TheProf
04-17-2007, 10:39 PM
So I just spent what seemed like a looooong time reading through 38 pages of this post.
http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27135&page=38 (http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27135&page=38)
I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats.
Along the way I started copying and pasting all the great tips from the plug builders. Big Don, Flukinuki, Baystalker, etc. (Sorry if I missed a ton of people). Below is the unedited, not-in-order, great list of tips from the thread in a condensed version. Not making claims to any of this being my own - IT'S ALL COPIED AND PASTED FROM THE THREAD ABOVE.
I know it's great info, and I thought I'd repost it for everyone with questions, and those (like me) who will be making their own plugs in the near future. Enjoy:cool:
FROM THE THREAD (these are all quotes/tips from different people):
You seal the inside of the plug by dipping the plug in your sealer. An easy/cheap way is to get a 1ft piece of pvc pipe and 2 caps. Glue one cap on the bottom, the other is your lid. Put your sealer (either boiled linseed/mineral spirits, minwax wood hardnes, whatever your using) into the pvc container. Dunk the plug, you'll see some air bubbles, leave it in the sealer for a few minutes, remove, wipe off excess and hang to dry. I've only ever used BLO but Im gonna try some minwax hardner.
BTW, you do this before you prime. When dry, epoxy in weight and fill any gaps, sand smooth, prime, sand, paint, add hardware, epoxy.
Sealing:
I use a product that consists of polymerized tung oil and some other stuff. It dries overnight It is a Waterlox product called Marine Sealer (must have been used for leaky marines). I buy it in gallon cans. I don't know if it is available in smaller quantities but I can find out. I have tried polymerized linseed oil but was not satisfied with the way it dried or didn't dry. I blow the dust out of the plug and then insert a wire (same as the through wire) through the plug when it comes out the back make a slight bend about 45 degrees (can't find a degree symbol) one inch from the end. Pull the wire back through till the end of the wire is flush with the back of the plug, make a hook in the other end to hang the plug to drain. After you dip it you can lower it into an empty 1 gal. paint can, (available at the paint store) ,and spin it. Most of the excess sealer will spin off. Allow the plug to dry and repeat. When the Waterlox is dry it will sand white powder if it makes little rolls it is not dry enough . Now your plug is sealed inside and out and ready for primer. If you rely on trying to fill the holes with glue (unless you use fixed hangers), water will still get in and you will mess up the swivels. You can make a rack to hang the plugs out of a couple of boards and some nails to hook the loop in the wire to. Watrelox also helps to fill the grain in the wood giving you a smoother finish.
To answer your question, there are 2 slots (hi and lo), they are for different types of plugs that use the same style lip. Punching the lip with 2 slots makes it more versital, as you will learn when you start making your own. Because they are slotted it almost impossable to insert the throught wire and have the nose loop vertical. After painting epoxy the lip in place with 5 minute epoxy, unless you like waiting, then use 30 minute. MAKE SURE IT CENTERED AND SQUARE. Wipe off any excess epoxy, a litte under the lip doesnt hurt. The epoxy and the tension from the through wire are what hold the lip in place. Make sure you get a nice tight wrap when you do the tail loop. You need to form the loop and then wrap BACK twards the plug, getting the wire tight to the tail grommet.
Make sure that when you thread the through wire through the belly swivels it GOES THROUGH the eye.
The loop has to be parallel because how you bend it(up or down) will determine how it swims. Bend up to make the plug swim down, bend down to keep the plug on top. Very little bending is required. Too much either way and the plug may not swim at all. The position of the lip relative to center of the plug has the same effect(two slots). Big Don
www.waterlox.com (http://www.waterlox.com/) The Marine SEALER is available in quarts.Their site will tell you the source closest to you along with other useful information. Be sure to get sealer NOT finish. www.dixieart.com (http://www.dixieart.com/) is a good source of supplies such as paint and airbrushes. Big Don
Here is their toll free phone # 800-321-0377
what are you guys doing as far as eye sockets? Are you going to mill them into the plugs? If so what are you using?
I will be using a Forstner Type Wood bit and this is why. You can bore precision holes at any angle, drills smooth flat-bottomed holes.
Fostner drill bits will work for the eye sockets,they'll give you a nice flat surface to glue the eyes to. For cutting the slot for the lip a" Japanese pull saw" will work perfectly,a lot less than a band saw.If you can't find Waterlox ,the Tung oil or Formby's polyermized Tung oil should work fine.All these can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes.
Vince, Is your compressor oil free or oil lubricated? If it is oil free don't worry about oil. Either way it should be drained often to remove condensed water. I changed the little wing nut drain to a 1/4" pipe that comes out at a 90 degree turn past the tank where there is a valve. Makes draining a lot easier. If you do get water in the line the paint on the plug will have tiny dimples somewhat like fisheye but smaller. Fisheye is a condition caused by oil based stain that has not dried enough for the finish coat.Also I use cone filters, get the on es from an automobile paint store. I use Gerson--basecoat/clearcoat filters. They cost about 12.00 for a box of 100. A cone filter holder is also a handy device to have.
yeah i'm using fromby's low gloss tung oil. I used a 1" pvc pipe capped on one end, filled it up with the tung oil, then dunked the plugs. let them dry and dunk again. do this a couple of times. then sand, prime, paint, hardware, epoxy, hooks, fish.
Be sure to mix the epoxy with at least as much hardner and mix it really good .Using more than 50% hardner will make the epoxy dry quicker but the glue wont be as hard when dry.Cool ,damp weather will also slow the drying process.
got the latest word about Waterlox from the company representative. Original Waterlox sealer and finish can not be shipped in containers larger than a quart. Marine sealer and finish can be shipped in gallons. Be sure to order MARINE SEALER. They will ship it.
After inserting the wire throught the plug and catching the swivels add a tail grommet. Now, holding the plug brace the nose loop against something solid like the side of your workbench. This pushes the nose loop tight to the front of the plug. While pressing the nose loop grab the end of the through wire and bend it to roughly 45 degrees to the plug. This helps hold the wire tight. Now, grab the wire with your pliers (round nose preferribly but needle nose will work). You want to grab the wire about an inch above the bend. "Roll" the wire around the plier jaw until the tag end crosses over and forms an "X" with a loop. This is done by turning your wrist like your using a screwdriver. Same type of motion. Keep a grip in the loop with your pliers and now grab the tag end with your hand and start wrapping. Make each turn so its wrapping down twards the tail grommet. You want the tail wraps to end being tight to the grommet. Trim the excess wire with wire cutters of a rotary cut-off wheen and a dremmel tool.
[The End]
http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27135&page=38 (http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27135&page=38)
I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats.
Along the way I started copying and pasting all the great tips from the plug builders. Big Don, Flukinuki, Baystalker, etc. (Sorry if I missed a ton of people). Below is the unedited, not-in-order, great list of tips from the thread in a condensed version. Not making claims to any of this being my own - IT'S ALL COPIED AND PASTED FROM THE THREAD ABOVE.
I know it's great info, and I thought I'd repost it for everyone with questions, and those (like me) who will be making their own plugs in the near future. Enjoy:cool:
FROM THE THREAD (these are all quotes/tips from different people):
You seal the inside of the plug by dipping the plug in your sealer. An easy/cheap way is to get a 1ft piece of pvc pipe and 2 caps. Glue one cap on the bottom, the other is your lid. Put your sealer (either boiled linseed/mineral spirits, minwax wood hardnes, whatever your using) into the pvc container. Dunk the plug, you'll see some air bubbles, leave it in the sealer for a few minutes, remove, wipe off excess and hang to dry. I've only ever used BLO but Im gonna try some minwax hardner.
BTW, you do this before you prime. When dry, epoxy in weight and fill any gaps, sand smooth, prime, sand, paint, add hardware, epoxy.
Sealing:
I use a product that consists of polymerized tung oil and some other stuff. It dries overnight It is a Waterlox product called Marine Sealer (must have been used for leaky marines). I buy it in gallon cans. I don't know if it is available in smaller quantities but I can find out. I have tried polymerized linseed oil but was not satisfied with the way it dried or didn't dry. I blow the dust out of the plug and then insert a wire (same as the through wire) through the plug when it comes out the back make a slight bend about 45 degrees (can't find a degree symbol) one inch from the end. Pull the wire back through till the end of the wire is flush with the back of the plug, make a hook in the other end to hang the plug to drain. After you dip it you can lower it into an empty 1 gal. paint can, (available at the paint store) ,and spin it. Most of the excess sealer will spin off. Allow the plug to dry and repeat. When the Waterlox is dry it will sand white powder if it makes little rolls it is not dry enough . Now your plug is sealed inside and out and ready for primer. If you rely on trying to fill the holes with glue (unless you use fixed hangers), water will still get in and you will mess up the swivels. You can make a rack to hang the plugs out of a couple of boards and some nails to hook the loop in the wire to. Watrelox also helps to fill the grain in the wood giving you a smoother finish.
To answer your question, there are 2 slots (hi and lo), they are for different types of plugs that use the same style lip. Punching the lip with 2 slots makes it more versital, as you will learn when you start making your own. Because they are slotted it almost impossable to insert the throught wire and have the nose loop vertical. After painting epoxy the lip in place with 5 minute epoxy, unless you like waiting, then use 30 minute. MAKE SURE IT CENTERED AND SQUARE. Wipe off any excess epoxy, a litte under the lip doesnt hurt. The epoxy and the tension from the through wire are what hold the lip in place. Make sure you get a nice tight wrap when you do the tail loop. You need to form the loop and then wrap BACK twards the plug, getting the wire tight to the tail grommet.
Make sure that when you thread the through wire through the belly swivels it GOES THROUGH the eye.
The loop has to be parallel because how you bend it(up or down) will determine how it swims. Bend up to make the plug swim down, bend down to keep the plug on top. Very little bending is required. Too much either way and the plug may not swim at all. The position of the lip relative to center of the plug has the same effect(two slots). Big Don
www.waterlox.com (http://www.waterlox.com/) The Marine SEALER is available in quarts.Their site will tell you the source closest to you along with other useful information. Be sure to get sealer NOT finish. www.dixieart.com (http://www.dixieart.com/) is a good source of supplies such as paint and airbrushes. Big Don
Here is their toll free phone # 800-321-0377
what are you guys doing as far as eye sockets? Are you going to mill them into the plugs? If so what are you using?
I will be using a Forstner Type Wood bit and this is why. You can bore precision holes at any angle, drills smooth flat-bottomed holes.
Fostner drill bits will work for the eye sockets,they'll give you a nice flat surface to glue the eyes to. For cutting the slot for the lip a" Japanese pull saw" will work perfectly,a lot less than a band saw.If you can't find Waterlox ,the Tung oil or Formby's polyermized Tung oil should work fine.All these can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes.
Vince, Is your compressor oil free or oil lubricated? If it is oil free don't worry about oil. Either way it should be drained often to remove condensed water. I changed the little wing nut drain to a 1/4" pipe that comes out at a 90 degree turn past the tank where there is a valve. Makes draining a lot easier. If you do get water in the line the paint on the plug will have tiny dimples somewhat like fisheye but smaller. Fisheye is a condition caused by oil based stain that has not dried enough for the finish coat.Also I use cone filters, get the on es from an automobile paint store. I use Gerson--basecoat/clearcoat filters. They cost about 12.00 for a box of 100. A cone filter holder is also a handy device to have.
yeah i'm using fromby's low gloss tung oil. I used a 1" pvc pipe capped on one end, filled it up with the tung oil, then dunked the plugs. let them dry and dunk again. do this a couple of times. then sand, prime, paint, hardware, epoxy, hooks, fish.
Be sure to mix the epoxy with at least as much hardner and mix it really good .Using more than 50% hardner will make the epoxy dry quicker but the glue wont be as hard when dry.Cool ,damp weather will also slow the drying process.
got the latest word about Waterlox from the company representative. Original Waterlox sealer and finish can not be shipped in containers larger than a quart. Marine sealer and finish can be shipped in gallons. Be sure to order MARINE SEALER. They will ship it.
After inserting the wire throught the plug and catching the swivels add a tail grommet. Now, holding the plug brace the nose loop against something solid like the side of your workbench. This pushes the nose loop tight to the front of the plug. While pressing the nose loop grab the end of the through wire and bend it to roughly 45 degrees to the plug. This helps hold the wire tight. Now, grab the wire with your pliers (round nose preferribly but needle nose will work). You want to grab the wire about an inch above the bend. "Roll" the wire around the plier jaw until the tag end crosses over and forms an "X" with a loop. This is done by turning your wrist like your using a screwdriver. Same type of motion. Keep a grip in the loop with your pliers and now grab the tag end with your hand and start wrapping. Make each turn so its wrapping down twards the tail grommet. You want the tail wraps to end being tight to the grommet. Trim the excess wire with wire cutters of a rotary cut-off wheen and a dremmel tool.
[The End]