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So my rosette arrived from LMI today and I dry fitted it into the channel and noticed two things.

First is that the rosette actually sits down in the channel far enough that it's slightly recessed. This is due mainly to the fact that I had originally planned to use thicker material for the rosette.

Second is that there are a couple of areas that appear to have a slight gap compared to other areas.

I'm wondering if either one, or both, of those things will be major issues moving forward. I know I can remove wood from the top to make it flush with the rosette, and I'm thinking about getting some clear epoxy to fill in the small gaps. Any and all advice is appreciated. Based on previous advice in this thread, I'll try to do a better job of this in the future. For now I have to work with what I have.

Here's a pic:






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Relative to the total cost of materials for your guitar let alone the total time spent building, to toss this top aside, use a new one and chalk it up to a learning experience is the right and cheap way to go. You would not be the first and won't be the last to follow this recommended course of action.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

After seeing this you definitely need a sharper bit when routing your channel. You have a lot of chipping going on there. If it were me I would either
1.make a new larger rosette and get a sharp bit and redo that channel
2. Get a sharp bit and redo that channel and then add some purfling to this rosette making it slightly larger


As far as the depth issue just laminate some veneer on the back of the rosette to make it thicker. Unless you need to thin your top anyway.

Zeke,

I used a brand new bit when I routed this out, so I don't know what to do differently there.

Doug,

Now I'm beyond discouraged. I get that in the grand scheme of things it's not a ton of money, but I'm working with a very limited budget and the thought of throwing this top away probably means I'll have to walk away from building for a while. I just can't afford to spend money on supplies that are going to end up as kindling.

I'm not happy with the way it looks, but I honestly don't know what to do at this point beyond just not building for a while. I used a new bit right out of the box. Maybe it was the wrong bit. Some of the work was done by hand with a freshly sharpened chisel, and I had more tear out with that than with the Dremel.

I'm depressed. Going to bed now. Thanks anyway.


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Justin,
Looking at the picture, did you use a nail as a centre point? You want to be sure you have a solid pivot and wide enough to withstand lateral forces...something like a 3/16" drill bit would work. See pic below as an example. Then, the pivot gets mounted right through into some thicker base material like 3/4 ply or even your workbench to ensure its completely stable. Did you approach it in some such matter? If not, it may have contributed to your challenges.

Regardless, sometimes calling it a day, going to bed and tackling the problem on another day and with a fresh perspective has served me well following countless setbacks. Your experience is common in these ranks.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

A new bit can tear if you spin it too slow and/or move it too fast.

I think this is salvageable.

As has been suggested, install a larger rosette.

If you look back at the first page my repair enlarged my rosette a little, but I still found it acceptable, and a few people consider it an improvement.

I'll admit, when I sanded away the original purflings, I was a bit deflated, but I set it aside knowing that a solution would present itself eventually, and that's what happened.

Same thing with yours.

Don't give up! As tough as it seems now, it gets easier and the process becomes smoother the more you do, but we have to sometimes work our way through a setback.

Remember, whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I think epoxy is not good to fill this. It will always show. Also, I have had epoxy react with redwood and turn very dark brown.

I was pleasantly surprised when I used the old method of gluing in purflings with white glue and sanding up some dust from the adjoining wood to mix into the gap. It was a perfect match. I know there were large gaps somewhere and even I cannot find them now.

Justin, fill the rosette rout with a ring of spruce or cedar or whatever, flip it over and rout the other side. Then, put a doubler on the back side to stiffen things up again.
What kind of top is that? Must be pretty soft or you really tore into it with a deep, fast cut. Do you have a dial caliper? How thick is the top now? Can you take a picture of your routing jig?

What sort of bit did you use? Was it a 2 flute, 4 flute, up cut, down cut? All these details will help with a solution. Also like Doug mentioned your pivot needs to be secure and sturdy. When you cut the slot did you take small passes as you approached your target diameters? Did you use a conventional cut or a climb cut?

I know that's a lot of questions but the more we know the better answers we can give. That top is completely salvageable.


Also I never use a chisel on a simple round rosette. The dremel should take care of it. Sleep off your depression and come back refreshed and ready for some new ways of tackling this problem.