I am curious what is or has been the most difficult part of plug building for you guys thus far?? What part of the learning curve has presented you with the most challenge to overcome?? What part of the process do you most struggle with?? Don't be shy!

For me I guess it would have to be.....the air brush! I am a real hack and still working hard at getting the results I seek! Its the process I think about most and work at the hardest!:uhuh:

I've had the most problems sealing the wod before finishing. With Red Cedar I had adheshion problems, I thought it was due to the amount of natural oil in the wood itself. After having several plugs with the finish peel, I switched to Alaskian Yellow Cedar. I have had better results.

Not having an area dedicated for plug building that is climate controlled. The air brush spitting is probably the most aggravating but getting the plug weighted to swim right is time consuming also then there is a mackerel pattern which I can only get to look somewhat right if I paint by hand this photo shows how it looks after I reapplied the pattern because I wasn't happy enough with the look:wall:. I learned a little more so my next attempt should be better.
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My biggest problem is the air brush. It's not the process it's me. My spinal cord injury left my right hand F'd up. I don't feel things correctly or have the proper control.
I push down for air and then try to bring the trigger back slowly. Does not happen. The trigger is all over the place.
So, I trained myself to use rattle cans. I hold theh button down and manipulate the plug (with my left hand) through the paint. Works pretty well. I should however try more with the air brush.

I've had some beginners luck with swimming action and catching but still haven't built anything that will last. I accept that the ocean/rocks destroy everything but mine look like P.O.S. a little too fast! The one in the middle looked like that after a few weeks.

Hey BFL good to see you back

The difficulties for moi is more of a mEnTaL process that sneaks up after I think I figured out a plug. I find so stinking many variants of that one plug I cant help but drop what I am doing to pursue another avenue then I find out once again I have no clue what the hells going on. Plug demons...

easiest= epoxy...go figure

worst= drilling belly holes that align...I don't have a jig for it yet. My paint is getting better as I'm mostly doing two colors with rattle cans.

most skills have gotten better with time. though less than a year under my belt and having mastered almost nothing, i think i have worked hard to learn most of the the basics of the craft, and after all, i build my plugs to fish. i got tired of handing over what i felt was too much money for a piece of wood that could be gone in a second. that said, i still want my craftsmenship to be admirable.... the big pain in the butt so far, makes me wanna sell it, is the air brush. i think i know my mistakes so we will see. but honestly, i don't aspire to be a picasso, i think rattle cans are all you need if you want to catch fish, but the fumes suck!....then epoxy (etex). i just epoxied 12 plugs so i'll see if i learned anything from my last disaster batch (where i didn't thoroughly clean them before application).
.... long winded answer sorry, airbrush!

I've had some beginners luck with swimming action and catching but still haven't built anything that will last. I accept that the ocean/rocks destroy everything but mine look like P.O.S. a little too fast! The one in the middle looked like that after a few weeks.

You have an adhesion problem between your sealer and primer.
That's common. Either the sealer wasn't dry (particularly if you used an oil), you didn't sand before priming, you didn't wipe off the sanding dust before priming, or your sealer is not compatible with your primer.

the curve:wall::smash: my first time looking at all the fantastic plugs what were posted, then going to PLUGFEST an touchie-feely thing happened:love: I wanted to build everything I saw. all my knowledge came from this site, an dumb question I asked. it was all hands on, an time consumming, an TONS of MISTAKES. an NO TOOLS everything hand carved, rattle can painted. the hardest is trying to get the Super Color, an Patterns ,an Shapes you guys get from Airbrushes, an LATHES. guess Im just a Handcarven,Rattle Can Guy.:love: I don't SELL'EM , just FISH'EM an some times SWAP'EM
GOOD LUCK GOOD PLUGGIN:biglaugh:
P.S. am now using the little sander I got from BIG FISH. YES power tool.:)

I'd say my worst problem is the tiny space i'm in and my tendancys to work like a pig ..
1. Spitter sputtering air brush because I hate cleaning it and I use old snot laddened paint I'm to cheap to throw away .

2. Tear out because I hate taking time out to sharpen tools .


3. totally unorganized .. Pick a tool up here, put in down over there,, Cluster F&C& !!!!!

4. Breathing rattle can over spray because it takes time to change the clogged filter on my spray booth ..

5. My house is the dustiest house in Brockton ... Lost my furnace once .. Tec told my wife it's the dust ..


other than that piece of cake ... Welcome back Larry .. Cranky pants say he's sorry ? CIA

You have an adhesion problem between your sealer and primer.
That's common. Either the sealer wasn't dry (particularly if you used an oil), you didn't sand before priming, you didn't wipe off the sanding dust before priming, or your sealer is not compatible with your primer.

Also do not use "tack cloths" to wipe your plugs of dust! They leave a residue that is not conducive to good adhesion!

easiest= epoxy...go figure


I want to stick awls in my eyes when I read that ... :wall:

Lack of taking the time to make jigs for various steps. Also everthing Tagger wrote in his first post here is pretty much right on the money for me.:o

I want to stick awls in my eyes when I read that ... :wall:

Its simply because I build rods and found many commonalities between finishing a rod and a plug....not to say I haven't %$%$%$%$ed up the epoxy on a few plugs cause I have, but epoxy is the only part of the entire plug building process I didn't have to ask you guys here 1000 questions about....:smokin:

You may, of course, look at one of my finished plugs and determine the epoxy job sucks, but for me it was the least confusing part of the process....

So far, it's building the shop.

Should be done :soon:

Finding an easier way to apply a finish. e-tex looks ok but I've spun them and flip them and it's easier to flip than setting up the rotissarie . I still want to try a hard wearing waterbase poly finish to dip.

Second the one about getting setup. Began to get a shop together, then got divorced so the shop went buh-bye. :smash:

Someday, I'll have a cave. Maybe when I am 70 years old, but dammit I'm gonna have one! :fury:

I've had some beginners luck with swimming action and catching but still haven't built anything that will last. I accept that the ocean/rocks destroy everything but mine look like P.O.S. a little too fast! The one in the middle looked like that after a few weeks.

Quit letting your cats use them as scratching posts! :rotf2:

My Biggest Challenge is catching decent fish on them.

My biggest problem is consistency. I feel like I can do everything well, but putting it all together on any individual plug can be a problematic. A plug that is has perfect woodworking, and great paint, the epoxy will suck etc... I think the biggest answer to fix this is patience and pacing myself, the more i rush the more mistakes I see.

My biggest problem is consistency. I feel like I can do everything well, but putting it all together on any individual plug can be a problematic. A plug that is has perfect woodworking, and great paint, the epoxy will suck etc... I think the biggest answer to fix this is patience and pacing myself, the more i rush the more mistakes I see.

truer words were never spoken!!!!!

Also do not use "tack cloths" to wipe your plugs of dust! They leave a residue that is not conducive to good adhesion!

Tack rags need to be broken in. If they're leaving goo behind, they're useless. They do make tack rags that don't leave a snail track, the blue ones...

Good thread.... it's a long process, and as my Dad used to say, you never stop learning until they shovel dirt over you....

for me, it is/was a little bit of everything....learning to be patient, let the sealers,primers and paint cure before the next step, learning that unlike a car i was painting, #600 paper only caused problems.. and that wood grain is good.... those small imperfections may not make a plug look as pretty, but they are a paint and primer magnet...I've alays been a tinkerer.. no matter how well things work, I'm always trying to improve it.... some times I do.. some times I dont....

I'd say my worst problem is the tiny space i'm in and my tendancys to work like a pig ..
1. Spitter sputtering air brush because I hate cleaning it and I use old snot laddened paint I'm to cheap to throw away .

2. Tear out because I hate taking time out to sharpen tools .


3. totally unorganized .. Pick a tool up here, put in down over there,, Cluster F&C& !!!!!

4. Breathing rattle can over spray because it takes time to change the clogged filter on my spray booth ..

5. My house is the dustiest house in Brockton ... Lost my furnace once .. Tec told my wife it's the dust ..


other than that piece of cake ... Welcome back Larry .. Cranky pants say he's sorry ? CIA
:wall: We must be related, this sounds all too familiar. :fury:

For me it is all about enjoyment. Have fun at all the steps, no matter how much you may struggle. Try not to compare yourself to others. There is always someone better at certain aspects than you, accept it . Who cares how you reach the end result as long as you are happy. Shear repetition will make you better. Don't beat yourself up if you screw up that is the best teacher you can have. This ain't rocket science. Have fun.