Circle cutter

miche

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Can anyone recommend a circle cutter for ukulele size sound holes? I am having a nightmare trying to cut rosette channels. I currently use a crappy handmade one that does not give good results and has ruined a few sound boards. The dream would be the stew Mac set up or the proxxon Dremel tool and circle cutter but they are a bit out of the price range at the moment. So any recommendations in the UK would be greatly appreciated. I am no good at making circle cutters myself believe me I have tried. So any other ideas would be greatly welcomed.

Thank you everyone
 
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I wanted absolute reproduciblity when cutting rosettes and sound holes. All these adjustable jigs mean that things will be different from one usage (adjustment) to the next. I took a class in using the laser cutter (which will cut 1/4" acrylic) at my local community college. I made up a base for the StewMac dremmel router base which has a series of 1/8 inch numbered holes, designed to fit over a 1/8 in pin in a backing board. I simply drill a 1/8" hole in the soundboard where the sound hole will be. The difference between one hole number and the next is a 1/10" larger diameter circle so the base will cut from 2" to 4" circles. I can now say that for some uke, I want a slightly wider rosette, so will cut from #9 to #14 with the sound hole cut with #7. If I like the result I can do exactly the same thing in the future, with no inexactness of 'adjustments'. Same thing every time, guaranteed.

miche - If you would like one, I can cut you one next time I am over at the community college, cutting other jigs and patters I have been thinking up.

IMG_20160622_203538.jpgIMG_20160622_203453.jpg
 
I wanted absolute reproduciblity when cutting rosettes and sound holes. All these adjustable jigs mean that things will be different from one usage (adjustment) to the next. I took a class in using the laser cutter (which will cut 1/4" acrylic) at my local community college. I made up a base for the StewMac dremmel router base which has a series of 1/8 inch numbered holes, designed to fit over a 1/8 in pin in a backing board. I simply drill a 1/8" hole in the soundboard where the sound hole will be. The difference between one hole number and the next is a 1/10" larger diameter circle so the base will cut from 2" to 4" circles. I can now say that for some uke, I want a slightly wider rosette, so will cut from #9 to #14 with the sound hole cut with #7. If I like the result I can do exactly the same thing in the future, with no inexactness of 'adjustments'. Same thing every time, guaranteed.

miche - If you would like one, I can cut you one next time I am over at the community college, cutting other jigs and patters I have been thinking up.

View attachment 92044View attachment 92045
You need to be selling these. 3/16" for me, though.
 
I use an old one of these.


I use a brad-point bit in place of the supplied one.
You can get them here in the UK.
I should probably replace my blunt old one now I think about it, but it still does a fine job.
Max
 
I wanted absolute reproduciblity when cutting rosettes and sound holes. All these adjustable jigs mean that things will be different from one usage (adjustment) to the next. I took a class in using the laser cutter (which will cut 1/4" acrylic) at my local community college. I made up a base for the StewMac dremmel router base which has a series of 1/8 inch numbered holes, designed to fit over a 1/8 in pin in a backing board. I simply drill a 1/8" hole in the soundboard where the sound hole will be. The difference between one hole number and the next is a 1/10" larger diameter circle so the base will cut from 2" to 4" circles. I can now say that for some uke, I want a slightly wider rosette, so will cut from #9 to #14 with the sound hole cut with #7. If I like the result I can do exactly the same thing in the future, with no inexactness of 'adjustments'. Same thing every time, guaranteed.

miche - If you would like one, I can cut you one next time I am over at the community college, cutting other jigs and patters I have been thinking up.

View attachment 92044View attachment 92045

Absolutely brilliant. I probably have $1000 invested in the 4 or 5 rosette/hole cutters I have but yours is so simple and foolproof (as long as you remember the numbers). I need one too but in 5/32". ;)
 
Brilliant! Here's what I made up for myself but there is little to no repeatability aside from markings on the base of the jig. Yours is really fantastic. As above, if you are taking orders, I'd like one in 3/16".IMG_0423.jpgIMG_0422.jpg

Sean
 
For the first couple thousand H&D guitars we used a 1/8" pin that stuck up from piece of plywood, through the center hole of the rosette in the top wood, and into blind holes drilled into a full-size router bases. The router spun around the pin. I think the first upgrade was going to a 1/4" pin. The next was going to a Fadal CNC. The CNC is the cat's patoot, but the routers did just as nice a job.
 
When you guys say you want a "3/16" I assume that means you want 3/16 inch pivot holes, as opposed to 1/8 inch holes (?)
I'll modify the cutting diagram to make sure there is sufficient distance between the holes to expand them to 3/16 and let you know.
 
With 3/16" holes the holes in the base overlap in places if you want them close enough to maintain the 1/10" difference in the eventual diameter of the circle(s) which are cut between two numbers. however, I figured out that there are two sides to the base, so by spreading alternate holes out to different sides, I can achieve the same result with 3/16 holes. It is just that things are less than sequential, and you have to watch your numbers. See photo of drawing.

I about to go on vacation, so it will be a couple of weeks until I can get back to the laser cutter but:

Who might be interested in this base with the proviso that it uses 1/8 inch pins?
Who would be interested in 3/16 inch pins with the more spread out layout?

holes.JPG
 
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With 3/16" holes the holes in the base overlap in places if you want them close enough to maintain the 1/10" difference in the eventual diameter of the circle(s) which are cut between two numbers. however, I figured out that there are two sides to the base, so by spreading alternate holes out to different sides, I can achieve the same result with 3/16 holes. It is just that things are less than sequential, and you have to watch your numbers. See photo of drawing.

I about to go on vacation, so it will be a couple of weeks until I can get back to the laser cutter but:

Who might be interested in this base with the proviso that it uses 1/8 inch pins?
Who would be interested in 3/16 inch pins with the more spread out layout?

View attachment 92053

So, too hard to do 5/32" holes? All my cutters have 5/32" pins. I guess I could drill out the 1/8" holes to fit or just switch to a larger pin. Problem solved. :) Please put me down for an 1/8 inched. It seems that the smaller holes would allow you to adjust it in smaller increments.
 
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