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Hi all,

I would like my first build to have a simple, single shell rosette ring. What is
the easiest (and hopefully cheapest) way to do this?

Also, how thick do you all sand your cedar tops too?

Thanks!

my first rosette was a single ring abalone. lots of suppliers sell this curved and is a 5'' cirlcle and  1/16wide. so i bought a 1/16'' bit for my lam trimmer and made a circle a little smaller than 5'' and work perfect. the abalone popped right in.

 im not an expert or even a ametuer at guitar building but everyone will tell you to go by the stiffness of the top for thicknessing. but im sure something around .100-.125'' will be fine.

All tops have to be viewed as individuals for their own stiffness or lack of stiffness.  But if you don't have a feel for this yet I would take cedar closer to .130 - .135.

Thanks everyone,

Has asnyone ever used this circle cutting jig from StewMac?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bindings,_trim/
Tools_and_supplies_for_binding:_Binding_channel_cutting/1/
Soundhole_Rosette_Routing_Jig/Details.html#details

Just saw it, and it looks promising to me.

you can make your own circle cutter quite easily, take a look Sylvan Wells site for some good instructions.

As for the Cedar top. Hesh's words are true, it really depends on the top itself but seeing as this is your first, I'd really suggest keeping it on the thicker side (it's certainly easier to take it off than to put it back) and I'd keep it in the 0.130"-0.140" to be on the safe side.

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Thanks, Rod.

LMI thickness sands to .115", so these numbers make me think maybe I
would ask them to keep it a little thicker. . . I don't have a thickness
sander, so I would sort of be doing this blind.

Thanks as well for the circle cutter link.

No problem Peter.

I would think LMI's standard thickness is .115" for spruce. Ask them what their standard thickness for Cedar is.

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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

Yep Rod is right and I will bet LMI does Cedar thicker too.

There are some tutorials here if you search the archives for simple rosettes and elaborate ones too.  I use the Stew-Mac circle cutter with the Stew-Mac base.  Others like to make their own like Rod said and use Laminate trimmers.

Fly cutters can be used too just be very careful to be sure all the set screws are tight, wear eye protection, and if using a table top drill press bolt it down, the vibration of fly cutters can cause a bench top drill press to walk right off your bench.......

Thanks, Hesh.

If you're using the Stew-Mac, I figure that you'd recommend it. Do you use
the Stew Mac bits with it?

Thanks, Hesh.

If you're using the Stew-Mac, I figure that you'd recommend it. Do you use
the Stew Mac dremel bits with it?

[QUOTE=PDeWitt]Thanks, Hesh.



If you're using the Stew-Mac, I figure that you'd recommend it. Do you use

the Stew Mac dremel bits with it?[/QUOTE]

I sure do the spiral down cut bits and they work great.  I take small passes and multiple passes never hogging off much at once and it works out great.  Remember too if you are planning to use CA to glue the rosette in seal the end grain on the top with shellac first to avoid staining.  I am in the minority here who uses good old Titebond and this lets me fit the rosette slightly less tight and use the moisture in the Titebond to expand the woods to close an gaps.

I also pass the top with the new rosette through the thickness sander 20 minutes after gluing with Titebond and the still tacky glue mixes with the saw dust while leveling the rosette and automatically fills any and all gaps.  It works great every time for me.

Let us know if we can help buddy.

Oh - another tip is to after each pass with the circle cutter remove it from the center spindle and vac the dust away.  the base will sit on the dust and raise the circle cutter throwing off your adjustments as you gradually lower the bit to say .060 for the rosette channel.

Sweet!

Thanks so much, Hesh.