This might be an oversimplification, but is there anything like standard ratios out there to determine buoyancy? i.e. "X ounces of Eastern White Pine will float Y ounces of lead."

I'm starting off in the shop with thoughts like: "OK, I want a slim Polaris-style popper with an unfinished weight between 2 - 2.5 oz. Center-weighted for casting. Floating."

Fast-forward a couple hours (I'm slow) and I have exactly what I want, but it sinks. Might still be a decent plug, but I wanted a floater so I could twitch it.

look for a density chart for wood. The lighter the wood, the more buoyant it is.

Don't treat it like it brain surgery...its not. Turn a body the size you are looking for and play with the weighting to get that where you want it! Some would want a polaris heavier than maybe some others would want....so there is no proper formula! Trial and error is the only chemistry needed.

I will tell you that many excellent poppers do sink or are tail heavy! My personal belief is that a great popper does not have to float! I have a couple of poppers that sink like stones but the intended purpose is to cast far but more importantly (and I will use the current in the ditch as an example) that the popper has a good popping action, that you can pop the plug hard and it will stay in the water! Particularly a polaris you do not want it being "yanked" out of the water when you are trying to pop it! The heavy tail keeps the plug grounded and acts as the pivot point for the front of the plug to pop or throw water or what ever you want it to do! Remember even a popper that sinks only sinks at rest.....it will still do what it needs to do when you are retrieving it!

This might be an oversimplification, but is there anything like standard ratios out there to determine buoyancy? i.e. "X ounces of Eastern White Pine will float Y ounces of lead."

I'm starting off in the shop with thoughts like: "OK, I want a slim Polaris-style popper with an unfinished weight between 2 - 2.5 oz. Center-weighted for casting. Floating."

Fast-forward a couple hours (I'm slow) and I have exactly what I want, but it sinks. Might still be a decent plug, but I wanted a floater so I could twitch it.

It obviously floated before you weighted it. If it's made of wood. Pull the weight out and cut some off. (Remove some of the lead) try it again. Keep doing this until you have what you want.

You'd have to be very good at calculus to calculate the volume of a plug. It is easier to submerge it in a full graduated cylinder and measure the volume of water displaced. Then weigh your plug/hooks/wire/grommets and subtract that from the weight of the displaced water (which you can calculate by knowing the volume - be sure to use saltwater's density). That difference is the maximum weight you can add before it sinks.

It is much easier just to turn a body, wire and rig it, then add weights held on by rubber bands and move them around until the plug floats as you like.

There is more art than science in building a good plug.

I've found it is more rewarding fiddling around after shaping than it is engineering before shaping.

You'll drive yourself crazy trying to design a plug based on the properties of the materials, so just make the shape you want out of a couple different woods and mess around with the weights until it works the way you want.

Don't forget to seal your plug before sea trials, or water weight will eff its action all up. For protos a quick soaking with spray quick dry urethane is the way to go. Squirt it in all the holes, saturate the body and then stick it in a ziplock bag for a while so the urethane will soak in before drying, then take it out and let it dry a day before swimming.

http://i.somethingawful.com/u/petey/comedygoldmine/2009a/march/realbooks/tech_Snu_snu.jpeg

First off from here that looks like Red Cedar! Second...is that Tim Kazrynski from the "Police Academy" movies??:rotf2:

Thank you for all the feedback.

I found a wood density chart online -- that's very helpful.
Weighting with rubber bands first is a great idea.
The "quick-seal" idea with the plastic bag is a neat trick.

I appreciate all the advice as I get my feet wet.

look for a density chart for wood. The lighter the wood, the more buoyant it is.

Found a chart online, dumped into Excel and chose some of the woods used in plug-building. This is going to help me with initial wood purchases.

Nice :)
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

What...no Mystery Wood :huh:

I find lots of good wood for plug making in pallets and scrap.....

What...no Mystery Wood :huh:

I find lots of good wood for plug making in pallets and scrap.....

Kind of like Home Depot's "Forest Stewardship Council Pure Hardwood Dowel"...What hardwood, exactly(?) Probably varies. If I had a reference book I might be able to identify it.