I'm curious about what kinds of wood some of you guys use. I bought some cheap wood to practice on, but I was wondering if I am really getting any real practice at all. I was wondering if good wood is going to turn alot different from the pine I'm using now. I find a lot of knots inside the wood, and it seems as though the wood wants to chip a bit. I know lots of you guys use yellow cedar but I was wondering about some different kinds of wood to use. I don't want to get anybody upset if what wood you might use is a secret but, was just wondering. I bought a cheaper chisel set to see what I might need to use the most, I have only used the set maybe 3 times so maybe that is an issue as well. I am going to buy a couple of good chisels, will that maybe make a difference? Any help would be great, Thanks, Jay

A couple of good tools will make a difference. I use a 3/4 inch gouge and a 1 inch skew. Both Robert Sorbys. However, if your wood has knots, you will still have problems. Try to pick out pieces that do not have knots in them. Pine should do fine for topwater plugs.

Another cheap alternative is to pick up some of those hardwood or poplar dowels that Home Depot or Lowes sells. They'll work fine for a number of plugs, are cheap, and great to practice on. Both will need to be sealed. The poplar will work for swimmers, poppers, etc. Hardwood for needles, darters, poppers. A little heavy for swimmers.

Jigman

As long as the knots in pine are tight, they should not be a problem while turning, just make sure you tools are sharp and watch the grain direction. The loose or black knots are a problem and can be dangerous since they are loose and could come flying out. All knots will become a problem when painting the wood as they will bleed.

Try using pallets, I have found them made of poplar, birch, maple, purple heart and rose wood (once).

The only real difference between cheap tools and expensive ones is how often you have to sharpen. One of my favorite chisels is a cheap carbon steel 3/4 shallow spindle gouge. I do end up sharpening it quite often.