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I am in the opposite camp. I only turn with a duplicator. I make my patterns first then I turn them. I adjust my patterns to what I want the plug to look like. I have never turned a plug with hand tools in my life. I got plenty of hand tools just never interested me to use them. I also have been running lathes for 30 yeas so I don't find anything really fun about turning. I just want it off the lathe and on to the other, fun, aspects. Just want to let you know there are many ways to make plugs and I am glad to hear many find turning to be fun. Keep at it and always keep it fun.
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And thanks to everyone for all the advice and viewpoints so far. I'm really digging the generosity on this site. I'm cutting out of work to go to a specialty woodstore a few miles away to pick-up some pine and maybe some basswood. I'm still a couple weeks away from turning, but I wanted to take a look. My friend buys his wood here -- he's shopped the entire area for the best prices. I don't suppose you can get any pine of appropriate quality at one of the box stores(?) My friend says most of their stock isn't clean enough for plug building. Couple other things I've been told that I want to put out there for opinions:
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I agree, great insight by the good Dr. Maybe I may go out and buy a new lathe and put those tools to good use this year. Been contemplating it for several years.
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A bunch of guys use poplar for plugs.
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Eric shop sounds like its going to be winner .
I've got similar size sqft 12x12 ' you have some great advice in this thread In my shop I find mobile base a big plus . I keep band saw on one and table saw on one . When they are need simply roll into open area and use -hook up vac hose and go .. when done reverse saves lots of space. I use 3 benches .1 for lathe and drill press, one for assembly and another for misc and holding spray booth when painting .My table saw doubles for 4 bench when its against the wall.masonite on top=bench don't forget to look up -use ceiling to hold racks hang plugs to dry I have unfinished ceiling so floor joists double for cubbys ...store wood inbetween etc Good luck and stay safe! if your not sure or it dosn't feel right stop think it out or give these guys a shout:buds: |
I'd think buying turning stock from a wood working store would be very expensive unless you are looking for small pieces of exotics.
Check out hardwood lumber stores for wood if you have access to a tablesaw. Otherwise, #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& and M&D's also have plug wood already cut to size (you can buy a lot of wood for the price of a tablesaw) Maple needles are not likely to split (too narrow). Birch is fine (habs and gibbs used it), but open grained and a little rougher finished. Soft maple is a good wood to use for sinking plugs. |
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I only own one set of calipers, instead, I've opted to make a set of gauges from wire, I've made them from left over peices of heavy welders wire, I make them in the shape of a U and label each size with painters tape( I also have a set of "L" shaped ones for measuring common distances), I put them in a home made holder with holes drilled every 1/4", they are graduated from 1/4" to 2" in 1/4 fractions, with exception to some sizes (like 5/8) that I commonly use...
As far as dupe versus hand turning... I split the duty pretty much down the middle...Having two lathes helps alot... |
There is a helpful book by an Englishman, F Pain, called "The Practical Wood Turner". I don't know if it is still available, but it was paperback and cost about $6 when I bought it. Written by a guy who spent his life turning wood for a living. Tons of useful tips and explanations in there. Great read for anyone interested in turning without a duplicator.
Checked amazon. Plenty of used paperback versions for cheap. It is not anything you'd collect so don't worry if it is a beater. Its value is all in its words. |
Eric I'm cutting some blanks in the morning ayc 1 1/2 x 1 1/2
send me mail addy I' send a few blanks 7" long ? you can see how that works ..find it easier to cut than red cedar |
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Is that what you measure fish with, Paul?
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Fish Calipers-- LOL
Eric,
DO NOT waste your money on anything resembling good wood! Yet. You have a mountain of shavings to make from cheap pine from Homies or Lowsy before you try the good stuff. As I have fairly recently learned, shaping a nice plug is the easy part. There are many many ways to screw up between shaping and fishing the plug, and they all must be figured out before you can expect to go fishing with your own plugs. Take your time and learn as you go. Experience is the best teacher. Good luck, Jon |
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Don't forget all the good wood you find at the foot of someones driveway. I started that way and continue to look for future "supplies". Someones junk is another person's gold.
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Drilling with the lathe
I've read about this, but I'm not sure how this works. Do most of you through-drill with the lathe?
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I do. Very rarely miss connecting each side with this method. I just did 30 , 8" long , .400 dia. maple needles and only lost 1. Thin maple needles are the measuring stick as far as I'm concerned. If you can do those you can do anything. If it is a danny or a metal lip swimmer of some kind i will only drill from the ass end and stop at where the front belly hook hole will fall. I then hydro them, drill belly hook holes, I then cut lip slot, lay the lip in, mark where the lip hole will go and hand drill that hole to meet the front belly hole, thus connecting the whole shabang for a thru wire.
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Hey Roach, Glad the shop is coming along. FWIW doing your through drilling on the lathe is spot on! I don't make many plugs but I drill them all on the lathe.
Let me know if I can be of help as you venture into this thing we call "plug building" |
Lathe Drilling
A couple things I learned- the hard and frustrating way:
DO NOT use a brad point bit to through drill. Use a standard bit, or better yet, one meant for end grain. You don't need a really long bit, as you will drill in from each end and meet in the middle. Use a hand drill with a long bit to finish if your lathe drilling bit is too short to make it halfway through the plug- very likely with pencils and needles. Go SLOW. Push the plug onto the bit about a 1/4-1/2", back it out to clear the chips, go another 1/4-1/2", clear chips.... Good luck young grasshoppa |
Try both. I find the drill press easier. Lots of threads on through drilling.
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No drilling for me anymore..I got two pet termites..one male one female....I dangle the female in front of the plugs nose on a string, then put the male on the tail of the plug an say "go get her butch"go upstairs an have a cup of coffee,come back and their maken kids...perfect straight wire hole evey time.
E.R......maybe to late now,but u didn't say what the finished walls were going to be inside, you live in the land of rough sawn pine..that wood be the ticket as u'd not have any problems in finding any place to screw into...if u were headed for rock the best thing before it goes on wood be to use 1/2" ply on the walls before putting up the rock..then any where u needed to screw into it wood b solid...no hunting for studds an hoping one was there. |
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I have actually found them to be much more accurate in my thru drilling, and give the best results. I use them because they have the little point on the end which for me anyway is much easier to pinpoint the center mark on the plug blank and go straight down. I currently use one of my drill presses to drill and and meet up with a long bit in a hand drill. One tip I can share which has helped me is on my first "plunge" of the drill press I only go about 2 millimeters. I have found that this somehow sets the hole if you know what I mean. I have tried going a deeper like a 1/2 to 1 inch and sometimes you can notice the drill bit grab some grain and look like it may go off. For some reason, I have much better success on subsequent plunges when I make that first hole about 2 mm deep. I recently acquired a 9" metal lathe and am planning on getting it set up to do some experimenting with thru drilling on it. I was able to do a couple test blanks with some good results. |
Horror show
I had nothing but bad luck with brad points, so I researched them and found that the side spurs were the problem. They tend to follow the grain and veer off course. The point in the center is good, and bits designed to drill end grain have some sort of point in the center.
Since ditching the brads and going to a Morris Tools end grain bit I haven't wrecked a plug while through drilling. Even 8+"ers. |
Woody what's different about the end grain bit? Where did you get it?
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They are brad point bits with no spurs. Fuller drill (and presumably Morris Tools) will grind them on any size drill you want. It is what the drill companies recommend for end grain.
Check out the step drills while you are at it. Expensive but very useful for enlarging through holes concentrically to fit belly weights. |
Never a problem with brad points? Standard bits wander too much...much more than brad point bits.
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