My latest rosette - Thanks Ron Wisdom!

[Rod True]

Well, this might very well be the longest it's ever taken anyone to successfully install a rosette.

I started this guitar 3 years ago and I screwed up two separate tops and rosettes (all of the same design). I gave up on it for well over a year and I finally got the courage up to give it one last try.

The guitar that this is part of has a lot of Celtic inlays on it and the rosette for some reason really gave me grief. First time out, I sanded it down to far and most of it was not Gold MOP anymore strike 1. Second time I tried filling the gaps with ebony dust and CA. Well, that was a disaster and that was the first time I threw a piece at the wall (it didn't make it).

I finally asked someone who has done this rosette before how he did it. Now that I know, I'm sort of [headinwall] but it was a good lesson for me and in the end, it turned out great. It's not totally finished, I still have a few pin holes to fill (I better not screw that up )

A huge thank you to Ron Wisdom (AKA: Old Man) for helping me out with this rosette. I really appreciate it.

Oh, and if anyone is wondering, this rosette has about (guessing here) 250 pieces and they are all hand cut. It is supplied by Andy DePaule at DePaule Supply.

Thanks for looking.

[Nick]

What a gorgeous Rosette, well done Rod and Ron. I'm loving it so hope it finishes well, especially after 3 years, 2 tops and much frustration has gone into it.

[PHANTOM]

That looks great mate.

[DarwinStrings]

Well done Rod with the perseverance and obviously worth it in the end, that is a brilliant looking knot rosette. What is it that you used as the dark infill between the shell in the end?

Jim

[Mark McLean]

Only 3 attempts to get something as beautiful as that? Sounds like time well spent, experience well gained.
Mark

[Allen]

Oh so lovely Rod. I've looked at this on Andy's site, and thought I'd love to use that one day.

So, are you going to let us in on the trick to get this to work out?

[Lillian]

Beautiful Rod. And good on you for not giving up. It turned out great and I know you learned gobs while getting there.

[Kim]

Beautiful Rod, well done!

So what's the trick??? Super glue in position in the trench and then fill with black epoxy mastic???

Cheers

Kim

[Rod True]

Thanks folks. I'm really pleased with how its turned out.

Here's the way to install it.

First to remove the inlay from the backing board, put clear packing tape over top of the inlay and push it on as hard as possible. Than, cut the tape out so that only the inlay is covered. Even the gap at the top of the rosette. This of course helps to ensure it stays together right.

Next, take a pie plate or similar container (a deep plate would work fine) and put the inlay on the backing board in it. Pour hot water over top and let the white glue soften and the inlay will all lift right off the backing board, yet the packing tape will stay put.

Now the rosette is free to inlay.

Leave the top plate thicker than need be by 0.010-0.020". When cutting the channel, cut it deeper than the shell by 0.005-0.010", this way the shell will sit down in the channel and you can than level the top plate without sanding through the color of the inlay (that was my problem on the first try).

The first channel I cut was for the inner and outer purflings. I than installed the purfling lines, B/W/B. This inside black purfling line helps to make the black matrix around the shell 'even'. That's the best I can describe it.

After the purfling line is set, cut the rest of the channel, up to the inside black purfling line. Again, cut the channel for the shell deeper than the thickest piece of shell by 0.005-0.010". Now dry fit the shell.

Once happy with the fit, I filled the channel with black epoxy. I used ebony dust and a few drops of ink to make the epoxy black. Don't put to much epoxy in the channel, it's easier to fill the voids versus cleaning up a lot of dried epoxy.

Place the shell into the channel and press it down. I put a piece of wax paper over the shell, than a piece of plywood over top of that and clamped it in the go-bar deck.

When the epoxy is cured, scrape or sand to make it flat, but don't take to much of the top plate off. You don't want to sand down to the shell yet.

Than I masked around the entire purfling lines, both inside and outside and extending about 2" radius outside of the purfling line. This ensures I don't get epoxy all over the top.

Blow out the shell and fill the voids with more black epoxy. I used a piece of spruce cut to an edge as a trowel to spread the epoxy. Try not to leave much if any on the top of the shell. This will make clean up and leveling easier.

When the epoxy is set and hard, pull the tape off and level down to the shell.

That's it (sounds way more complicated than it is really).

[Nick]

Excellent, thanks for that Tut Rod. The inlay is a credit to you and thanks for passing on your technique. I'm inspired now and thinking of a guitar I could build around that rosette!

[sebastiaan56]

Spectacular Rod,

I have no other word for this rosette,

[Ron Wisdom]

You sure nailed it on the third try, Rod. It looks extremely good. Are you using Celtic knots for the FB?

Ron

[Rod True]

Hi Ron,

Yes, the fretboard will have the trinity symbol at the usual locations with a double at the 7th and 12th.

The headstock will have this celtic cross (this is actually the one Andy sent me, based on my design)

[Kim]

Thanks for that Rod, and Ron of course.

Cheers

Kim

[Ron Wisdom]

Yeah, I can't wait to see the finished guitar. I really love the cross.

Ron

[matthew]

Very impressive. pretty, too. Do you cut each piece of MOP individually or do you make a sandwich and cut a bunch at the same time?

[Rod True]

Matthew, I use my credit card to cut the shell

Purchased as an entire inlay from DePaule Supply

[Rod True]

Yeah, I can't wait to see the finished guitar. I really love the cross.

Ron

Thanks Ron. I'm looking forward to seeing the whole thing too. About 6-8 weeks away (I hope)

[Stephen Kinnaird]

Rod that is stunning.

Steve

[Dave Anderson]

Very nice rosette Rod.
And your design on the cross is awesome !

[Rod True]

Thanks Dave