HOW FAST ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN A PLUG?
 

OOPs, I did something wrong when I posted my message. Only the picture & title posted. I was asking how long would it take an experienced person to turn this plug? I spent about an hour. It's based on an How-To project article on The Fisherman magazine issue #7 (2/16/06). It's a 6" spook lure. Any tips on how I can speed up the process? It's was my first attempt at turning something on a lathe. I was using a 3/4 roughing tool to round out the 2 x 2 square cedar stock and a 1" skew for the shaping. Thanks!

turn that flat skew into what look's like this[ u ] and you can knock one out in 58 minute's less .

That should take about 5 minutes. You must not be using your tools to cut (maybe scraping instead?) Get a good turning video from a woodturning store, get your edge cutting a continuous shaving and things will speed up dramaticaly. By the way, a skew is a hard tool to learn with. You might want to try a spindle gouge instead when first starting out. Good luck.

Don't rush it!! The first one and you were doing alot more than just turning. Get some experience and you will discover how to save time or at least shorten the time required to turn.

Agree with all of the above. Charleston is dead on with the "don't rush it" comment. And Capesams is dead on with the amount of time it would take "an experienced turner" to make a blank. Figure 2 1/2 to 5 minutes. But if the wood isn't coming off easily you are doing something wrong. Dull tools, wrong position, wrong tool - any of which can lead to disaster so don't look at the time it takes - look at what your tools are doing. My dad always said that a dull pocket knife is much more dangerous than a sharp one - why? Because you start to force it.

Ask Canalman, he wrote it :cheers:
2-5 mins approx, the key is good sharp tools.

:hidin:

I use a duplicator ( in other words I cheat ), I can do one if 2-3 minutes sanded. Looks like the article worked ok.. :jump:

No doubt I'm doing something wrong. I'll have to get hold of a video as suggested. However, until I get hold of something, I'm curious what is the correct way the roughing & skew tool should align with the stock? I hold the roughing tool in a "U" (i.e. open side up) at a slight angle and slide the left edge to the right across the stock & come back over with the right side repeating the process until its rounded.
I then apply the skew holding it "___" (i.e. flat) with the rest. I'm at a slight angle with the stock so that the left edge is shaving the wood. The rest of the skew is not contacting the stock. I'm sure this is NOT the correct way and the video is what I need. Once I see what I need, I'm sure I'll catch on quick. I searched the web for some pictures & short video clips without any luck. Anyone know of any, or can someone post a few pics of the proper tool orientation? Also, what's the best way to sharpen the tools? Sorry about my ignorance, I'm real handy with most tools but I've never worked a lathe before, not even in wood shop. Must of been cutting those classes or something and now its payback time!

I'd believe it after seeing what you had in your shop. I'd imagine it is even scarier now speed wise:shocked:

It tAkes me like six months.

Some other newbie such as myself might find this link helpful:
http://www.turningtools.co.uk/videos/videos.html#vcut

saw a green machine once spit out plugs faster than poop out of a goose....just needed to get the ducks in a row first before you punched in the numbers.Only disapointment was ,I never got to see the inner working's of this green beast...just a feed slide...buttons...an the basket at the poop shoot.

LOL i don't need to see it cause i beleive it.:laughs: :spin:

I have a full blown transfer machine in my shop. Just load the blanks in the hopper and they feed to the turning station. The newly turned blank is moved via SPM (small parts manipulator) to the through drill station. Upon completion of through drilling the SPM hands it off to drilling center #2 where perfectly aligned belly hook holes are done along with eye holes. At this point the blanks go through the end cutting step where the square ends are removed and the plug ends are cleaned and sanded. At the final step the blanks slide down a chute into the sealing tank.........oh, OK, I'm awake now. I'll just go in and take a leak and go back to sleep......;)

Charleston - I had one of those but I got rid of it - too dang slow. You are living in the dark ages!

Must be the old model, Bill. The new addition continues to prime, paint ,drop in the eyes and grommets, thru wires the lip and swivels,wraps the tail, instant epoxies the body, spins it dry, coats with butchers wax, twists on split rings and hooks,slides on hook protectors and puts it in a plastic sleeve. :hihi:

Seachunk, you lift the tool into the work. Start with a dowel so you're not dealing with corners. With the lathe spinning put your gouge on the tool rest with the handle low, then advance it so THE BEVEL of the tool is rubbing on the work. Lift the handle slowly, while the shaft of the tool remains on the tool rest, and the EDGE will start to cut. Hold the tool at this angle and slide it along the rest. The key is that the tool is supported in THREE places, the edge, the bevel, and the tool rest. If the bevel of the tool lifts off the wood, the tool will catch and slam back down. With a gouge, there is a huge margin for error, gouges usually don't catch. A skew is a whole different story. You are not ready for it yet, but it is used with the narrow part of the tool on the rest, the flat part twisted 30-45degrees, and the tool angled across the rest so the bevel is supported on the work piece (either long point up or down...start with it up) then lift the handle to bring the edge into contact with the work. You cut ONLY WITH THE LOWER THIRD of the edge. If you get higher on the edge the tool will catch with dramatic result.

You should also experiment with scrapers. They are much easier to use than a skew. They are thick tools with a square or rounded edge and esentially no bevel. You hold them square to the spindle with the handle high and the edge BENEATH the spindle, then lower the handle until the edge starts scraping the work. No risk of catching so easy for beginners, although you'll need to clean up the work with more sanding when you are done.

Again, there are very good turning videos and books out there. You'd be smart to get one.

Gibbs has that, send all the blanks into the chute and whammo out the other end a turned plug. Dies were mighty expensive and wicked sharp. Just lookin at the edges of those things would slice you open.

Myself, I suck so it takes me a while but I still enjoy. I look at turning and building as a winter pastime. Anyone else feel that way?

Yup, turning is the best part, except when you got the owesies than ya gotta go with the dupe.

I hate machine's

[QUOTE=Charleston]I have a full blown transfer machine in my shop. Just load the blanks in the hopper and they feed to the turning station. The newly turned blank is moved via SPM (small parts manipulator) to the through drill station. Upon completion of through drilling the SPM hands it off to drilling center #2 where perfectly aligned belly hook holes are done along with eye holes. At this point the blanks go through the end cutting step where the square ends are removed and the plug ends are cleaned and sanded. At the final step the blanks slide down a chute into the sealing tank...QUOTE]

I had one of those, but Tagger made me get rid of it cause it would not hydro-orient the blanks :rotfl:

Jigman

If I go for speed, blanks tend to explode. I don't like that much..

I had one of those, but Tagger made me get rid of it cause it would not hydro-orient the blanks :rotfl:

Jigman[/QUOTE]

Tagger is like that sometimes!! :rotf3: :kewl:

is this fast :)
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2eWGgA8_EU

:huh:

Masochistic machinist. :hihi:

Thanks for the info Numbskull :btu:

Fast...I just can't paint them worth a #$%^

[QUOTE=Jigman]I'm a kill joy .. :tooth:

how fast ? with or without tear out .?

If anyone is interested in a lure turning video, Alan Lacer`s Son of Skew has a section on this. I just rented the video through smartflix. Will let you know if it is any help as soon as I get to watch it!

About 2-3 mins sanded on a vega duplicator.

i just started turning plugs myself,since we are both new at this i personaly would rather take my time do it right the first time safely,i like my fingers,than try to set time records.im not building plugs to sell thier just for me to use or trade,so production is not an issue.most important is to be safe and have fun.with accuracy will come speed.

without the dupe, 5-6 minutes, from square to sanded... once youve done enough, your eyes will tell you when to stop and measure..It takes sharp tools and lots of practice to do it that fast...

with a dupe.. 3 minutes flat...

Offcenter turned..about 30 minutes....

The others have given you excellent advise.. take your time and enjoy it... speed isnt always the answer... with practice comes efficientcy, with efficientcy, comes speed.

I ran a Delta cast iron based lathe with a large Vega dup. The lathe is around 3 hp and was turnig at 4000 rpms. It had a large carbide indexable insert in the dup.
I turned and sanded an A40 in 40 seconds. One pass and a light sanding/ The steb cemter allows loading and unloading with the spindle at full rpms. It was awesome. The machine is defenite overkill for plug building but it was fun!:)

Didn't know speed counted:confused:

In your case it would matter. I was speaking from the novice end of the spectrum.

Are you kidding Paul he probably turned twenty plugs in the time it took him to post a reply.:musc::fishslap:

turning tips
 

Seachunk2, you got alot of good advice already from fellow plug turners. Although I have only recently started turning plugs I have done alot of turning many years ago and woodworking all my life. Speed comes with experience and understanding proper useage of tools and equipment. Learn to sharpen tools and keep them sharp also a thing that has helped me when turing by hand without a duplicator is to have different size blanks to closer match finish diameter of plug and knock the square corners off via router or saw prior to turning. Less stock to rough to round diameter. Hope this helps.