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Cut my first two rosettes on the harp guitar. I used the dremel (for routing the space for the rosettes). Is there a better way (or bit)?

It came out better than I expected. I used a rosette cutter on the drill press to cut the inlays. But cutting the channel seems to require a better bit.

Mike

Mike, check out this thread viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=20316 for cutter base options. As for bits, I like to use end mills (found on ebay) from 1/32" diameter up to 1/8". Down cut spiral bits are really nice and leave a nice clean edge. Stew Mac sells down cut spiral bits from 1/32" up to 1/8" but they are pretty expensive. Most end mills are up cut bits and you can find them for about 1/3 the price for the up cut bits from Stew Mac.

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Rod, you use those in a dremel?

Mike

Hummmmmmmm, sorry Mike, I read your "is there a better way" as moving away from the dremel. Mind you it would be pretty easy to make one of those bases with an added plate on the top to mount the dremel. Just add a 1/2" piece of acrylic (or what ever material you want I suspect) with a hole for the dremel and screw it to the main base.

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No problem. I have decided that, once again, the dremel is not the best tool. Perhaps better using that base. I have no real complaints except the amount of time required. And, the bit I used did not make as clean a cut as I would have liked. Anyways, after watching those Chris Paulick videos, I think I am going to take a stab at building one. If I fail, I will contact you again. I am not currently in need of the base since my next rosette project is at least 4 weeks away.

Mike

I have always hated dremel tools. A laminate trimmer works a whole lot better. I have one of the stew mac aluminum rosette jigs, and i just tapped a couple of holes in my laminate trimmer base so that it would bolt right on with the existing allen head screws. The fancy precision bases everyone here makes are way too cool, but if you already have a stew mac jig, adapting a laminate trimmer to work with it takes it from practically useless to perfectly adequate.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Mike, I just built the Wells-Karol base and used it on my first rosette. It works great and isn't hard to build. Be careful and double check your laminate trimmer base pattern before you start. The published dimensions won't work, for example, with the Bosch Colt without a slight modification. DAMHIKT - but it was a good excuse to get another trimmer that is just for this base.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The nice thing about the Colt trimmer base is that it's aluminum and it drills and taps great. When I made my last Karol circle cutter, I drilled and tapped two new holes at the front so as to avoid the guide rods in the circle cutter.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Now where to get that acrylic!

http://www.interstateplastics.com/mater ... Sheet-SC07
Here you go. They have some interesting materials there.

Chris, nice job on the videos! Thanks for the source. BTW, when you say number 7 drill, what does that mean? Metric? Sorry for my ignorance of terms. Also, I have seen both the acrylic and UHMW versions. I can see where the UHMW would be "easier" on the wood, and the acrylic might be a bit tougher. Thoughts?

Mike

As long as you round the corners of the acrylic, there should be no difference between the two material. Take a look here for drill bit sizes. You'll be surprised at just how precise a drill bit can be. There are number and letter size apart from the fractional size bits.

Chris uses a #7 drill bit to pre-drill for the 1/4-20 tapped holes. I just use a 13/64" bit, there's less than 0.002" between the two and it just won't make any difference when tapping anything other than metal (and even that wouldn't matter).

You don't need to buy any special drill bits to make the circle cutter Mike. Just use a 1/4" bit for the 1/4" holes and a 13/64" bit to pre-drill for the tapped holes. Especially if you're making your base out of acrylic, it likes to open up much more than the UHMW with the heat caused by drilling. Go slow when you drill. There is actually a couple thou of slop with a 1/4" dia rod in the hole drilled with a 1/4" dia bit.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Hey Rod, I know I said I was jig weary, but after watching Chris's videos, it kind of looks like a fun project. Heck, I bought all these big power tools, might as well use them!

Mike

Absolutely

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I like the acrylic look but I don't like the way it taps. I'm not to sure how the cast stuff machines though, it might have better results. I have some delrin and corian that I'm going to give a try. The most important part to the base is getting the rod holes plumb and square. The rest is a breeze, just drilling and tapping. And like others have suggested, check you router base and adjust the base to fit your needs remembering to have the pivot adjusting rod hole offset up to give the knob cleareance for turning.