Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi -

I saw this in the Romanillos video posted by Guitar Gourmet -
what is this tool ? Looks like he is marking the soundboard for the rosette with it. The next scene he is chiseling out the space betweens the lines he marked.
Is this tool available to buy somewhere ?

thanks
john

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

This is a link to the equivalent tool offered by LMI:
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?NameProdHeader=Rosette/Circle+Cutter

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Cheers
Pete

hi
you can make one easily from a carpenters marking guage

They are easy to make from scrap wood, a number of us here have built them. This one is BRW and cherry.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I built this one out of white oak. It is a bit rough - but it works pretty well, still. I also use it to "route" (with help of a chisel) all my binding and purf chanels on the body.

I was just thinking to make something similar for cutting plastic pickguards for the soundhole bit. You just gave me two other uses for it,
3 in 1 so far. This is my kind of tool! .
Good timing guys.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Beautiful!

Colin,

Yeah it works pretty well. I saw a picture of it in Guitar Maker's Workshop - or some other similar book at Barnes and Noble. I use it for everything - cutting rosette channels, rosette materials, binding channels, purf channels, marking gauge, etc. and probably in the future for pickgaurd material too.

I need to remake it with a bit more care and I think I would not use big, dumb metal screws this time. I also really like the idea of using a metal rod/dowel for the pivot like that beautiful Brazilian one above. These things make great beginner projects to hone hand tool skills and an eye for detail.

Yes (Justin?),
I have the Workshop book, must have a look.
It would be good if I had some offcuts of nice woods to use for tools and jigs, but every piece I have is tonewood in guitar sized pieces, and all jigs etc I have made are first/second time builds to tryout, mostly birch ply, lumber and MDF.
Got to keep an eye out for some old, scratched solid hardwood furniture going cheap, to cut up.
Colin

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I use the LMI cutter pictured above which works well though it's awkward to adjust the radius as well as the cut depth......hard to see the blade too when you are using it..
These all work best when you make the cuts in four separate arcs following the grain of the top. Cutting against the grain may result in a ragged edge.

i.e.-with 3 and 9 o'clock being along the center line swing your cuts;
9 o'clock to 12
3 o'clock to 12
9 0'clock to 6
3 0'clock to 6

make the cuts shallow at first progressing to the full depth set of the blade. Too deep too fast and you can "plow" the grain with the blade (make sure it's really sharp).
I use a Stew Mac rosette jig and dremel to remove the bulk of the material to depth keeping clear of the cuts and finish up with and exacto blade to remove the last little web between.
oh yes, and make sure the bevel on the blade is set on the waste side with the flat side against the finished cut.