Installing the lips
 

I struggle with how to consistently mark the face of the plug where I want to cut the lip. For example I have 6 Musso Pine Jr I finished turning last night, I cut off the ends, held the lip on the face upside down using the marks for the hooks and weight as a guide along with the bend in the lip, and then drew a line accross the face using the lip as a guide.

In the end, I wanted the lip slot slightly over center with th line tie slightly below center (Using #2 Lefty High Slot). When I compared all 6, they were all a little different with some line ties below center and on center.

So, does anyone have a process or tool to make it easier to mark the face for the lip slot consistently?

Clamp a board to the deck on your ban saw. Take the plug and get the place where you want the cut to be by adjusting the board.Mark the depth of the cut on the plug then slowly make the cut making sure you have your hook holes on the right side. Check your cut with a lip after trimming the end peices off.Repeat your cuts using the board as a fence to guide the plugs . You should end up with a prety consitant cut on all of the.Just make sure the end peices are the same size otherwise you'll have to redo the fence each time.If you've already cut the ends off from turning just use the fence the same way making sure to keep the plug as straight as you can . They should come out good.

Good information. I have a cheap band saw a friend gave me because the blades kept breaking and he wanted to get the better one. So, I have only been using it for cutting off the ends. Then I put the plug in a vice and use a hack saw to cut the lip slot. I may try to do use the bandsaw with a fence as you describe.

I typically round or cut off my ends because I like to have the flat end of the tight grains on the bottom and that never lines up with the square ends. Not sure if that makes a difference, but that is how I have been doing it.

Leave blocks on ends. Measure were you want to cut your lips and how deep. Install fence and stop on deck of bandsaw. Run plug along fence until it hits the stop. Now you have identical cuts.

If you want to cut the ends off build a v-block sled and again run that along the fence with your plug in it.

I have a nice adjustable jig i use to cut lips on my table top band saw... I'll have it on display at plugfest..I've posted it here before, it was an earlier version... the new model is much more versatile.. it uses a "V" block and tail stock set up and can be adjusted for any plug length or diameter..

looks like everyone is using some version of the bandsaw. I am going to play around with that and figure it out. Rockfish, i will do a search for the pics
Thanks

Build a small v-block. Start by marking 1/16" off the center of the jig and then take it from there. You can also save a blank and the next time you make that particular plug drop it in the v-block line up of the blade to the lip and adjust from there.

I find it tough to do with the square ends on as almost every bandsaw drifts a bit. Plus if the blank isn't squared with the ends you have more of a problem.

I go about it a little differently but like all above we all end up with good results. You just have to find something that you are comfortable with. For me, like all my plugs pretty much, I use the belly holes to locate all my plugs for machining so my fixtures have pins that go into the belly holes and hold them onto the fixtures to do slopes, lip slots, flats and pretty much everything else. I am also not a fan of leaving the square ends on. Good luck and you won't go wrong with any of the practices mentioned above. P.

I just use a Japanese thin kerf pull saw.........but my lip slots are all crooked. The lips fit in better, however. Wit a full sized bandsaw I find the kerf is too big.

I use a BS to make the cut in the square end and stop the cut just before the actual plug part. then I use a japanese pull saw to cut the lip slot using the BS cut slot as a nice guide to keep the cut square. For thicker lips (NJT and Saltys) I then widen the cut with a hacksaw blade that i hold in my hand (32 teeth per inch)

Never tried that, normally drill my belly holes after the lip. The order I have been using is (1) mark eyes & hook & weight & hook holes, (2) cut lip slot, (3) use lip slot to to mark line tie, (4) drill through hole, (5) drill belly and eye holes.

Thinking through that I can really see the value of using belly holes to align along with a jig.
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G. I'll make you a new dulled band saw blade for your saw. It is a metal blade so smaller thinner kerf and after I dull it up it will cut perfect so you can get a nice tight fit. Works perfect but not for anything else.

I hydro a lot of my swimming plugs so you can't have ends on so that is why I have gone that route and continued it for all my plugs, although I don't hydro everything.

Sounds great, I will PM you
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