I am in the market for a different plug cutter for cutting cork plugs for handle plugs.

I have picked up one, but it seems that there is a fair amount of waste with the plugs being cut.

Any recommendations for a good tapered hole plug cutter for cutting 1/4 inch, 5/16th, 3/8th, and 1/2 inch plugs.

I use these plugs for plugging the ends of the cork handles after glue up.
It is easy to get 1/4 inch cork plugs from suppliers, but if a handle has been reamed to fit the handle, a much large plug is normally needed for the hole.
One can grind a plug to fit the hole, but the plug cutter makes it much easier and quicker. Also, the use of a TAPERED plug that fits very tightly into the hole means virtually no visible glue line on the plug.

Thanks for any thoughts or recommendations.

Roger

Roger

Assuming you are referring to something like a rubberized cork ring at the butt of the handle for protection which is made from a rubberized cork ring with a 1/4 inch hole. Is this correct? If not I may have to revise my response.

I purchase rubberized rings cork ring with "no holes" and have devised a method for accurately shaping them thus eliminating the need to plug holes. This method does require a lathe or other similar turning device.

Now bare in mind that all my rods are split grips and the butt piece is between 2 and 4 rings of cork plus the rubberized butt protector. Perhaps the same procedure could be applied to longer handles, although I havent tried it.

I have a 1/2 inch diameter steel rod turned down on one end to 1/4 inch diameter which leaves a 1/8 inch shoulder and the 1/4 inch end is slightly shorter that the length of the number of cork rings which I will add to the rubberized butt piece.

I start with my cork rings glued together and the rubberized ring (solid, no hole) is not glued. The tool is chucked in my lathe with the 1/4 inch end exposed. The glued rings are slide over the 1/4 inch end (remember the length of the 1/4 inch portion is slightly shorter that the total cork ring length) then the solid rubberized ring is held in place by tightening the lathe's live center against the rubberized ring until enough pressure is applied to hold it and the cork rings together for turning. It doesn't take much pressure and there is no damage to the rings.

At this point, I shape and sand the whole grip including the rubberized butt. The rubberized ring now has the exact same outside diameter as the cork.

Then I ream the center of the cork ring using a tapered "reamer/mandrel" to fit it to the blank. I am not reaming the rubberized butt piece of course.

During final assembly of the handle, there are 3 more very complex tools needed to hold the rubberized butt in place for glue-up. They are three simple rubber bands looped over the reelseat trigger and the butt of the rod.

Works good for me and I never have to worry about plugging holes.

I might add that I use this process to eliminate as much weight as possible because rubberized cord is proportionally heavier that cork. I make them as thin as I can get away with, yet still serve the intended purpose.

Bobby Feazel

[www.shockwaverods.com]

Conventional wisdom will not open the box.

Bobby,

Couldn't you achieve the same by using a little tubing as a spacer with a stop collar on the mandrel? Eliminates the need for a specialized mandrel.

Only reason I'd use the tubing is to be able to get a smaller diameter on the front end if needed.

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I have a set of plug cutters that I got at Home Depot. They work. Waste a lot or cork and can be difficult to hold while cutting the plug.

I use a circle template and find a circle slightly larger than the hole in the butt. I draw that circle on a rubberized ring. With an X-Acto chisel I rough that circle out. I then lay my plug on edge and plunge a line around the plug that is slightly greater than the distance between the end of my rod blank and the end of the grip. Then with the plug sitting on its end I taper the plug down to the line I plunged around the plug so that it fits inside the rod blank. Flip the plug over and stand it up and with a sanding block with 80 grit paper I round the edges of the plug. The plug is slightly larger in diameter than the hole and creates a really fine glue line.

It takes longer to describe the process than it does to do it.


............................................

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

another option is to save the cork dust. mix with some rodbond or other epoxy and fill in the hole. it works well and if mixed well can be hard to tell there was a hole. you can also go to a gasket making place and they usually have many grades of rubberized cork sheeting. i have found they throw away scrap pieces that are great for our application. these pieces are much easier to cut plugs than a cork ring.

good luck

Matt,
Thanks for the update
I am using about the same process and it works fine.
The thing that I am trying to do is to eliminate some of the waste that one gets with this style plug cutter.
Since most of the cork that we cut is soft - relative to other woods - I think that I am going to put one of my plug cutters on the sacrificial block and try an experiment.
I think that I am going to put my plug cutter in my lathe and thin the walls of the plug cutter to about 1/2 of what they are with my die grinder.

If the plug cutter still works without breaking - with the thinner walls - I will cut my waste to 1/2. If that works, I may try thinning the walls to 1/4 of what they are and see of that still works. If that works, I would cut my waste to 1/3rd of what it is now.

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Bobby,
Thanks for the update on making your butt caps out of cork. I really have no issue with that. I use a piece of solid cork with no hole in it for this process. I chuck the solid piece of cork on my lathe - trapping it between a special flat sided manderal for both the chuck and tail stock. I have modified these manderals so that they are a bit smaller than my smallest handle and are flat on the cork side. In the chuck, I insert a 1/16ths drill bit that is sticking out about 1/8th of an inch. This drill bit projecting, keeps the cork piece centered. I then turn down the cork piece until it is the same diameter, or perhaps ..010 smaller than the end of the butt grip. When I clamp the cork piece back on the handle using epoxy, it expands about .010 and makes a perfect end on the rod.

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The reason that I have the reason to use the plug cutter is for premade handles - either by myself or others - where I have the completed handle. i.e. the handle may be all one style cork, or it may already have a burled or rubberized cork butt cap in place.
If placing the handle on a freshwater long rod, it is often necessary to ream the handle to as large as 3/4 inch - depending on the blank being used. So, my reason for the plug cutter is to cut a matching plug to the hole of varying size that exists in the handle after placing it on the rod. If you have a large hole - like 1/2-3/4 inch - cork filler doesn't work. One really needs a piece of matching material - that is tapered to plug the hole with no glue line.

Thanks again for the comments.

Roger

Roger this is what I use on a rubberized but cap. And I can turn the butt cap on the lathe to fit the rest of the grip. They are tapered and about 1/2 in long.
[www.mudhole.com]

Not for nothing but I think it is a lot cheaper - not that I am cheap -- too get a rasp and file off the same material. Put a little paper towel in the butt as a plug leaving about a 1/4" depth. Mix with some glue, fill, then block sand off.

Jay,
I have used similar plugs as well. No problem, if the hole is only 1/4 inch.
But, as I said before - when using premade handles that have been remed out to fit a blank, the end hole is often much larger.

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I did some futher testing today and after a bit of clean up on the plug cutters - I had excellent luck.
I did find that on the first few plugs, using my drill press that they were ragged. I figured that this was the speed of the drill press which was set on its slowest setting of about 1000 rpm.
I moved the belt to the highest speed of about 3000 rpm, and the plugs cleaned right up.

With the variety of plug cutters in the set - it was no issue to cut plugs from 1/4 on up to 3/4 inch.

I did discover a very nice use for old cork handles. They make a wonderful source for plug stock. You can get a lot of plugs out of one cork handle. If it is still glued on the reel, it is no issue, because when the plug cutter hits the blank, you stop the drill press and tip the plug to free it from the blank.
It doesn't matter what the top or bottom of the plug looks like becuase it is simply inserted until tight with glue,and then the surface is sanded flush.

I found this particular set at Harbor Freight for a few $$

[www.harborfreight.com]

As you can see from the open area on the side of the cutter, it is easy to remove the plug after cutting.
Run the drill press down through the material, lift the cutter, turn off the drill press, and pop out the plug. The plugs have a nice taper on them so are easy to glue in a hole.
If you find that one size is too loose and the next size is too tight, just use a taper reamer to slightly enlarge the hole in the butt so that the larger plug fits tightly.

Take care and be safe.
Roger

As Bill said - cheap is not bad.
I am sure that most folks have old pieces of cork or cork handles lying around.
Use the plug cutter to make nice plugs at 0 cost and use as needed.

Take care
Roger

I am almost sure I bought some drilled rubberized cork from Bob McCamey at Custom Tackle with tapered cork plugs that were much larger than 1/4 inch. In fact, I'm looking at a split grip spiral wrapped crankbait rod I built that has a plug that measures 5/8 inch. Check Custom Tackle Supply.

Two other options are Auto Interior Plugs. These are plastic push on plugs that hold the interior panels on cars. Also Carriage Bolts. The ones with the rounded tops at home depot. Can be filed and polished.

Roger
I sacrificed a 3 iron (which i couldnt hit) after removing the grip i cut the shaft in small lengths at each step. I ended up with alot of pieces from small to large diameter. I then put a bolt and flat washer into one end ( to keep from distorting ) and whack the material with a hammer. On eva you can twist it right through a piece a 1/2 inch thick real easily with your hand. I didnt use a tubing cutter as it wanted to roll the cut inward and wasnt so sharp. Just cut it with a chop saw or hacksaw and clean up the inside with a rat tail file, ends up very sharp. Works for me , hope it helps.

Mike Thompson
Thompson's Custom Rods

It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so ingenious!