and perpendicular adjust the groover to match exactly to the front groove. Then groove the backside. Since you probably sanded a bit of meat off the face pieces edge the groover will be slightly off if you don't re-adjust it.
Then clamp it in the pony/horse and line the bottom edge of the groove on the face up with the top of the jaws. Lay a flat of your diamond awl on the jaw top, which should help align the tip to the correct angle and SLOWLY push the hole on through the back piece. Keep an eye on the backside and if the awl tip punches through slightly off, adjust the awl and re-punch. This helps even if you haven't pre-punched the holes in the front piece as I suggested.

Those "extras" are what make all the difference. It probably took me five years to figure out most of the techniques (reading every book I could get my hands on and asking really helped - but even now after all this time I'm still finding new/different ways and adapting them to my style). I figure it will take me the rest of my life to try and perfect them.

Should be a good bunch of new snow when you get back to the high country. We got about a foot of it in the last couple of days and more is it on it's way according to the weather folks.

Feliz Navidad-
Chuck