Building a Tenor Guitar #7: Making the Soundhole Rosette

Another way to cut rosettes like this is with an adjustable hole cutter for a drill press. The tip cuts a circle. You can reverse it and adjust the diameter to cut an inside circle. The result is a wood ring like the one you did. After you can sharp the other end of the cutter to a flat chisel (about a 45 degree angle), remove it and reinsert it up side down. It cuts a 1/4 inch swath in your guitar top to the depth you want. Readjust the diameter and cut another swath until you get a width that the rosette fits in. It really does a nice clean job with minimal effort.

Enjoying following your blog btw. I love how luthiers have multiple types of techniques to accomplish the same outcome.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://gagnerwebsite.com/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

If you had a 1/16” router bit you could have created the walnut portion in one piece, and used the 1/16” bit to create the groves for the maple inlay.

I too am enjoying your videos even though I have no intentions of building a guitar. (I’m a drummer)

-- Russ

Thanks – both are great ideas.

I have the hole cutter for my drill press, but I find it difficult to set it accurately. I use it mainly for cutting holes bigger than my hole saws. I haven’t used it since I got my gauge blocks – they may be the answer for getting accurate set-ups with the hole cutter. I’ll have to try it and see how it works.

I like the idea of inlaying maple in the ring instead of laminating – I would need to get the 1/16” bit. I think I’ll try this on a future build.

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