Hi. My name is Mike. I spin wood.

[MikeTLive]

first run turned out swell!!
afterhours - you were right, I didnt need to bolt it down.
I used the 1" skew, 1" gouge mostly.
A little bit with the 1/2" gouge.

I am going to make a center marking jig tomorrow.

First plug I chunked something fierce as I got used to the feel of the tool against the wood. I cut too deep and ended up snapping off one end! So, I put it in my mitre box and cut off the chunky bitts and started again.

It has been sanded with medium grit and then with 220

I need to ho some hardware now.
grommets, lips, wire, lead, swivels, snaprings, hooks ..

I have a fly tyin kit so once I get this part down I will try my hand at tyin my own tail hooks.

heres how my first plugs look so far:

[afterhours]

great shapes! especaily for firsts!

[MikeTLive]

Thanks! (I might try my hand at making a chair next )

What size drill bits should I be using for the through wire and grommets (course I dont have either yet)

Going to go check out the status of my pops craftsman drill press jig... As a kid (8yrs) I remember taking it apart and loosing some adjustment nuts...
(boy did I destroy a bunch of his tools!!!)

[backcast]

Those look great, you must have turned wood before.

Use 1/8 inch drill bits for through holes and whatever it takes to match the outside diameter of the grommets you use.

Chair making, assuming you mean windsors, is a little more challenging than fishing lures. Means you get to turn green wood, which is fun. Send me a PM if you want to talk chairs.

[MikeTLive]

thanks for the comps backcast.
This is the first time turning. I spent 20 minutes at B&N looking at books on turning. I also watched rather closely while BM was spinning at PN1 and PN2

I have done some whittling here and there so I had an idea already. Plus for the last 8 years I have been making pinecars with the scouts so shaping a stationary block of pine has been burned into my head.

Wonder how an elcamino would do if it was through wired and laden with hooks...

Also, I found a complete press under my pops tool bench.
It has about 3" travel and about 12" clearance so I will need multiple bits.

[backcast]

I think a drill press works fine for everything but the through hole. I like to drill the holes for the belly weights and other things before I turn the wood in the lathe. Its always easier to work with a square block of wood than a round one.

The through hole is best started on the lathe after the plug is turned and then finished with a hand drill and longer bits. Once I am done with the through hole, I put the plug back in the lathe and use the parting tool to remove waste on one end and almost on the other. This is cleaner and more accurate that sawing the ends off. It also gives you the option for touch up or fine toning the shape of the plug.

Dan

[BigFish]

Backcast? You drill your belly holes and stuff before you turn your plug??? I never heard of anyone doing it that way....how accurate are your depths when you are finished?

I turn my plug first....leave the square ends on and then go ahead and drill my eyes, belly swivel holes, and weight holes and such.....then trim the ends off with a small saw....comes out awesome! I thru-drill the block on my drill press before I turn and use the holes for center....works great!

[justplugit]

Big Fish, i started drilling before turning after i read a post,i think jigman or tagger? Works great as evrything is square and you get your holes dead center. I was concerned about chipping around the holes when turning but they come out perfect. However don't see how that would improve the quality your turnin out.

[BigFish]

Boy, if you guys say so I may try it....but I turn my plugs freehand and am never really sure where I quite want them to end up, so I leave that finish work for last.

[justplugit]

Larry,i just find it easier for dannys and surfsters,i haven't turned any needles

[crashfromamesbury]

mike,

raffrans video is great, i have it on dvd.. very helpful..

i got a chance to try one of sorby''s spindlemasters a while back

very smooth cutting chisel.. works better than skews in some

respects..

enjoy..

and those profiles are great..

later
crash

[backcast]

If you know where the center of the plug will be, depth is not a problem for belly weights or swivel holes. If I am off a little, back to the drill press for an adjustment after the plug is turned. A drill press vice helps.

For eyes, well you got me, if I do eyes, that comes after the plug is turned. Once you are ready to cut off the square ends, put the plug back in the lathe and try using the parting tool to cut off one of the ends and almost cut off the other (do the almost first).

If you start the through holes on the lathe, you can finish them by hand, avoiding the need to raise and lower the drill press table to get deeper than the 2 to 3 inches allowed by most drill presses.

Seems that there are as many ways to turn a plug as there are to fish it. What ever works best for you.