Need help with rosette

[Splinters]

I want to make a rosette like on a Martin, the 5-9-5 or something similar. I know how to set up a router and cut a circle but I don’t know the correct bit/bits and pieces to get for the inlays. I assume it’s plastic and not wood. I understand fractional measurements and thousandths of an inch, but when one product is described as 2mm and another is described as 13/64 I get a little confused as to how to match the cutter to the strip.
I have searched and looked for this info but it’s surprisingly hard to find. Someone on here sais they do it all the time, but I don’t know how to send them a personal message.

[Kerbie]

Originally Posted by Splinters

... I don’t know how to send them a personal message.

Hey Splint... that's easy. Click on their user name in the upper left of the post. You'll see a drop-down menu. The second choice on the list reads, "Send a private message to..." Click that, fill it out and submit it. When you receive a message, you'll see a number in the upper right beside the link reading, "Private Messages."

You may want to spend some time in our FAQs. Those are our rules and procedures, but at the very bottom, you'll see the "Board FAQ." That section contains all kinds of "how-to" directions about navigating the AGF. And you may PM me if you have any questions.

[JonWint]

If you buy the rosette sets, you don't have to buy the individual pieces.

For example: https://www.martinguitar.com/gear-ac...id=parts-other

Once you have a set, you can measure them and buy wood or fiber pieces if you prefer wood to plastic.

[Splinters]

That will be great- if it’s in stock and available.

I’ve been reading a LOT of old posts. It takes a little while to catch on to some of the names of people who really make valuable contributions and show some of their work. I thank you for it!

I am really more of a hand-tool oriented woodworker. I’d much rather cut the rosette with a nice sharp cutter by hand than with a router. A couple of you showed your nice cutters and the great results you got with them. I own a lot of vintage tools, but I have never run across a really nice circle cutter.

[Fathand]

Here is a rosette cutter I heard good things about. https://www.lmii.com/rosette-circle-...le-cutter.html

Myself I use a dremel and a router attachment with a 1.5mm bit. (1/16")
Last guitar I built was close to an O-18 but I don't build exact replicas. For the Rosette I used an outer an inner circle of brown binding and 2 circles inside of black white black purfling. They all come 1.5mm wide so they fit in the groove cut by the dremel. 1.6mm groove is sometimes better. I glue the plastic binding and purfling in with super glue and sand flush when thicknessing the top. It doesn't look exactly like a style 18 rosette but it feels similar enough.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/194462...etaken-public/

[Splinters]

Cut my channels, glued it in and realized I used wrong size strips. Can I re- rout the channel or is my downcut bit going to goo up with plastic?
What A stupid mistake.

[Skarsaune]

You can rout the plastic out.

[Splinters]

I sure hope so. I accidentally put .010 instead of .020 black next to the white. It left some slop in the channel that I did not realize until I went to scrape it down.
I’ll find out tomorrow.