Over Sealed

[numbskull]

Tony, the heating actually drives quite a bit of thick oil out of the plug. That surprised me because I assumed most of the weight would be the mineral spirits (surely some of it is).

With regards to splitting, hardwood plugs split when the INSIDE of the plug gets wet and expands. This tears the drier outside apart. Wood absorbs water (or sealer) primarily through endgrain (where the little tubes that transport water up the tree are open). As people have pointed out, sealing the surface of the plug is less of an issue. Another factor, I believe, may be the grain orientation. If you look at the end grain, the wood will swell parallel to the grain lines, and very little perpendicularly to them. Hence, if the hook holes drill up through the grain lines it exposes more endgrain to absorb water and when the plug expands it will be the sides that bulge out, splitting the plug between the hook holes. I suspect that drilling the hook holes along, rather than across, the grain lines will reduce splitting. We'll see.

As far as sealing is concerned, I like the soaking method better than the applied method since it eliminates missed spots in the hook hole or wire hole. I also worry about this CPES stuff. Epoxy that thin must be pretty volatile and easy to inhale. Many people develop severe allergic skin reactions to epoxy. The same kind of reaction starting in your lungs could be serious and sudden. I'm pretty careless about this stuff, but if using CPES I'd probably wear an organic respirator.

I'm also thinking that this weight gain with sealer may not be all bad. If I time it right, I can bring soft maple up to the weight of hard maple (both end up weighing the same when fully saturated). I think the soft maple is less prone to splitting.

As for the perfectionist stuff. Lots of us suffer from that. Once I saw Paul's plugs I realized I was never going to be that good so I said Fck it and now I'm turning out lots of crap to fish. Feels good.

[numbskull]

Here are some pictures of a split darter. Built @ 1986-87. I got lazy about sealing with BLO and thought Krylon spray sealer would do the trick. Note the grain orientation and how the plug split perpendicular to the grain lines. Telling....I think.

[Flaptail]

George, why not just screw eye them? Makes things a lot easier and you know full well a properly seated screw eye will hold anything. You could adjust for the weight with thru eye with belly weights and such.

Just a suggestion.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

George, why not just screw eye them? Makes things a lot easier and you know full well a properly seated screw eye will hold anything. You could adjust for the weight with thru eye with belly weights and such.

Just a suggestion.

bingo.... I've been the over seal rout, I had a batch of perfect swimming darters ( tested prior to sealing then dried with a hair dryer) sink like lead when I finished them, these were allowed to soak in BLO overnight.... I've never had an issue with smal darters, but on those I prefer spruce... but on the larger ones, a long soak can cuase problems... anyone who has left a plug in a vehicle in the sun for a day knows exactly what I'm talking bout... I went to a 50/50 mix on the BLO a few years ago, I haven had an issue since... large maple or birch darters all get screw eyes, it's much easier to keep the desired action consistant..

[NIB]

Originally Posted by numbskull

Tony, the heating actually drives quite a bit of thick oil out of the plug. That surprised me because I assumed most of the weight would be the mineral spirits (surely some of it is).

With regards to splitting, hardwood plugs split when the INSIDE of the plug gets wet and expands. This tears the drier outside apart. Wood absorbs water (or sealer) primarily through endgrain (where the little tubes that transport water up the tree are open). As people have pointed out, sealing the surface of the plug is less of an issue. Another factor, I believe, may be the grain orientation. If you look at the end grain, the wood will swell parallel to the grain lines, and very little perpendicularly to them. Hence, if the hook holes drill up through the grain lines it exposes more endgrain to absorb water and when the plug expands it will be the sides that bulge out, splitting the plug between the hook holes. I suspect that drilling the hook holes along, rather than across, the grain lines will reduce splitting. We'll see.

As far as sealing is concerned, I like the soaking method better than the applied method since it eliminates missed spots in the hook hole or wire hole. I also worry about this CPES stuff. Epoxy that thin must be pretty volatile and easy to inhale. Many people develop severe allergic skin reactions to epoxy. The same kind of reaction starting in your lungs could be serious and sudden. I'm pretty careless about this stuff, but if using CPES I'd probably wear an organic respirator.

I'm also thinking that this weight gain with sealer may not be all bad. If I time it right, I can bring soft maple up to the weight of hard maple (both end up weighing the same when fully saturated). I think the soft maple is less prone to splitting.

As for the perfectionist stuff. Lots of us suffer from that. Once I saw Paul's plugs I realized I was never going to be that good so I said Fck it and now I'm turning out lots of crap to fish. Feels good.

If you run into a problem try the thinner concentration.You can leave it in longer I would think.On soaking how long you let em dry.I remember having trouble with 60/40 concentrations bleeding out/through when not dry enough.I live near the beach.Things don't dry well here once the heat goes off.
I always where the respirator made for the specific chemical I might use.I know it may not be protecting me from 100 percent of all the bad stuff.But I try I have seen the results of what could happen.Now if could just quit smoking..As far as being a perfectionist It's just what happens to me.For instance when I wash the car I say only going to waste a 1/2 hr.doing it.Three hrs later I'm putting the wax away.

[Diggin Jiggin]

Tony , you should have been a machinests

I think I'm blessed that I'm usually happy with good enough.

I have a bunch of plugs hanging in front of my lathe that inspire me for different reasons. A few are just skinny polaris style poppers I made the first time I used a lathe. These were made from birch dowels, with long screw eyes, belly swivels pinned in with cutoff stainless finish nails, no cupping in the head. Finish was rattle can, top coat was spray on varnish or nothing at all. And the only finish missing is from Blue fish teeth or hook swings.. I think I've had only 1 batch of epoxied plugs hold up as well as simple oil based spray cans with a simple poly urethane top coat. If it wasn't for the yellowing of the poly I'd probably go back to that.

Last year I messed around with hook hangers and fully sealing some plugs, and that seemed to make a difference. I'm going to try and do more of that this year..

[PNG]

Respirator/gloves are a must with CPES

Respirator with canisters not the paper things. Its still no where near as bad as glisten

I only use cpes for soft wood, urethane for all else. Its easy and it works

[Slipknot]

omg I'm way too tired to read all this scientific theory stuff about sealing
too technical for me today

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Karl F

thank you...it's a hunk of wood with hooks...... if it splits, make another...if it sinks, make it swim....if it won't swim, throw it in the woodstove...

over seal...or over kill...

it is easy to beat oneself up too much with this stuff....

Most of us have mental issues ,,,, this is how we cope .. sealing is ground zero ,,. Its very important .. Tell me you never layed in bed awake at night thinking about sealing ?

[Flaptail]

Zinser Bulls Eye Shellac, p-e-r-f-e-c-t.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Tagger

Most of us have mental issues ,,,, this is how we cope .. sealing is ground zero ,,. Its very important .. Tell me you never layed in bed awake at night thinking about sealing ?

All in the fun. Believe me I don't loose any sleep over it but I enjoy the thinking about it part. Helps keep my slowly deteriorating brain stimulated and I like knowing how others solve their problems. It is also stoking a pretty sleepy forum for the last several months and is probably helping out someone who needs some answers or confusing the hell out of them. Beats fighting about stupid stuff

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Tagger

Tell me you never layed in bed awake at night thinking about sealing ?

sealing? no

ceiling, yes


I love the problem solving thought processes I see Tagger,Rockfish9 and Numbskull go thru, fascinating really

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Karl F

Nope Eddy..never have

only sealing i dream of is the kind they do in Canada

ok ... how about Clear Coat ?

[gone fishin]

Originally Posted by Karl F

oh...

and i thought this was a thread about the waters from P-town to Monomoy....

talk about over-seal-ed.......