ukegirl13
Well-known member
Has anyone bought and used a "Microfence" in order to route out a rosette? Just was wondering if it is worth the extra mula. Thanks, Toni
Microfence
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Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
Welcome Toni!
Talk about moola, you see the plunge base they offer? I could almost be talked into owning it, even at $400! (Well, maybe not.)
I love the precision that MicroFence offers. Are they capable of cutting such small circles? Maybe someone who knows will chime in. I've used a handful of circle cutters/rosette routers and they all have their drawbacks. StewMac sells one that's OK for Dremel tools but nothing bigger. A well made, fully adjustable cutter with tight tolerances made for a laminate trimmer would be awesome.
Talk about moola, you see the plunge base they offer? I could almost be talked into owning it, even at $400! (Well, maybe not.)
I love the precision that MicroFence offers. Are they capable of cutting such small circles? Maybe someone who knows will chime in. I've used a handful of circle cutters/rosette routers and they all have their drawbacks. StewMac sells one that's OK for Dremel tools but nothing bigger. A well made, fully adjustable cutter with tight tolerances made for a laminate trimmer would be awesome.
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I played with a microfence a few years ago at a woodworking show. They are well engineered precision tools and they will do small circles with an add on kit that allows the index pin to go underneath the base. It does raise the router up about a 1/2" so your bit must be long enough to compensate for it.
There is a new plunge laminate trimmer being made by Dewalt (DWP611PK) that looks very nice and at $200. I think porter cable also has one coming out. I tried to look at one first hand last week at our woodcraft store but they didn't have one. Might be worth waiting to see these before spending the money on a microfence.
I did pick up a Proxxon 29516 plunge base for $40 while I was at woodcraft last week. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it looks better than the Stewmac and is a true plunge, unlike the stewmac. It comes with a crude circle attachement, but I'm going to try and make something along the lines of the Sylvan Wells design to get some level of precision adjustment.
Take care,
-darrel
There is a new plunge laminate trimmer being made by Dewalt (DWP611PK) that looks very nice and at $200. I think porter cable also has one coming out. I tried to look at one first hand last week at our woodcraft store but they didn't have one. Might be worth waiting to see these before spending the money on a microfence.
I did pick up a Proxxon 29516 plunge base for $40 while I was at woodcraft last week. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but it looks better than the Stewmac and is a true plunge, unlike the stewmac. It comes with a crude circle attachement, but I'm going to try and make something along the lines of the Sylvan Wells design to get some level of precision adjustment.
Take care,
-darrel
Steve vanPelt
Well-known member
Hi Toni
Welcome to UU. I've never tried the micro fence, I just use a modified stew mac circle jig. But I **have** recently seen a thread on a really purrty cat-uke built by someone named Toni, from San Francisco. Was that one of yours? Beautiful.
Steve
Welcome to UU. I've never tried the micro fence, I just use a modified stew mac circle jig. But I **have** recently seen a thread on a really purrty cat-uke built by someone named Toni, from San Francisco. Was that one of yours? Beautiful.
Steve
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
I have one built along the line of the Sylvan Wells design. The adjustment is very nice but still there's a tiny bit of slop built into it. Maybe it's just getting worn out.
I bought a Trend plunge laminate trimmer from Woodcraft. I think I paid $109. I'm very happy with it but I think the base would be too large for a rosette cutter.
The Curious Kid
Active member
I wasn't able to link the exact page, but if you click on the small picture of a partially assembled body on the main page, and then select number 8 on the list of links on the page you arrive at, you will find yourself a step by step guide to cut a cavity for a rosette with a tack, a Popsicle stick, a razor blade, masking tape, and an 1/8" chisel. I didn't try it myself, but I think it's right out of cumpiano's guitarmaking book. So it could certainly work for you, and will cost you nothing.
http://www.sprucehouseukuleles.com/
http://www.sprucehouseukuleles.com/
sweets
Well-known member
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Thank you!
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Yes, I have Cumpiano's book and have seen it done that way. I'll have to try it just for the heck of it. I'll get some cheap spruce to do a practice run. I'm sure that's how the Master Guitar builders did it way before routers and Micro-fences were invented!
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Yes, I bought a Stew Mac circle jig but it would only cut a minimum of 3". I'm not too crafty at modifying. My problem is I don't have a standard circle size for a rosette. Originally, whatever diameter I needed I would measure from the center of the bit to the base plate of my router and drill a hole in the plate. This would fit over a nail the same size as the hole drilled in the trimmer plate and I would twirl the router around . I know. basic, but I have so many d--m holes in my router plate and a lot of the time I didn't get them exactly right. I guess my trouble is that the rosette is not the exact size of the bit. So say you want a 1/4" abalone rosette which you could cut with a 1/4" bit but what if you want to add the .010 black plastic edging around that on both sides. So I guess what I'm asking is how do you cut a rosette that's different than a standard size bit. And yes, thank you for the nice compliment. I appreciate it!
Steve vanPelt
Well-known member
All I did to modify the circle jig is to drill and countersink 2 holes a little closer to the pin. It works a treat down to about 2-1/8". I think it could be done to make even smaller sound holes. I can use a 1/32 to 1/8" bit and adjust to cut any size channel.
Steve
BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
Did the exact same mod to mine Steve. I'm thinking of opening up the area around the bit though, as it's awfully difficult to see what I'm doing when the jig is set to it's smallest setting.
Pete Howlett
Well-known member
Use fly cutters in a pedestal drill - much better 
Use fly cutters in a pedestal drill - much better
Yep - the heavy duty circle cutter from General tools takes standard lathe tool blanks, so you can make up a selection of different cutters for different tasks..
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Use fly cutters in a pedestal drill - much better
Ok, thank you Pete and everyone else for that matter!! I will try some other options before I dish out the money.
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Thank you Steve. I thought of that but didn't know how to drill into the metal base. What type of bits do you use to drill into it? And can I just get them at a Lowe's or a Home Depot or do I need to go to a specialty store? I know this is probably a dumb question for you guys but if
don't ask I'll never learn.
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Hi Chuck! Thanks for the welcome. Yes, they have a small circle cutting package that will cut circles from 1/2" - 12". It costs $270.00. I am very tempted to invest. I love new toys!
Steve vanPelt
Well-known member
Any decent 3/16 bit will do it. I think Home Depot has 2 kinds of countersinks, the better one is worth the extra $.
Like Allen said, if I had to do it over, I'd go back exactly one inch and do some carving on the jig's slide, so I could do sopranos.
Like Allen said, if I had to do it over, I'd go back exactly one inch and do some carving on the jig's slide, so I could do sopranos.
Flyfish57
Well-known member
That's a neat trick...I extended the center channel forward on mine. I did it several years ago so I don't really remember why I chose to go that way. It works great though. I see that Microfence every year at the woodworking show, but never pull the trigger! There is always something else to spend the money on
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ukegirl13
Well-known member
Ok, thank you Steve! Oh man, I ordered one of those precision bases from Stew Mac then returned it because it would only cut at the minimum 3" circles. Oh well, live and learn...