Chet Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 I am working on a project that is going to have me putting in a fair number of plugs, walnut plugs into cherry. I always take the time to line the grain in the direction of the grain it is going into. It got me to thinking, do most of you do this or do you just put glue on them and slam them home all willy nilly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Always align the grain. I hate plugs that don't match. Why plug if you are ok with the fastener location showing? Behold my first junior high shop project. Until I burn it, I will hate it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric. Posted June 4, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 Believe it or not, I don't worry about it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 I have done very few projects with plugs, and none that were shaved flush. For the pillowed look, I don't feel it matters so much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 I typically try to clock them.. I haven't done a lot of projects with plugs. I rarely worry about it on shop furniture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted June 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 14 minutes ago, Eric. said: Believe it or not, I don't worry about it. Whaaat? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat60 Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 I dont remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 4, 2017 Report Share Posted June 4, 2017 11 minutes ago, Chet K said: Whaaat? Yeah. I don't know, as much time and attention as I devote to grainflow and picking parts, etc...clocking the plugs is just not something that's on my radar. I guess I figure if those little plugs are attracting so much attention that they're being inspected that closely, the project as a whole is probably totally lacking in the interest department. Plugs are just subtle accents, not visual focal points. I spend my time obsessing over different things. There's no reason not to clock them though, if that's something that tickles your OCD bone...it just doesn't do anything for mine. How disturbing do you find my unclocked plugs on this blanket chest lid? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 28 minutes ago, Eric. said: How disturbing do you find my unclocked plugs on this blanket chest lid? You should be taken out back and clocked to death for such shoddy workmanship! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 @Eric., are those plugs, or are those dowels? I see exposed joinery and plugs to hide screws as two different concepts. They generally show up in different locations on projects. I don't want to get too hair splitty, but I see plugs as an item that should hide. Dowels that lock tenons are different IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 1 hour ago, C Shaffer said: @Eric., are those plugs, or are those dowels? I see exposed joinery and plugs to hide screws as two different concepts. They generally show up in different locations on projects. I don't want to get too hair splitty, but I see plugs as an item that should hide. Dowels that lock tenons are different IMO. Yeah technically they're "pins" for the breadboard. I treat plugs and pins - any dowel stock - the same...which is to say I don't pay much attention to the grain orientation. If I were using a species with a very distinct grain pattern, let's say wenge for instance...I would probably pay closer attention. But most domestics and mahogany don't really jump out at me so I don't spend too much time worrying about it. To each his own...there's no right or wrong on this one, it's truly a coin flip IMO. No reason to worry about it if you don't care, no reason not to clock them if you're so inclined. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 The only piece of non shop furniture I built that I can think of that got plugs was my daughter's crib. I didn't clock them...I wasn't trying to hide the plugs, and actually really like the contrast of the end grain plugs on the long grain face. Not to mention, the plug is so dang small their grain direction seems pretty hard to see. In the future I'm sure I'll clock them sometimes, but ehhhhh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 We even went so far doing deck furniture that we cut our own plugs to get face grain rather than end grain when the plugs supplied were all end grain. Just a thought that occurred to me late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 Or you can just use ebony, which basically has no grain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bleedinblue Posted June 5, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 ...or just color a maple plug with a sharpie! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 I sometimes use plugs/dowels for contrast. I do clock them if they are face grain plugs. If they are dowels/pins, then end grain is showing anyway, so I just tap them in. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 6 minutes ago, Pug said: I do clock them if they are face grain plugs. That's a good point...if they're face grain plugs and I'm trying to hide them I absolutely will clock them...but I use face grain plugs so rarely that I didn't even think about that. This is a plug from the slat support system on the Bed for Junior...as you can see I took the time to make these as invisible as possible...even though they were totally invisible under the mattress anyway. LOL How's that for contradictory OCD issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted June 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 I can definitely see not giving it a lot of attention. I guess I just figured it only takes a second to sort of line it up. But again with darker plugs its hard to see I went through the effort. It keeps my mind busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 8 hours ago, bleedinblue said: ...or just color a maple plug with a sharpie! That works great unless you have to flush it to the surface...which you always do... Soaking plugs in India ink would be a better option... ...but not as good as ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 1 hour ago, Eric. said: That works great unless you have to flush it to the surface...which you always do... Soaking plugs in India ink would be a better option... Ha...i was joking, but I should have realized it's probably been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denette Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 That's a good point...if they're face grain plugs and I'm trying to hide them I absolutely will clock them...but I use face grain plugs so rarely that I didn't even think about that./ Wait, what? The whole topic I thought everyone was talking about face grain plugs. Now I'm confused - how exactly does one orient end grain in a plug to make it aligned to the grain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 2 hours ago, Eric. said: ...but not as good as ebony. Nothing is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 1 hour ago, Denette said: Wait, what? The whole topic I thought everyone was talking about face grain plugs. Now I'm confused - how exactly does one orient end grain in a plug to make it aligned to the grain? Well Chet didn't really specify whether or not they were end grain or face grain so that may have led to some confusion. I guess for the record I'll just say that I don't worry about grain orientation with end grain plugs/pins, but I do absolutely line up the grain on face grain plugs...but I hardly ever use face grain plugs because I think it's kind of dumb to try to "hide" it...since you never can, completely. I usually prefer to plug with end grain to add a little visual interest and make it look more like a feature than a crappy attempt to hide a metal fastener. Also, when you use an end grain plug, you can lie to people and say the dowel is the joinery and there's not actually a screw in there. You can't lie when it's face grain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 45 minutes ago, Llama said: Nothing is Hmmm...it's up there in cool factor but I'm gonna say I'd rather have affordable access to quilted maple, brazilian rosewood, cuban mahogany and curly koa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2017 Report Share Posted June 5, 2017 5 minutes ago, Eric. said: Hmmm...it's up there in cool factor but I'm gonna say I'd rather have affordable access to quilted maple, brazilian rosewood, cuban mahogany and curly koa. +1. honestly ebony just looks like black plastic to me. I guess it is cool because it is wood, but aesthetically it does not do much for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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