routers for lutherie

[Stray Feathers]

I have several questions here and it is a bit much to search the archive for each one so please bear with me. I am working on my first guitar top (actually two tops). I was given a Craftsman rotary tool and a Dremel plunge base/circle cutter which it fits. I found though that the Craftsman tool is not all that secure in the base and it takes some care to cut the rosette circles without racking the tool so the circles are out of round. Have others had this experience? Does it also happen with Dremel rotary tools in the Dremel base? It has made me think about buying a laminate trimmer if it were more stable -I'm sure it would be good for binding, too, but is it better for rosettes? I've heard good things about the Bosch Colt and also a Ridgid model. How important is it to have a plunge base? (Or, how do you start a cut with a circle attachment without a plunge base?) Does anyone have any thoughts pro or con about any models, plunge bases, circle cutter attachments? I could make my own simple base for circles, too. Maybe I'm better to save my money and learn to use what I have . . .?

[tippie53]

I had the bosche porter cables and the ridgid. I kept the ridgid for binding work.

to do the rosette you need to take smaller cuts. My best advice is this.
A start in the middle and work your way out taking small nibbles. Use a smaller bit. The larger the cutter the more it will throw the bit. I use a 3/32 up cut. Down cuts will push the chips into the work and not be cleared. Also the circle cutters will have play in them so on the outer cut pull gentle outwards on the final pass and in on the inner side .

B Use a climb cut on the final pass that means outer rings feed counter CW and inner Clock wise.

C Use SHARP bits.

As for the plunge router I only use that on big stuff. Start you cuts at the top so it will be under the fretboard.

Feed fast enough so you don't smell smoke and not too fast that you are forcing the bit , you have to develop a feel for the feed rate.

Hope this helps

[Ben-Had]

That's pretty sound advice from John. I have 3 routers. I use the Ridgid for rosettes, trimming the top and back after glue up, opening the mortise on an M&T neck and cutting the saddle slot on the bridge. I use the Bosch on my binding tower (could use the Ridgid too but I hated switching all the time) and I use a Porter Cable with plunge base to cut the mortise and tenons on both M&T and Dovetail necks. For my Rosette base I use a base I got from John Bogdanovich and I modified it with a fine adjustment screw similar to the one on a StewMac precision router base, it is very accurate for cutting circles.

[Stray Feathers]

Thanks for your helpful replies. It sounds like a rotary tool is not the best thing for rosettes ("damned with faint praise"?) and that may be partly why I was having problems. I'll keep my eyes open for a laminate trimmer and then find accessories for it once I decide on a model.

[MaineGeezer]

I bought a DeWalt laminate trimmer to use, for which I made a custom base with a screw-adjustable pivot arm. I bought StewMac's assortment of carbide downcut router bits and used those when I cut the rosette grooves. Thinking about it now, it was probably on the north side of 200 bucks for the whole setup. That's a chunk of change, for sure, but I've never found it particularly difficult to justify buying a new tool :) and I didn't want to screw up my $160 top when I cut the grooves.

I'm not sure the DeWalt is the best choice for a laminate trimmer. The fit between the base and the router body is fairly loose and feels less precise than I'd like. It locks up solidly for use, but adjustment feels sort of wobbly. I also find the switch a bit difficult to operate. Otherwise though, it's been very good.

What was said about SHARP cutters -- yes!