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I need some help making small plug cutter for wood inlay (no, I don't have a lathe )
I have some smallish diameter brass tubing. How do you all make the teeth? Just a jeweler's saw and file? I know It won't have much longevity, just need to do 6 or seven "core samples" in spalted maple that may need to be hardened with superglue.

I've seen something like punches for cutting leather, wonder if that may work (cheap at the harbor freight...

What sayest thou?

most woodworking supply houses will have dowel cutting jigs that you tap rectangular stock through to form dowels. Most punches will splinter rosewood at the diameters you looking to use. I gather you are wanting to removing dot inlays and replacing with plugs

Terry, a quick easy way to make little round pieces is to temporarily glue slightly over-sized pieces to the end if a dowel. Then just roll the piece against a disk sander. Put a couple of stops on the table to assure consistency.

long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Terry, further to Bob's suggestion, you can CA stock to the shank end of a drill bit, chuck it & file down to size (think of your drillpress like an vertical lathe). Not to much side pressure. Use same size drillbit for the hole. (I know this works with MOP, haven't tried with wood.)

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Dave
Milton, ON

The quickest way is with a triangular file and a steady hand.
Frank Ford has a pictorial on his frets.com site.
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Terry,

The best way I have found to cut small dots is by using Fuller J-style countersinks. These are the ones that use a removable drill bit as a pilot. If you use them without the drill bit, you get a perfect dot from the center. You can get a whole range of sizes that will make 3/32" to 3/16" plugs in increments of 1/64". Here is a pic.

They are available from http://www.jamestowndistributors.com

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Randy Muth
RS Muth Guitars Website
RS Muth Guitars Blog
Facebook Fan Page

Thanks Randy. Cool tip. I've done the drill press trick (like a lathe) and this is yet another way! More benefits for the gang. Hip Hip!