Carving Repairs?

[George F.]

I'm getting down to the wire now with my Issac Berlin smoothie. The carving is kinda detailed, and I chipped out a raised section of a spiral or volute. Its kinda shaped like a question mark. And the detail is so the outline is raised and the sloped downward towards the center. Any way, I chipped a small section of the raised part off. It's in La La Land on the floor somewhere with all the other chips, finding it is a lost cause. Any suggestions other than sectioning it out and replacing it? I might be able to lower the rest of it and sort of blending it in. Do any of you guys repair things like this?    Thanks  ...Geo.
         Sorry, but I don't know how to post pictures yet, even though there's  a how to section.

[Robby]

George, The two options you give yourself, sound like the two options you have, without seeing a picture showing where it is and how much is left. Can you lower the background around it? There is almost always more wood that can be removed than you think you have. good luck.
    Robby

[Jerry V Lape]

Since the missing piece is raised, is there the possibilityof inletting a small piece to be shaped like the missing one?  If that failed you would still have the opportunity to resection a slightly larger area.  Also, how would it look as an incised volute rather than a raised one? 

[George F.]

I just finished the repair by lowering the raised lip and slightly lowering the background. I tried to repair a similar carving detail by inletting another small piece once and it stood out like a sore thumb, this seemed the best solution. the missing piece was around 1/4"  long and not really considered a "piece" , more like a sliver. Thanks for the help any way.... Geo.