Carving a rosette for a baroque guitar soundhole in three layers.

After gluing the paper pattern to a thin (1 mm) sheet of wood with a diluted solution of hide glue, I drill holes through the open spaces to quickly remove a quantity of wood. This also makes it easy to get the knife blade started when carving the openings.

The completed carving is glued to a second thin sheet (1 mm) of wood of slightly different color, using a permanent glue. The second sheet is then carved.

The two-layered rosette is glued to a sheet of acid-free parchment paper, using a permanent glue.

The most intricate design is carved into the final layer of parchment paper. I took some brass tubing and sharpened the end in order to create clean curves and perfectly round holes.

I buy blades by the box of 100 since I go through about 12 of them for a rosette. A little stropping on a leather barber's strop helps keep them sharp.

The finished rosette is glued into the soundboard. It will be supported underneath by small bars, just like a lute rosette.

Alternating strips of black ebony and white holly, or any border you choose, can be glued around the rosette in the usual manner.