Anyone out there carve plugs? I like certain shapes that I haven't been able to achieve on a lathe (inexperience???). I'd be interested in getting some pointers. Right now, I do a general shape on the lathe and then use files, sandpaper and elbow grease. Getting a band saw this weekend.

I've done a few non-lathe plugs. It really depends on the shape you are after. For a lot of plugs that are rounded, you can use the lathe, then finish with a beltsander, band saw, sandpaper, etc. A friend of mine has one type (Musky jerkbait) that I've done by cutting the shape on the band saw, then hand sanding to get the final shape. A lot of freshwater crankbaits can be done that way. Takes longer than using a lathe. For the bandsaw ones, I take one that I've completed, lay it on a photocopier, and make several copies. These are used as a template for making other ones. Use double sided tape to attach the template to the wood and cut away. If they are smaller, you can stack a couple deep and make the cuts. After that, its just some beltsander/hand sanding to finish up. I'll also mark on the templates where hook hangers and weight holes need to be to keep those all the same too.

Jigman

Jigman, Great suggestion on the templates! Thanks! You must like jigs....

Yeah... the beltsander is an awesome tool to have for plugbuilding...