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This is just one of many methods. Please add other ways to open these babies up in this thread if you wouldn't mind.
Here is this Giant Gourd (64 inches in circumference)
I'm tracing around this paper plate to try and get a nice circle around and also to mark where I will be drilling holes right along on the sharpie line. You can use painter's tape to make the plate stay put, especially when you are working by yourself, this tape is like a third hand.
Drill holes with the smallest drill bit, all around following the sharpie line, using your drill. They do make 4" drills that are small enough for small hands and light weight, so your hands don't get so tired with the bigger drills.
Holes around are probably 1/4 inch apart if that. You can make them further apart, but it means more sawing. You will be cutting from hole to hole with a small saw.
Here, you will use a sharp serrated knife to get into one of the holes, make it a little bigger. Just big enough to get the small saw inside it. You will be cutting from hole to hole. Kind of like that game connecting dots, well, you will use the saw to go from each hole and it will start to cut out your circle. This gourd was so big, my arm got a little tired.
These photos will show you my hand inside the gourd for size comparisons. My hand between the two ribs (there were three sections that looked like what I call ribs with seeds on them) after I took out the first section with seeds, these two sections were left.
P.S. Karen, we (Butterflycatcher, Denimangle, and myself) are going to start a small mosaic from scratch on the Touch of Glass forum, let me know if you would like to join us.. just a small project to get started.
If you have never been "into" gourds here is the place to learn how to grow, harvest, clean, and decorate this wonderful and interesting vegetable of the Squash family. Just come on in and visit with us and share knowledge!!
nice TUT 
