There are rosettes for drill presses. That seems safer and easier. Most router bit companies sell the also.

Mike

 

I take it you do not have the owner's manual. Have you tried looking on-line for a download? I'm sure you'd need the model #, et al, but there should be something on-line.

 

Craftsman Rosette Maker

I don't have the manual and it's not on the Sears/Craftsman website. Actually, it's on the Sears website but says it doesn't have anything available. I've done searches for it.

I don't have a drill press and although it may be easier on them, this looks like you can do more with less - use a few simple (inexpensive) bits to make variations.

I'll post photos of the device. I just bought it on e-bay.

I think you attach the wood to the round plate, anchor the device over the bits and turn the wood with the crank. You adjust the wood position relative to the bit somehow - I think that's what the numbers under the crank refer to.

It doesn't have the mounting clip but since there are screw holes I'm sure I can come up with something to attach it to T-track.

I'll have it in a few days and will experiment. Was hoping someone had used one before or maybe had a manual. :help:

 

I bet that everyone who read your opening post had something like these in mind:

MLCS Rosette Cutters and Profile knives

I saw these shortly after I got serious about router "work" and fortunately did not buy any. I was also fooled by the presence of Forstner bits (something I had never heard of before) on web pages and print catalogues that were seemingly all things router. I do wish they would all clearly label these things for use in drill presses, hand drills, etc and not for router use.

The apparatus you show is unlike anything I have ever seen before, but the operation of it seems to me to be as you described it. If it were mine I would be willing to try it by attaching the wood to the round "base" using even two sided tape or very thin nails using the screw holes.

 

Tom - I don't have enough experience with other machines that go twirly and cut wood to know about other similarly named objects. Didn't mean to confuse anyone.

I plan on having some fun (hopefully) with this in a few days. I've been searching all over the net for info. but so far nothing. I think it originally came out about the time Sears/Craftsman was going crazy with attachments for routers - the router crafter, pantograph, recreator and bowl maker were all out in the 1970s? 1980s? I remember seeing them in the catalogs way back whenever.

I'll post photos of whatever it can crank out - hopefully the bloodstains won't detract too much.

 

Susan, I wrote what I did in part to point out how helpful the photos of it were. Your device calls itself a rosette maker. In the 1970's and '80's I was fully occupied with other interests and had only a vague familiarity with "machines that go twirly" (I love your descriptive language!) so I missed that part of the Sears catalog.

The more I think about your device the more I understand your desire for a manual. I can see how the work piece is attached and rotated, but where is the height (depth) adjustment? How will the cut be started?

I bet you are going to have lots of fun with your device. I certainly look forward to seeing what you make with it.

 

Susan I was thrown off a bit at first too but what you have is meant to be used with a router from the the looks of it. I'm not sure how they intended to use the two items together, mounting wise. The plate on the rosette cutter resembles a face plate on a wood lathe, where you attach a piece of wood by screwing into it from the back. I would assume that you plunge bits into various arcs of the radius with bits like these. Amazon.com: plunge roundover bits: Tools & Home Improvement

 

Susan,,,

within this description is at best, bits and pieces of how this rosette maker operates. Most notably is the fact that the work piece is lowered down onto the bit.

"A router accessory used in concert with a router attached to a router table (2). The accessory can be used to produce rosettes, model wheels, buttons, coasters, and other circular decorated projects, for example. In the preferred embodiment, a wooden workpiece (6) can be positioned horizontally above a selected router bit (9). The workpiece zero point, which may be the workpiece center, can be off-set horizontally from the router bit (9). The accessory can then be used to lower the workpiece (6) onto the router bit (9), so that rotation of the workpiece (6) routs a circular cut equidistant from the workpiece zero point. The maximum depth of cut can be set. The off-set can be changed to make additional circular cuts into the workpiece (6), as desired."

Patent EP0611244A1 - Rosette maker router accessory used in concert with a router attached to a ... - Google Patents

 

I didn't go thru this, so don't know if it will help or not.
Patent EP0611244A1 - Rosette maker router accessory used in concert with a router attached to a ... - Google Patents

 

Bill and Theo - You guys are great! I wouldn't have thought of looking for patents in a zillion years! And one of my first jobs was in a patent department for a pharmaceutical company (D'oh! - slaps forehead - hollow sound heard) I used to read some of the early patents (from the 1800s) for fun since we had copies of everything.

The instructions are in legalese but I'll have a much better understanding of how to start. Wheeeee!

 

Rosette Maker and other jigs from patents

I just looked at the link you gave me and there are a bunch of other links there for router jigs for making other things such as angled legs and mortise/tenon. The directions are complete on what the jig is supposed to do and with the illustrations, it would be possible for people to build their own version.

I love this forum! What a great resource!
:laugh:

 

Rosettes - shell pattern - More advanced jigs from patents

This is another patent that makes a jig to cut some fan pattern/shell designs.

https://www.google.com/patents/US6003571

Looks like something made by a woodcarver!

Most of these patents look like they may have expired - meaning there is no problem in making your own version. Patent law protects for 15 to 20 years generally.

 

You're having just way to much fun Susan!!

 

I realize this thread is a couple months old, but I have the manual for the craftsman rosette maker. I just scanned it to pdf and it is attached, if you still need it.

 

Hello onepieceatatime welcome to the router forums,maybe you could post this manual to the manuals reference.
Also would you like to post an introduction so the rest of the members could get to meet you.
Again welcome

Look here for router references and manuals
Router Reference - Router Forums

Power Tool Manuals - Router Forums

 

The manual is a big help and will probably save the life of the rosette maker since I would have been experimenting to set it up. Thanks!

 

I just downloaded the manual (assembly & operation) on this very forum a few minutes ago after i became a member. The sears model number is 171.25319. It is a pdf download.
Rick caruso

 

rosette maker

I have one with the router that goes with it.