[fishing bum wannabe]

I have been using round nose router bits in a chuck in my lathe. This has worked very well. The bits I am useing are 1 1/2' and 1" round nose bit from Woodworkers warehouse ($24.99 and $18.99). The ! 1/4" does 1 1/16 to 1 5/16" popper faces and the 1" does 5/8" - 13/16" faces easily.

I mount them in a 1/2" drill chuck on the headstock of the lathe and slowly feed the plug blank into the bit. I found that I by experimenting with the lathe speed and I could get a very smooth cut with minimal chatter. Now I don"t even sand the cup before painting on most of the plugs.

I precut the face to the angle I like (22.5 degrees) before shaping the face. Go slow! Do not try to force the work and create a situation where you are pushing your hands into the bit. I use the tool rest as a rest for my hand to better control the blank as I cut. Keep checking the shape of the cup as you work and move it around a little until you get the correct shape. I am very pleased with the results that I am getting.

I am looking for an inexpensive 1 1/4" round nose bit for in between sizes. Anyone seen one around?