cutting plugs

[FredWanaker]

Any tips? needed to cut some plugs to fill drill holes. Bought a set of plug cutters from the big box store. Mostly sawdust is all I get - the plug is going into redwood and it just fragments. I tried several different grains, colors of wood and each did it. I found going into the end grain at 45 degrees gave me a reasonable plug but nothing to write home about. Is it that the redwood is just too soft? Other than that angle they all came out like fragmented mdx board. Also tried different speeds and pressures - using a hand drill.

 

[LeonardY]

Do you have access to a drill press? That will help immensely
If not you can use a drill guide like this.


Redwood is pretty soft and will tear if you bits aren't sharp. I've rubbed wax on the bit and that will sometimes help.
Depending on how many you have to make. You could rip a length of redwood and then just rough shape it into a dowel with a block plane. make them slightly oversized. The redwood will squish to the shape of the hole and cut off flush.

 

[FredWanaker]

thanks. I needed about 20, got 10 good ones and used 6 on the top of the gate with caulk. The goal was to keep water out of the holes. Then I caulked all the holes on the vertical members. The redwood will get a stain - sealer too. I think maybe the redwood is too soft unless the cutter hits the grain just right. the cutters are new so they should be sharp but maybe they need a light honing to be their best. It was just a weird experience expecting a plug but getting a hole and bit full of sawdust instead time after time.

 

[Bogie1632]

What kind of cutters are you using? I'd imagine the red wood your using is very dry, exasperating the problem? I like the 4 prong models. I have a couple styles of the round with a notch and they **** in comparison.

As suggested, try a drill press or guide on its highest speed setting. Even too much runout on the spindle can cause issues on dry, dry wood plugs. Imagine the movement you have in your arm in comparison. I find on dry wood faster speed and slower feed rate works best. You can even try a bit of dry lube on the cutter to help, most shouldn't cause any staining issues (and also works good on saw blades). Also, after I get the first cut I try to overlap the relief with the next plug so the chips/dust have somewhere to go and are less likely to bind and break my plug before they are cut.

Good luck.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Firebrick43]

you will have little success cutting plugs with a hand drill. Also many hardware store plug cutters are terrible. The only ones so far that I have had any luck with is the slightly tapered cutters from Lee Valley, veritas branded with is the tools they themselves make. The make well fitting plugs and in a drill press I have maybe 1 bad one for every 40 to 50 good ones.


Veritas plug cutters

 

[FredWanaker]

round with slot. All that HD had locally. https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-Plug-Cutter-Set-3-Piece-S31/202252123

Thanks - sounds like the tool I bought isn't much of a solution.

 

[FMB4]

I've used rubber stopper plugs when I don't care about looks (or they can't be easily seen). Such plugs, for me anyway, have been quick, cheap, and very effective over time in outdoor conditions.

 

[Bogie1632]

round with slot. All that HD had locally. https://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-Plug-Cutter-Set-3-Piece-S31/202252123

Thanks - sounds like the tool I bought isn't much of a solution.

Yup...IME those **** in soft woods. They're a smidge better in hard woods.

Below is a pic of a 4 prong one I mentioned before. They're a bit pricey compared to the cheaper box store ones.

V/R
Bogie

 

[Uncle murph]

Any tips? needed to cut some plugs to fill drill holes. Bought a set of plug cutters from the big box store. Mostly sawdust is all I get - the plug is going into redwood and it just fragments. I tried several different grains, colors of wood and each did it. I found going into the end grain at 45 degrees gave me a reasonable plug but nothing to write home about. Is it that the redwood is just too soft? Other than that angle they all came out like fragmented mdx board. Also tried different speeds and pressures - using a hand drill.

Definitely invest in a quality cutter and use a drill press.I’ve cut a lot of plugs from redwood and works fine .Stay away from end grain,it defeats the whole purpose.Plug the hole,shave off the excess and sand it and you will have a first class job,especially if you took the time to orient the grain of the plug with the board being plugged.

 

[jack stand]

You do have the drill in the right rotation I'm sure. I've done goofier things and with no flutes to watch....

 

[PCustoms]

Do not use a hand drill.

I saw the suggestion in your other thread. No offense to anyone, but that was stupid.

 

[FredWanaker]

i thought a drill press was needed but they said no. I got 6 plugs that worked, Caulk and titebond III. Will be stain/sealer over that.

 

[nadogail]

I have found old growth clear Red Wood a joy to work with, but hard to find. I am sure your project will be something to show off.

 

[Dart]

I've cut a lot of plugs in all kinds of wood using these cutters: https://wlfuller.com/html/standard.html. and as others have said in a drill press.

 

[James-W]

A friend of mine has a set of plug cutters similar to the the ones in the link below. Not sure what brand of cutters he has though. He uses a drill press to cut plugs, he says a hand drill does not work very well.

Amazon.com

 

[slow]

back in the 80's my dad didn't have a drillpress, but needed plugs for the chris craft he was restoring, he installed a chuck on the side of his radial arm saw and used the vertical adjustment crank to cut the plugs, worked well, but it was mahogany not redwood.

 

[MoonRise]

Use a drill press.

Do NOT use a plug cutter into end grain. That's not a plug, it's a dowel.

Use a 'decent' plug cutter. (I have used the 4 prong style ones, in a drill press. In red oak mostly, but some other woods too. Works.)

Harder to mess up the rotational direction with a drill press too.

(For 'fussy' work, I'll usually try to not only match the grain direction when installing the plugs into the workpiece, but also will try and match the grain pattern/color/size/etc from the piece of wood I'm cutting the plugs from TO the workpiece that the plugs are going into. Done right, the plug can pretty much 'disappear'. )

 

[Jackfre]

I use a dowel plate to make my own dowels. That has been an adventure too. I have found that the best results come with riven stock. The grain is straighter and the dowels hold together

 

[ez-duzit]

I've cut a lot of plugs in all kinds of wood using these cutters: https://wlfuller.com/html/standard.html. and as others have said in a drill press.

These are the correct cutters to use. The cutter the OP used is horribly inappropriate for the intended job. And you do not use it on end grain. No caulk is necessary--only makes the plugged hole ugly. Trim the plugs flush using a sharp chisel.

 

[Slednut]

I've only done oak, I just went to the local hardware store and got the only 1/2 inch cutter they had. I did use my drill press.

This is a bi-fold closet door frame I made out of an old oak ladder.

 

[turbowoodworker]

I’ve used both types of plug cutters in all sorts of wood. neither are intended for use in end grain, but it can be done if you must.
The biggest, and probably only “must have” is the drill press, set to proper speed with even pressure, will make great plugs regardless of wood type or moisture content.
A well cut plug should not require caulk. Weather resistant exterior wood glue like Titebond III should be adequate. Leave proud or trim like EZ said.

 

[Kenstone1]

You didn't say what size plug you are trying to make unless I missed it.

I have used hole saws without the pilot drill to make plugs before and it worked a treat.

You can use that hole saw, with the pilot drill installed, to cut a hole in a piece of scrap, use that scrap piece as a pilot for the hole saw, with the drill pilot REMOVED, to cut the plugs.
Something I've done but used a drill press.
jmo,

 

[ez-duzit]

...
I have used hole saws without the pilot drill to make plugs before and it worked a treat...

No, it doesn't work a treat. It makes a crude and ragged way to plug a hole. Though that may be all some projects require.

 

[FredWanaker]

thank you all. I got six of a good length and plugged the upwards facing holes, using caulk on the rest. Just a redwood gate and not furniture.

 

[nadogail]

Slugs from hole saws might be pretty good if they happen to fit well. Like any other saw, there is always a loss from the kerf.
Good luck in finding a hole saw with the exact inside diameter to provide you with a slug of the size you need.