[Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding groove

[RbrtHillier at aol.com]

I'd be grateful for advice on this : I want to carve into the outside of a 
turned wooden bowl ( say 300mm or twelve inches in diameter )  the pattern of a 
jigsaw puzzle . The figuring of the wood will then be the jigsaw's pattern . 
In between the "pieces" of the jigsaw  will be the deep ,  long , narrow , 
winding groove that I''ll carve . I'll then fill the groove with a coloured resin 
. The groove must not penetrate through to the bowl's inner surface , so I 
can't use a saw . I want the groove to be narrow , say 3mm or an eighth of an 
inch maximum . Depth of groove about 5mm or two tenths of an inch . The "pieces" 
of the jigsaw will be about 25 by 40 mm or one by one and half inches in size 
, so the groove between the pieces will be quite wiggly in order to form the 
classic knobs and sockets of the "pieces" . 

Now for some questions - am I right in thinking that the only way to carve 
this groove is using a router ? I don't think that hand tools could do this . 

 I've tried it with a full-size router - the problem is in shifting  the 
heavy beast  around with enough precision so that I can do the  fine detail of the 
wiggly knobs and sockets .

 I've also tried it with a Dremel - here the problem is that the router is so 
light that  ( with the bits I've tried  ) it tends to  get dragged off-course 
and the groove has lots of little wobbles in it or places where the groove 
has suddenly widened  . Keeping the tool at right angles to the surface ( this 
is needed  - it's all part of a cunning plan  :>) which I'll unveil when I get 
it to work ) is also difficult for me . Removing the wood in one pass along 
this ( relatively ) deep and narrow groove seems like too much of a challenge 
for Dremel bits , and the tool itself . It's hard enough to guide the bit in one 
pass that I recoil at the thought of having to take two bites at the cherry 
to get the necessary depth . 

So......what would you recommend ? And if the Dremel approach , which bits 
would you suggest ( and where do you source yours - I'm in the UK )? If I botch 
the groove , I'll just turn another bowl , so I'm prepared for a method which 
has its failures  , but I want to produce a crisp and neat jigsaw effect .

I'd be grateful for any advice on this , apart from the obvious one - to give 
up ;>(     

Robert,
Poole,
Dorset,
England
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