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I installed a rosette in a Lutz top this weekend and was getting some irritating tear out at 3 and 9 o'clock when inletting the wood ring. I had sealed the top with shellac initially but switched to dilluted white glue applied with a q-tip aroung the ring edges for the purflings. Quite a difference. No tear out at all.

Anyone else tried this?

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Doug Mills
Chicago, Illinois

Not yet, but will give that tip a go. BTW, thats a gorgeous rosette.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
Facebook
Cairns, Australia

Can you tell us more of the way you seal your tops, I'm ruining number one! Need to be so so careful already 1 ding in it and would sealing help prevent these sort of toughen it up whilst in construction?

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

JJH,

I don’t know of any temporary Kevlar finish you can apply to tops while you are working on them to protect them. There’s no substitute for careful working habits. I just completed a SJ with a cedar top and I swear you could ding it just by staring at it hard enough. A few tips though.

- You could try a wash coat of shellac on the top once you get your rosette leveled. That might offer some protection although I have not tried it.
- Take off the Rolex and diamond pinky ring when you are working. I’ve scratched tops several times with the edge of my watch when I was making a reach to the opposite side of the work bench.
- I buy a cheap, big soft bath towel to cover my bench as a work surface. Shake it out before you start each work session to clear any wood shavings and chips and check it closely for any debris before you start. Replace it when starting a new instrument.
- Keep your work surface as bare as possible. Keep only the tools on top that you need at the moment.
- After the cursing dies down, you can usually steam out a dent if you act quickly. Fire up a clothes iron or soldering iron and wet a small square of t-shirt or linen material. Put the damp cloth square over the dent and apply the tip of the iron to the cloth which should result in a nice hiss of steam. Repeat a couple of times and if not removed, the dent will usually be much improved.

Good luck with your current build.

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Thanks AMC. This is only my third rosette and my first try at using shell. I think it came out all right.

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Doug Mills
Chicago, Illinois

Thanks for the tip!! Beautiful rosette

Chris

The guys are right Doug. Your really stepping it up a notch with the rosettes. You won't have to hide this one under a feather.

Steve

This is not a perfect prevention fix on the ding issue but an egg white sizing will help stiffen the fibers of Spruce pretty well but softwood is calld softwood for a reason