Custom Rosette Cutter?

[conrad bender]

Hi - does anybody make custom rosette cutters anymore? Looking to match rosettes in our 1890 Victorian, we need many dozens so would prefer not to make them individually on the lathe without a cutter... could cast them from a mold, but that seems like cheating. Amana DP-304 is close to what we have, but ours have a higher center and deeper valleys. And we're somewhat particular about not varying from what was original. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

Many times, things like that are now cut with CNC. That said, one technique for making reproductions that don't quite exactly match but are "the same" from a reasonable distance is to keep similar features on, say, a single wall...move existing around so that all the new are next to each other. You only really see the differences when the variations are alternating, etc. This might allow you to use the off the shelf Amana cutter you mention.

[Joe Calhoon]

Vexor will make these for a tool holder they make.
https://www.vexorcwt.com/ I don’t think they show it on the web page. Not inexpensive. I think Connecticut Saw does these also. If you have a compound table for your lathe you can just get a HSS cutter made if you have a way to hold it.

[Tony Joyce]

Tool Holder
https://cggschmidt.com/products.php?cat=193
Cutters
https://cggschmidt.com/products.php?cat=194

[conrad bender]

Thanks, all - appreciate the input!

[Bill Dufour]

I would think you could make a rosette cutter with only one cutter. Not a balanced cut but should work if everything is clamped down. That way you can grind the cutter to match and no need to make two the same profile.
Wonder if the Belsaw plane molder type profile knifes could be cut to fit.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

Just companies a quick search found. Not an endorsement. You need to decide on a cutter head first then buy knives to fit.
Are you in North America?
Bill D.
https://ctsaw.com/product/custom-profile-knives/
http://hotknives.com/rosette-knives/
http://www.mouldingknives.com/rosettecutters/
https://farrisbelt.com/blade-sharpening-charlotte-nc/custom-made-profile-knives/

[conrad bender]

Thanks, Bill - yes, I'm outside of Philly, actually have a Belsaw molder, so maybe I'll just buy a rosette cutter head first and see if that style knife could be made to fit.

[John TenEyck]

Yes, a CNC would make light work of this, and I suspect at surprisingly low cost. I'm happy to help if you are interested in that approach.

John

[Bob Coates]

Conrad,
Here is one I have from Grizzly.509330
Block is 3" circle is about 2 1/8"

[conrad bender]

Well, I'm so used to making everything myself I hadn't even considering having somebody else CNC them... would be interested in any info you may have.

[John TenEyck]

Well, I'm so used to making everything myself I hadn't even considering having somebody else CNC them... would be interested in any info you may have.

Send me a PM or an email and I'll be happy to help. I'll need a section view of the rosette, how many you need, and what wood species if it's stain grade. Thanks. John

[Richard Coers]

A rossette cutter on a drill press is a horrible combination. The drill press quill has too much play, a vertical mill is a much better option. And with the one blade cutter at slow speed, end grain tear out is a certainty.

[Bill Dufour]

CNC Option. Not sure if folks mean machine the wood with CNC or make the knives on a CNC grinder, or both.
Bill D

[George Yetka]

If they are pretty close could you kiss the originals to make them match the new?

[Jim Becker]

CNC Option. Not sure if folks mean machine the wood with CNC or make the knives on a CNC grinder, or both.
Bill D
CNC making the rosettes. It's an easy job to do, repeatable and with a clear profile section like John asked for, extremely accurate for reproduction work.

[Jared Sankovich]

A Bridgeport or other suitability ridgid machine seems like the way to go.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClkCcY8s8-MoIWB8bStdnPK6pUuFAghvu40erE0/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

509411
509412

[Roger Feeley]

Schutte Lumber has a vast library of molding cutters that they use to match the moldings in old houses around Kansas City. They used to make custom cutters. I don’t remember rosette cutters being mentioned but I bet they have them too.

the other thought would be Blue Ox Millworks in Eureka CA. https://www.blueoxmill.com/custom-mouldings-moldings.htm

[Joe Calhoon]

I make these on occasion for local restoration. If it’s less than 25 to 30 pieces I will hand turn them. I’m not a skilled turner but these are pretty easy to make on the lathe. Here is a batch I just did along with some Plinth blocks. These take about 5 minutes each once you get going.
509434

For large quantity’s a heavy duty lathe like my Oliver works good with a roset cutter. Previously I did these on a smaller Delta lathe and it was challenged with the larger roset cutters. As mentioned a light duty drill press does not work but milling machines do. One advantage of the lathe is the pieces can be sanded while on the machine. If the OP has a metal lathe that should work but he may not want to contaminate it with wood dust.1000 to 1200 rpm works good when using the roset cutters.

509435
John, curious what the programing time would be to do these on a CNC and if multiple bits would be needed?

[Bill Dufour]

A lathe with live tooling would make quick work of these.
BilL D

[John TenEyck]

Joe, I did this design in about 5 minutes. All it takes is a cross section view that gets spun around a center. This design is nothing specific, just some noodling. It can be cut with a single tool. If it were to have square sides it would require two tools. Other designs might require more tools, but the advantage of the CNC is the parts can be nested on the deck so that all the parts can be cut sequentially with each tool change.

John

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHfFMgyK6raeAwT6uHEowa3lJZztKpWPLz4p_Oul_efz2Z Di6Do7k_fc8Ny__xIDJlqoJeSucKZStyQBm0h4R_-Bctv0KPMYUqk6QEfCLEuoNWc6puzcJt3oGQf8-y_2r0W7YH9rT4nRGvX3Hgjki74RFg=w1574-h885-s-no?authuser=0

[John TenEyck]

This kind of work is well suited for a copy lathe. Identical copies using nothing more than stock cutters.

John

[Joe Calhoon]

John, in a past life I had a Hapfo Hydro copy lathe. It was not capable of face cutting. If it was, most rosets I reproduce would not be possible. Perhaps on a CNC controlled one if they can cross feed.
509517
this is one I did for the local courthouse restoration a while back. I think it was only 10 pieces. For 30 or more of these I would have had knives ground. Is this one possible on the CNC?

[John TenEyck]

John, in a past life I had a Hapfo Hydro copy lathe. It was not capable of face cutting. If it was, most rosets I reproduce would not be possible. Perhaps on a CNC controlled one if they can cross feed.
509517
this is one I did for the local courthouse restoration a while back. I think it was only 10 pieces. For 30 or more of these I would have had knives ground. Is this one possible on the CNC?


Joe, I saved your image and turned it into a model. It took a little while because of all the noise, and it's not perfect, but it will give you a general idea of what it would look like off a CNC. I didn't optimize the machining, but at very moderate speeds this would take less than 3 minutes. And by nesting the parts on a grid, there would be essentially zero time between machining parts. The only thing a 3 axis CNC can't do would be undercut profiles. I didn't see any on this, however, so it would work w/o issue.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ADCreHfELOCienSy9kfw_ifIhz82OfhDoQ1IJqW2w5D4IFyYY2 S6xDFPRS3foO5qkBdX-wBqiAb1uzuuMBTMmoRN_dfd2NHSfX7DUjqhcskFHlzuNnIRhpQ _ma2hSsvq9P7WO-5trW8SGbih3p288Jb9ZBXs4g=w1574-h885-s-no?authuser=0


John

[Mel Fulks]

I would cast them. Lot of fine plaster work is done with casting. Dentists will tell you that most people prefer a man made tooth ,not a
REAL hole.

[Joe Calhoon]

Thanks for taking the time to do that John!