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Plug building... where to start?

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ASrod

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I’d like to know what kind of investment it would take to get started in building a few plugs here and there. Not to sell, strictly for myself and my friends. Roughly what tools would I need? Anyone ever make a list of this stuff??

 

Alex

If you can dream it, I can meme it.

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If I were to start from scratch again...doing it all with new machines etc...about five to eight thousand for starters...and I'm not talking about cheap tools....

table saw

chop saw

lathe

disc sander

band saw

belt sander

drill presses

truck load of hand tools

2 truck loads of plug parts

paints

sealers

air brushes

compressiors

stainless/lips

lip bender

lip hole punch

i could go on and on....point is unless your really going to get into it.. buying plugs is far cheaper...countless hours of time if you build and if you never used  any tools before there's countless hours of time learning to use them the right way to be safe and still have all your fingers by the end of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

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A bench top drill press and a small lathe is enough to get started

You can paint with rattle cans

That's all I used for a lot of years

 

The bench top disk/belt sander and band saw is next

(But it will not end there - it won't take long until you have all the items Capesams mentioned)

I just wanta play everyday despite small nagging injuries --

and go home to a woman who appreciates how full of crap I truly am. ~ Crash Davis

 

Social Distancing since 1962

 

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58 mins ago, Sudsy said:

A bench top drill press and a small lathe is enough to get started

You can paint with rattle cans

That's all I used for a lot of years

 

The bench top disk/belt sander and band saw is next

(But it will not end there - it won't take long until you have all the items Capesams mentioned)

Anything saw related I’m like 90% I have handy in the garage. The only things I don’t have are a sander, press and lathe.

 

To be honest just to say I caught a fish on a piece of wood that I chipped at, 5 grand isn’t sounding too hot :laugh: 

If you can dream it, I can meme it.

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harbor freight drill press and lathe  < $500

Set of benjamins best lathe chisels < $70

eye protection

respirator

can of white primer

can of white spray paint

can of yellow spray paint

spar urethane & mineral spirits

bondo

screw eyes, hooks, belly weights

 

That should get you through your first couple hundred plugs.   Lots of other ways to skin a cat, but that's how I did it.

I used a hand drill for way too long.   Drill press and chuck for the lathe (for through drilling) were my two best investments.

 

 

DITCH TROLL
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ASrod, you probably have the tools you need to make a passable popper or spook/howdy in your dad's garage. Consider stealing some spokes off your sister's bicycle for thru-wire. It just won't be worth it for you to buy all the parts, at this point, because there's so many: eyes, grommets, weights, lips in every size....etc. But, there's no reason you can't cut the handle off a shovel, shape it with a rasp/files/sandpaper. Use a hand drill to place the wire and a weight (fabricated from maybe a freshwater sinker?). Dip the lure in that can of paint/primer that's been sitting around for 3 yrs.

 

It's entirely possible for a beginner  to build a couple lures that will catch fish. To build professional looking plugs that swim almost exactly as intended, and hold up to the demands of saltwater fishing is impossible without some combination of big $, experience, and mentorship that you don't have now. Make some poppers, be happy/proud when you catch a fish, then decide if you wanna take it further, is my advice.

 

Also, scan the interwebs for videos....the YouTubes is full of dudes making homemade lures from unconventional methods

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I bought a nova comet midi lathe that came with a set of chisels. Had to buy a roughing gouge. I use a hand drill. A japan saw for lip slots and cutting off square ends. Drill bits, wire, lips, weights, hooks, swivels, and epoxy. That’s what I’ve paid for, and that’s under $1000. Wood, paint, and a respirator and face shield I get free from work. But even if I had to buy those, I’d still be under a grand I think. Over time I’ll add more equipment, but for now, that’s all I need, and the plugs I’ve made catch fish

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I went to the local home depot and got the generic table top set. Drill press, Belt sander, Band saw, grinder. I got a bench top grizzly lath next and lead pot. With all the other misc tools im in the hole for around a grand i would say.  But you could make many a nice plug with a carving knife and hand drill. Just takes longer :)

 

 

 

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I have tens of thousands of dollars in stuff just for plug building....you will always be looking for ways to make life "better".  yes you can get by with bare min. stuff but it will also take you 4 times longer if not more to make.  Like capesams said, cheaper to just buy.   I know a few places sell kits with everything needed, just paint and wire yourself.   a cool way to get started i think is to get some of those kits and learn the process before you fully commit to the trade, you might not like it and before spending a good coin might be a good way to get a feel for it.   The Search function here is a wealth of info here, learn to use it and read....read...read.  

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On 12/17/2019 at 11:54 AM, Livefreeordie said:

ASrod, you probably have the tools you need to make a passable popper or spook/howdy in your dad's garage. Consider stealing some spokes off your sister's bicycle for thru-wire. It just won't be worth it for you to buy all the parts, at this point, because there's so many: eyes, grommets, weights, lips in every size....etc. But, there's no reason you can't cut the handle off a shovel, shape it with a rasp/files/sandpaper. Use a hand drill to place the wire and a weight (fabricated from maybe a freshwater sinker?). Dip the lure in that can of paint/primer that's been sitting around for 3 yrs.

 

It's entirely possible for a beginner  to build a couple lures that will catch fish. To build professional looking plugs that swim almost exactly as intended, and hold up to the demands of saltwater fishing is impossible without some combination of big $, experience, and mentorship that you don't have now. Make some poppers, be happy/proud when you catch a fish, then decide if you wanna take it further, is my advice.

 

Also, scan the interwebs for videos....the YouTubes is full of dudes making homemade lures from unconventional methods

A spoke off a biycle?Cut a shovel in half?A dowel costs 5$ a peice of stainless wire 15 cents.Why does he have to ruin his sisters bike and his dads shovel for $5.15?lol

SW

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