Hydro orient

[rayndogg]

I do it bare and fast one at a time. Let it roll til stops and just dot the top with a Sharpie. That marks the top of the plug. Take it out and absorb the access water with plenty of Bounty lol... I have heard of some using sealer but never tried.
Rene
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[nightfighter]

I totally agree that hydro testing the plug makes sense, as every piece of wood has differences of density, making one side always wanting to be on top. Makes more sense with plugs that are not belly weighted. But you have the weight of hardware and hook(s) to help offset that. Someone just took their thinking a little bit further to how they could perfect a plug's performance. I don't do it, as it is another step that I do not think would improve the crap I make. And more importantly, at least in my building, I utilize the square ends to center my eyes and belly holes. I could definitely use a jig or a better way of cutting the ends off, though

I think we need to do a fall thread on jigs we use in the plug making process. Joe's jig for cutting the darter slope and mouth is the catsazz! Allows me to make repetitive cuts and more importantly, keeps my fingers a safe distance from the bandsaw blade. Also liked MikeCC's tablesaw shuttle to cut the plane for a canal special, but haven't built that yet.