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I'm wondering how much you allow for the PVA (LMI white) glue lines in a standard wooden rosette with bl/wh/bl purfs on either side? My channel measures .600" but the rosette ring and purfs are .580". I was aiming for .010"...ooops.....but i am thinking it is too loose.

I'm using 10/10/10 purf which measures .033. If I use 10/20/10, it is too tight and I will have to trim the rosette channel again.

Of course, I forget what I did on previous guitars!

Opinions welcome.

Thanks,

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

I've started with about .005", but I almost always have to go to .010" in order to get everything into the channel. That's with CA and shellac.

The trick here is that as soon as you introduce moisture (i.e. glue) wood purflings and rosette layups swell.
I usually fit so that there is little if any pressure needed to pop everything into the channel.
I then work quickly to apply glue to the empty channel only and not to the pieces before they go in.

I do the same as David unless I have allot of
lines and a tight fit.
I leave the rose in the slot .
Then I thin Fish glue & brush or drip it over the rose to let it
wick in.
It swells all the veneers & doesn't color the end grain of the top.
Let it dry overnight & level.

I love Fish glue!

Mike

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Mike Collins

I have been wicking in thinned fish glue too. Works great! I put it on pretty liberally, and work it into the rosette with my fingers - pushing and pressing on the parts.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

A caution when working "wet", definitely seal your rosette channels with shellac.
I haven't had a problem with natural veneers as they seem quite colorfast (except of course with alcohol).
Dyed veneer strips however (the black is the culprit I think) do not seem to be as color fast and can cause staining.

Thanks - my gut says the channel is too wide, so I'll try bigger purfs. I seem to recall the last few rosettes were snug during the dry fit, and this one isn't. I suppose I shouldn't rely on the wood fibres swelling that much!

Funny how these shoudl get easier, but I'm struggling with this one the most. It took 3 rosette blanks just to get the wooden rosette cut!! Silly, but I need to pay more attention to the blade orientation (bevelled vs flat side) in that LMI rosette cutter.....

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

How much do you thin the fish glue? Use distiller water?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Laurie,
You'll get the best results with the LMI cutter by making a series of four 90 degree cuts starting at the centerline position (6 and 12 o'clock)
and making a series of arcs (i.e. with the grain) out to the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions.
Thus:
-12 to 9
-12 to 3
-6 to 9
-6 to 3
Also make sure (in addition to having the bevel on the waste side) that the blade is set so that only the beveled portion is showing and the unbeveled portion is not "plowing" up the wood.

You should probably be good with the rosette because if the glue expansion from moisture. If you thin the glue a bit and let it sit for an extra minute in the slots you'll get maximum expansion and thus a tight fit on the binding strips. I use Titebond Original and have no odd coloration issues. Even the odd gap seems to fill alright when I wet the glue a bit and let the soundboard puff up before inlaying them. You'll do fine.

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