Finishing Lure Shop/Getting Started with Pencils

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Eric Roach

Do you use a 1 1/4" skew for small plugs too?

What would you say the cons are to a duplicator?

A skew only cuts with the bottom half of it's width, and only a 1/16" section of the edge is in touch with the wood as it cuts no matter how narrow or wide the blade. The wider tool gives you more control as you swing/lift the handle. 3/4" is OK, but wider is better unless you are doing fine detail work (which plugs don't require).

The other VERY important thing about skews, and something that took me years to realize/find out, is that they need to be sharpened with a flat bevel.......not hollow ground on a wheel and then given a secondary bevel like most other tools. The skew is held steady by three points of contact; the tool rest, the edge, and the bevel which rides on the work behind the cut. Get that geometry wrong and spectacular stuff happens......very, very quickly (hence the face mask).

Duplicators require patterns. Patterns take time to make so once you make one you tend to get locked into that shape. When you turn freehand you will find that the shape you start with often evolves as you go. Evolution of what you are making leaves opportunity for improvement and learning. Once you have a shape you are sure you like then duplicators are fine and take a lot of the tedium out of turning multiples.

[Eric Roach]

Originally Posted by numbskull

A skew only cuts with the bottom half of it's width, and only a 1/16" section of the edge is in touch with the wood as it cuts no matter how narrow or wide the blade. The wider tool gives you more control as you swing/lift the handle. 3/4" is OK, but wider is better unless you are doing fine detail work (which plugs don't require).

The other VERY important thing about skews, and something that took me years to realize/find out, is that they need to be sharpened with a flat bevel.......not hollow ground on a wheel and then given a secondary bevel like most other tools. The skew is held steady by three points of contact; the tool rest, the edge, and the bevel which rides on the work behind the cut. Get that geometry wrong and spectacular stuff happens......very, very quickly (hence the face mask).

Duplicators require patterns. Patterns take time to make so once you make one you tend to get locked into that shape. When you turn freehand you will find that the shape you start with often evolves as you go. Evolution of what you are making leaves opportunity for improvement and learning. Once you have a shape you are sure you like then duplicators are fine and take a lot of the tedium out of turning multiples.

This is great information, numbskull -- I appreciate it.

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:

• Don't bother trying poplar for lures (splits?)
• Maple is more likely to split than birch when I start turning sinking needles.
• Don't take anyone's opinion of lure building as gospel - experiment. BUT, assume probably all safety warnings and cautionary tales come from experience.