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I am hoping that the experience here can help.

Right, I am installing my first rosette which is a nice piece of spalted maple with some ebony strips surrounding it. I have cut the recess for the maple to fit into the guitar, however I am having 2 small issues.

1. The cut wasn't perfect so I am now using a chisel to finish off the recess. Is there an easier way to do this (for my next build). I basically used a Dremel with a cutting bit on a circle cutter and slowly cut the recess, however I found that I couldn't go up to the pencil line as even on a slow speed it caused some tearing.

2. In some places, it cut out of the circle (by less than 1/2mm and will need filling. I have seen people fix this with spruce sawdust, but what is the best method to fix the issue?

The only thing I have learnt from doing this, is I think it may be easier to install the rosette before cutting the soundhole, but I guess you learn by doing .

Thanks guys.

I always do the rosette before cutting out the soundhole.I also use a downcut bit to get a cleaner cut.I also put shellac where the rosette is going before i cut to get a cleaner edge as well.I just got done doing this one.

Good advice thank-you I will make sure when/if I make another guitar in the future I will use that idea.

It was only after I cut the sound hole I though about how much easier it would be to install the rosette. it would also be easier to sand down the rosette flush with the soundboard.

hey Peter, glad to see you here. I use the same handle over at acousticguitarforum. Do a search on rosettes and you'll find plenty of info (including posts about my first rosette screw up...lol) What type of circle cutter and router combo did you use on your first one?

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Bobby Masten

I'm using my Dremel with a circle cutting bit like the one below.



It cut perfectly easy as the spruce is so soft, however the bit that comes with the Dremel probably is low quality and seemed to cause a lot of tear out, so I ended up cutting the recess but leaving about 2mm on each side of the intended cicle to do by hand. It is getting there and for my first time it looks okay I guess. Not as neat as I would have liked though.

My main concern is how to fill in the gaps after I put the rosette and ebony in.

I have seen people use Dremels on tutorials, however I suspect they used a better bit.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... _Bits.html

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... nding.html

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproduc ... =End+Mills

edit: forgot the lmi link

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Bobby Masten

if it looks unclean, you may want to do what I did and redo the rosette to make it larger or go with a wider rosette purfling. I was convinced to route mine out and redo it by several posters here. I'm glad I did. Much cleaner after making a new rosette.

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Bobby Masten

Peter, You don't want any gaps between your rosette and soundboard as that would be hard to fill and look good.So you might want to recut to the proper size with your dremel useing a downcut bit.You will first have to fill the sound hole back and refind center to drill a new hole for the jig. If you still have the part you cut out, you can use that to fill it back in with to have another wack at it. But it will need shims to take up the kerf space when it was taken out. Or better yet just make another one that fits tight and glue it in.It will then be cut out after you finish your rosette.This way you won't have any gaps to fill as filling light colored wood isn't easy.

I think that's what I will do. I cut my rosette larger than I needed to so it may be a lucky break. If need be, I will double my purfling. I still have the soundhole somewhere.

I will get around to cutting it out tomorrow. I've spent a few hours tidying up one part of the recess, but the outer part isn't getting much better.

that's a cool looking top Mark. What is it? Three piece at least? WIDE grain.

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It is better to try and fail, than never try at all

I always inlay the rose before cutting the s.hole.

Also the circlecutting jig has a metal pin to locate it in a workboard.
I epoxy a steel plate 1"x1" in the workboard and then drill a hole the exact size of the pin .
This allows the router to circle very precisely rose after rose.

Mike

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Mike Collins

Yes Robert, It's a 3-piece Cedar top with wide grain.

If you still have the drop from the sond hole you can make up 8 scrapr shims about 1/8" wide and equal in thickness to the kerf of the tool used to cut the cound hole and tack glue the 8 shims equally spaced and sound hole drop in place to reestablish the center of rotation point. This will get you reall close with in a few thousands but seldom works dead perfect but better most othe rmethods. and if you tale your time and measure properly you can adjust individual shims till you are right on the money