"Hand carve" how to.
 

This will take some time, so bear with me. I'm sure to alot of you this is old hat, but I also think some may find it useful. It is not that hard, and there are lots of ways to do it, so please chime in if you have better suggestions.

First make a two templates, on for the top and one for the side. Transfer to a SQUARE piece of stock.

Next cut out the top profile.

Now the big trick, tape it all back together.

And cut out the side profile, leaving a 3D rough shape.

I'm waiting George............:smokin:

Clean up on a belt sander, and draw centerlines top and bottom and lay out parallell lines each side of it to mark the desired top and bottom widths..............sorry lost that picture but I think it is self-explanatory. Next I make a side pattern determining the shape that separates the top and bottom half of the plug and draw it on each side. This will act as a guide for how far up the side of the plug you want its max width.

Now you need some tools. Some of you guys will just go to the belt sander, but I have trouble keeping things square so I use hand tools. A spokeshave, file and/or rasp, and some sandpaper is all you need.

Something to hold the plug while you work on it helps. Here's what I use. Screw the plug to it with shaped blocks.

Thanks ... george... will try it ..

Spokeshave to each layout line (top and side) clean up with file.

Flip it and do the top.

Clean up with sandpaper, plug holes with whittled match sticks and epoxy, drill your weight holes (if you're good you'd do this before bandsawing, but that's too much for me) and off to the sealer.

Another view.
Takes a while, and you're not going to turn out big numbers, but its worth a try, the shape possibilities are interesting. Good luck.

Numbskull, Thanks for the post! Got to get that band saw put together! really nice stuff!!! Using just a rasp and file takes forever!

You do not need to tape the block together,cut the side view and put the template on top of that and mark for the cut:wiggle:
gary2

Excellant thread numbskull, worthy of putting in the favorites. :btu:

Good stuff :btu: If you are doing flat sided ones, like the ones I do, you can just cut the side profile out, then use a beltsander to knock the edges of the top and bottom. Just have to have a good eye to keep things even. You can also take a section of PVC pipe, section it longwize, then glue some sandpaper in it to create a sanding block. Keep the blank level as you sand it and it will be sanded evenly on all sides.

Jigman

Awesome stuff NS, thank you. :) You musta done a surgical residency. :hihi:

"spokeshave's"an draw knife's..boy do those bring back memories of decoy making in my younger day's,,white cedar fence post's and old cedar teley pole's...still have a few iron's//// somewhere:confused:

nice job:kewl: