Plug Cutter Options - What's Your Preference?

[DerbyDad03]

For those of you that cut your own plugs to hide screws, which style of plug cutter do you prefer, the fluted style or the kind with the round bottom blade? (both shown below)

[Sonny]

I have the fluted. Cuts ok as long as you don't cut too fast..... apply too much pressure too fast during the cut. I still need to clean up the burrs a bit. I don't use them often.

Sonny

[Leon]

I am not sure which is which by your description.

But I use the top 4 cutter ones. Fluted?

I like them because they do put a round end on the plug if you cut to the right depth. This greatly eases insertion into the hole and the plugs are slightly tapered, they get tighter the further they go into the hole. But don't go too deep or the plug will break off in the cutter and is difficult to remove.

Ideally you sneak up on the cutting depth with a drill press. Cut and back out a few times until you just start to see the plug top begin to round over. Lock your depth control at depth. Then break the plugs out of the holes with a small straight blade screw driver. Or if you have a band saw cut the board just shy of the bottoms of the plugs, inside the board. The top of the plugs will be the end that goes in the hole.

[DerbyDad03]

I've always used the "bottom 4" in the image. The ones that have a round cutting edge on the bottom of the cutter. The one thing that I don't like about them is that the plug often breaks off while drilling (yes, in a drill press) and I have to extract it before I can go on. I've seen some YT videos where the same complaint is mentioned. But they've always gotten the job done.

I've got a bunch of plugs to cut for the outdoor sectional and I think I'll give the "top" ones (the ones I called "fluted") a try. Just curious what others are happy with.

[Leon]

Something to think about. With the fluted cutters, the ideal depth to cut the plug is deep enough to round the top on the plug when it is still in the wood blank. This also tapers the plug! So cut your plugs and remove them and then drill holes for the screws in scrap wood so that you do drill deep enough. With the tapered fit if the hole is too shallow it will never tighten up in the hole. Test the depth with a screw in the hole too, the screw will make the hole shallower.

[Leon]

One more thing! Drill down slowly for a smooth cut and to help prevent breaking the plug. You will get the hand of this by slowly increasing you feed rate. At some point the plug may break off aaaand then you will know to slow the rate down. Some wood plugs are more prone to break off any way. I have had issues with red oak but never with white oak.

[Scott Lurndal]

Do you use tapered or straight plug cutters? I tend to prefer the tapered plugs.

[Leon]

Tapered! And all of the 4 flute design, that I have had, cut tapered.

[DerbyDad03]

Just FYI...I've cut hundreds of plugs.

However, as I said, I've always used the "blade on bottom" type.

Speed doesn't seem to be the issue with plugs breaking off inside the cutter. It happens even when drilling real slow, but only somtimes.

I'm going to try the fluted kind anyway. I'll learn something, one way or the other.