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I am inlaying my first rosette into western red cedar with the "new and improved" circle cutting jig from Stew-Mac (very nice BTW).   The rosette is pre-made. I have R3 in the link below.

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/Rosettes.html.

The rosette is far from being perfectly circular. I have routed out the inner and outer limits and cannot rout anymore. I can't get the rosette to seat and I have some areas with gaps around .01".

How do I get this rosette to seat?? Will the gaps fill in when I glue??

Thanks,

Doug

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Guitars...One's too many...Twenty is not enough.

I doubt all the gaps fill. the best gap fill is to cut slivers from drops of the top that are in the same grain orientation and glue them in the gaps then you will never notice. Any thing else will look like a filled mistake.

Future info: When buying wood inlay rosettes from anyone the rosette is likely to deform after it is cut due to expansion and contraction. I would not rout till I was sure of the shape. Then I would tape down the rosette in place and using a new sharp exacto knife CARFULLY scribe (cut near inlay deep) the rosette into the top. Then CARFULLY hand rout the perimeters just to the scribed lines using a 1/16" bit. then use the stewmac tool to remove the bulk of the material.
MichaelP38796.6100810185

Another option that I do is cut the ring of the rosette and cover open joint
with my fretboard. Then you can make it fit.


azimmer138796.6796412037

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Doug, would it be possible to cut a channel for an inner and outer purfling ring?

After you install the LMI rosette. Put your circle cutter back in place and line it up so that your cutting just a touch off the edge of the installed rosette, then insert a purfling. This should give you a sharp edge inside and out.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Great Idea lance
just route again and add purfling

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I decided to widen the open joint as this is where it was getting caught up. I cut 1/2" off from both ends and it fit perfectly. The open joint will be covered by the fret board.

I guess I'll fill in the areas of the open joint to strengthen the area?? Not sure if this is necessary.....

Thanks all,

Doug

_________________
Guitars...One's too many...Twenty is not enough.

I had a similar problem on my last build.
My purfling was a mess, so I just cut it out and tried again.
I routed a slot for some new BWB purfling.
Here is a picture of 0.010" end mill in a circle cutter -


Adding replacement purfling -

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.