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[QUOTE=WaddyT]
[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird]It's simple black/white/black (doubled up), made of good old fiber. That's right, it's paper. But hey, it's the good kind!

Steve[/QUOTE]
Would that be the kind that's made from trees?[/QUOTE]

Waddy, you are of course correct, AND your observation
takes a load of guilt off my shoulders.
Thanks!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Here's a few of mine...

oh for the edit button. Here's a few of mine....

Ok Terry, I quit.... No really those are all awesome!More tutorials please. Each of yours seems to be my favorite from this thread. Maybe instead of tutorials I need to get out there and make some sawdust.

Man oh man, the abalone barbwire is out of this world. Seeing rosettes like these really has a way of humbling me. I need to practice more

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Reguards,

Ken H

The first two in Terry's post are both Al Carruths. The second one is my favourite, I've got an awesome pic of it on my other computer...

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Here are a couple of mine that I like:

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I've only made one:



http://picasaweb.google.com/swainsong/TheRaven/photo#5065722 848403304866

Tim, those look great!

I have seen similar rosettes on very old guitars described as little tiles of pearl pressed into a bed of mastic, and more modern versions where a dark colored glue is used as a filler around the pearl. What is your method for constructing these?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

[QUOTE=Arnt] Tim, those look great!

I have seen similar rosettes on very old guitars described as little tiles of pearl pressed into a bed of mastic, and more modern versions where a dark colored glue is used as a filler around the pearl. What is your method for constructing these? [/QUOTE]

Arnt,

An article by John Osthoff about making the sort of rosette you describe is here on the 13th Fret Forum

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Slone describes this method in his steel string guitar book.

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Aoibeann

Here is one of my favorites. Its bubinga and paua set into a redwood top. The wood of the rosetter matches the binding. The paua strips have no border of any kind. Real simple. I wish I had a closer shot.

http://www.kinnairdguitars.com/images/westcoast2_rosette.jpg

All these rosettes look great to me and have given me some inspiration to get out there and get creative.

Colin, I am always impressed with your rosette work. From my vantage point they seem elegant and flawless.

Ah yes, the picture.

[QUOTE=Arnt] Tim, those look great!

I have seen similar rosettes on very old guitars described as little tiles of pearl pressed into a bed of mastic, and more modern versions where a dark colored glue is used as a filler around the pearl. What is your method for constructing these? [/QUOTE]

Thanks Arnt,

The background wood is 12 segments of MadRose in the top picture and 12 ebony segments in the bottom picture. The background ring is inlayed on day one after sealing the rosette area with shellac.

Day two - then I rout a 1/8" wide channel and lay the pearl pieces in arranging them with steel dental picks. After I am satisfied with the alignment I tack them down with thin CA. Then I take medium CA and apprppriate sanding dust and work this slurry in the channel around the pearl, with my finger (wearing nitrile gloves). Allow this to dry over night (no accelerator).

Day three - skim sand top in the thinckness sander. Rout the inner and outer channels and or satellite rings for the 1/16" purfling rings and glue them in.

Day four - Thickness the top to a specific deflection measurement the follwoing day. It is usually a three day inaly process (for me) followed by final thicknessing of the top on day four.

I have used epoxy before as a mastic but it continues to shrink and I usually see witness lines a few months down the road. The CA is more stable and less prone to shrinkage.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

ah-HA! Thanks for the explaination!

In the bottom (ebony) rosette it looks as though there is not much background wood left around the pearl pieces though? The purfling looks like it is right up to the pearl…? The one with madrose background wood; does the filler color match the color of the wood, or is the 1/8" channel visible?

Boy, I’m just full of questions! The rosettes look great, anyways.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

If you look reeeeeely close you can see a color difference. It isn't as noticeable on darker woods as it is on lighter woods. I would like to try Z-poxy, West system and TAP "Superhard Epoxy" as a filler mastic soon to see what their shrinkage rates are. So many ideas with so little time.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

My favorite is a Traugott, simple elegance.



This one is my favorite of my rosettes.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Here's one of mine that I like...black & white marble recon stone:

You all (yes I am a Texan ) are probably tired of seeing this one but this is mine

O-Man, Terry S you have got to stop teasing. How about a full shot of that double neck guitar, and that beautiful Passion guitar.

             Please, Please, Please  Red

Let's see if I can upload a picture here. This is one from last year that turned out really well. The braid is blue mahu with satinwood side lines, bloodwood with maple, and burning bush with cherry, in a cross banded walnut background. I've started putting in end-grain mosaics on the classicals: the players seem to like them. This one is maple, blue mahu, and cherry. The diagonal 'ladder' is IRW and maple. The guitar was Osage Orange, with a WRC top, and it sounded OK too.

Hey, it worked!

Here's one by a student that I really like. It's simple to do, but the careful choice of woods for the 'ribbon', and tight workmanship, really make it pop out with a 3-dimensional look.

I don't have good pics, but Ed Claxton's tiled rosette is really sweet.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Finally, I can't resist a better shot of the koa/paua basketweave rosette. I was pleased that I got just the effect I was looking for on that one; the braid floating on a liquid background. It was worth the effort.

Finally, I can't resist a better shot of the koa/paua basketweave rosette. I was pleased that I got just the effect I was looking for on that one; the braid floating on a liquid background. It was worth the effort.