Lesson Learned Need to cut odd size plugs - How can I make a plug cutter?

[Badabing]

I built a deck and installed white fascia trim. I bought a kit to attach the fascia and it came with plugs that don't match. Now I can't find matching plugs but I have enough scrap fascia to make my own. However, I found the plug size is proprietary so no plug cutter available in the USA will make plugs that fit right. I bought a UK one (Faithful #12) but it arrived too bent to cut decent plugs so I sent it back (Amazon, thankfully).

Is there a way I can make a cutter to cut 11.5 mm plugs easily? I need about 120 plugs, so enough to justify buying a cutter, but I'm not having luck with that so far.

Does anyone have a plug cutter that size that I can buy or borrow or trade for?

Any ideas welcomed.

 

[Hmerkle]

11.5 mm (.453 in.) gonna be a tough size.
I would find a bolt and drill a hole in the end to near the right diameter, put it on the lathe and open it up to the right diameter (file, sandpaper etc...)

 

[Jack A.]

If you can find a drill bit of the correct size, a DIY dowel plate could work.

 

[Darl Bundren]

Is the fascia composite? If so, you could get a 1/2" mortiser chisel (or whatever size corresponds to the plugs that'll work), make the round holes square, and machine 1/2" stock out of the scraps you could then glue in the holes. Might be a little work, though. I guess you could do it in traditional lumber, too, but that'd be more work because the composite stuff is softer.

 

[chris_goris]

CNC will make any size......

 

[mdbuntyn]

The top (or bottom when you're drilling it) of a 7/16" tapered plug might fit an 11.5mm hole. 11.5mm = .453", 7/16" = .4375"

 

[bob vaughan]

A fly cutter on a milling machine but that's a lot of waste and wood shavings & dust. It won't be too bad as long as the cut is somewhat shallow (1/2" - 3/4"). Should take 1/2 day or so to grind the cutter, cut the stock to fit in a 6" vise, and then band saw off the plugs.

 

[bob vaughan]

Second machine shop option, Find a 7/16" plug cutter and bore it out with a carbide boring bar.
You might even chuck the plug cutter in a wood lathe and bore it out with a Dremel.

 

[Mark Fogleman]

I would find a plug cutter that gets you in the ballpark and match that to a drill bit to enlarge the holes. Lee Valley has good plug cutters. Veritas Metric Tapered Snug-Plug Cutters - Lee Valley Tools

 

[old and in the way]

Joe:

Not a deck builder myself, so I have no idea what the attachment method is, or what the material is. For 120 iterations, would it be possible to back out the screw (if that's what it is), use a countersinking bit, the type you might use that has a corresponding plug cutter to fit the counterbore, remove the screw or whatever it is that needs to have its hole plugged, drill only the counterbore with a 1/2" countersinking bit, reinsert the screw, and use the corresponding 1/2" plug cutter to make plugs that fit?

Hope this helps.
Tone

 

[creasman]

I needed some small plugs for an inlay project and made the ones described in this post. They're a lot smaller than the one you'll need, but the principle is the same. You'd need access to a metal lathe and a section of 5/8" drill rod that could be bored and turned to size.

Is the fascia vinyl or some other material? Vinyl should be easy to cut, but use a low speed so as not to melt it.

 

[mkepke]

Kind of like Hank suggested, buy a chunk of hardenable steel like a grade 5 or 8 bolt. Anneal it. Drill a 11.5 mm hole. Cut in saw teeth on the rim. Reharden.

Or skip the whole drilling thing and buy a 11.5mm hole punch and grind saw teeth into that.

Or find someone with a CNC to cut a bunch of plugs.

Do the plugs need to be tapered or are they a compression fit?

Another option might be to take an Imperial countersink of the next larger size and grind the end down (make it stubby). Use that as a reamer to open up the existing countersink holes to a more readily available size. You’ll scar up the heads of the screws so not a good idea if you’re using coated screws.

-Mark

 

[JohnnyR]

1st I would contact the mfg.!

 

[Badabing]

Wow, these are some great ideas, thank you all!

The fascia is Trex PVC smooth white. I used Starborn Trex Fascia kit, which comes with stainless screws, a countersink hole cutter, and plugs to fit. I had originally ordered the wood grain white Trex fascia, but Lowes sent the smooth white. I didn't know it until it was installed and I peeled off the protective plastic on the face. So I ended up with all smooth white fascia installed and wood grain white plugs that I absolutely could not use I called Trex, I called Starborn, I scoured the internet, but there are no matching white plugs in that size. I purchased a #12 Faithful plug cutter on Amazon that took 3 weeks to ship from the UK. It arrived with enough bend in the shaft that it was unusable. I tried to 'unbend' it with some strong persuasion, but no luck getting it 'good enough.'

I am going to try some of the ideas suggested. My first thought is maybe the local Rockler will have brass pen tube of the right size that I can just notch out some saw teeth in the end and use to cut plugs. Then I'll go with the drilling out a bolt idea, if I can find a similar sized drill bit. I think one of these will work but the tube is probably much easier.

Wish me luck and thank you again everyone!

P.S. Here's a pic of the deck btw, it really came out great but if you zoom in you can see the holes and they are driving my wife and I mad LOL.

 

[mark2]

maybe a dumb idea - can the textured plugs be sanded smooth? or is color just surface coating?

 

[chris_goris]

Send me a piece of material, Ill cut all the plugs you want on the CNC

 

[Martin Roper]

Dowels on the band saw:

Use this method to cut a dowel to the correct diameter. Then glue your plug stock to the end of the dowel and repeat the procedure. If you need just a few plugs, this would be a way to do it. If you need a bunch, that could get tedious.

 

[tri4sale]

Could cut them on a CNC machine. Program the size and number that would fit on the board and sit back and watch (ok, not really that simple but pretty close)

 

[jamie]

can't you just make the holes bigger?

 

[bob vaughan]

can't you just make the holes bigger?

A 1/2" chucking reamer may be your friend.