Parchment alternatives

[Tristan von Neumann]

My Renaissance Guitar needs a rose, but I have never made one.

Parchment is ridiculously expensive, especially if you need some spares in case

something goes wrong.

Are there any natural alternatives, maybe paper coated with something to protect it?

Wood is really hard to work with, and I don't think I have good enough tools.

[Andrew Hartig]

I have heard of people using heavy artist paper. Whatever you use, make sure it is acid free so as to avoid "foxing" (a browning that happens over time). 

Another thought: Look for "parchment" in the form of thin rawhide used for drum heads. They are often sanded to a consistent thickness and can be found for not too much.

All of that said, there is nothing like working with quality parchment. Based on the amount of time you will put into making a rose, it does end up being worth the cost IMO.

Good luck!

Andrew

[Tristan von Neumann]

Thanks!

I'll try the heavy paper. I know a good store that sells almost everything, so they will certainly have some acid-free paper.

Drumskins are still too expensive from what I can see. Buying the necessary amount would surpass the costs of the guitar, which was less than 30 bucks to make. I might as well buy real parchment.

I'll keep that in mind for my next project, and will practice with paper now.

[Tristan von Neumann]

Well.

I had so much scrap paper of a good kind (I used it to print facsimile editions for myself).

I glued three leaves together with gelatine and a pattern I found.

Cutting the holes while the gelatine is still soft seems to be recommended (after one hour or so).

The next day, the rose is stiff and looks ok.

This is all more of a proof of concept thing for first time No-Budget Luthierie.

I made mistakes, but the whole project is rough.

Here's the result: