Oddball Question: Drumsticks for plug making

[srosenthal13]

Kind of a left-field question, but I've got a lot of drumsticks (Vic Firth SD1 Generals, to be precise). They're rock maple, a little over 1/2" in diameter.

I'm curious if I could make usable plugs out of that material for small repairs like stripped tuner and pickguard holes. Also curious if I could glue up and stack them for deeper plugs such as neck bolt holes.

I'm just naive enough to try, assuming rock maple drumsticks are adequate material for the job.

 

[Square]

My concern would be that you’ll be putting screws in end grain rather than cross grain. That would be okay for some applications, maybe not for others.

 

[tr4252]

I hot rodded an old Fender Mustang, plugging all the routs and holes in the body. I used mahogany for the plugs, epoxied them in place, sanded flush, and it looked OK. I painted it with black nitrocellulose, and it looked perfect. Some weeks later the edges of the plugs became visible, due to shrinkage or expansion, I don't know what. Ultimately I decided that it was a midtake to use dissimilar materials. This might not be a problem for you, juse relating a similar story.

Tom

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Yeah, Ideally what you want is a "plug cutter" that cuts face grain, not end grain, which has less resistance to pull-out than screws perpendicular to the grain. That's why strap buttons tend to pull out of the end grain at the heel and end of the upper body horn. I always replace the wussy little screws they give you with strap buttons with something like 1-3/4" stainless steel wood screws. You can use toothpicks or bamboo skewers for small screw holes like tuner or pickguard screws, but not stuff subject to a lot of pull-out. No idea if this particular set is any good, just picked for illustration. I DO know that the ones Harbor Freight sells are absolute garbage, dull as a butter knife right out of the box and crappy mild steel that just burns it's way through the wood. There were actual sparks shooting out of the hole. Actually dangerous to use, and I told them so, to a collective shrug of indifference.

https://www.amazon.com/Drill-Warehouse-Straight-Tapered-Cutting/dp/B0765SGHQB/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=36XAS0M3TJCSQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SxVpwyhYLP0nuhF9nWmrx8_eg8wl2hloo8M6GislvaCHDAZtEKVjo85qoMzDf-PfbD4orxXuvPnvSpZKUi9KMDWrJGPIWoKqel8h75RbBgmMgvtpKikn7VWSGSl-Da5rIEJ75X7nue0_Dwl_e-2T78jmhNzsRE5dIpsEoziLCIMdsaCgBtwFVhMd57bdoP_uyptgjdac2DA5IaLKrhIF34sFnD2St9DRAFxIydUuwClWCHm0gOB1gupCg5wnDQ-35I-VItC8ZU7uC1nq6A9HMdDkk7BE6F9YcPjdkhVo_Bk.pmVUCNCMVW6Os6BArnUrtclGDVT0DpkRWmaPBD0hCuM&dib_tag=se&keywords=plug+cutters&qid=1728585303&sprefix=plug+cutters%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[srosenthal13]

My concern would be that you’ll be putting screws in end grain rather than cross grain. That would be okay for some applications, maybe not for others.

I'm actually not thinking in terms of end grain. The natural grain direction is lengthwise, kind of like a bass neck. It would be a matter of making the plugs by cutting them along the length of the stick, rather than cutting off end pieces.

 

[Square]

I get it. Much better.

 

[srosenthal13]

Obviously a forstner bit, but just to clarify....

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Yup, if they are big enough to get a usable plug when cut in plug orientation, should be as good as any other bit of rock maple for the job. People do plug things with dowels (end grain into face grain) but it's pretty far from ideal. Matching the grain direction improves the long-term odds of success.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

for small repairs like stripped tuner and pickguard holes / ...for deeper plugs such as neck bolt holes.

I can't imagine any benefit over good old toothpicks for this application.

Larger holes that would be exposed - yes, using a plug cutter.

Also, once the screw hole is "plugged" I drill a starter pilot hole, and lubricate the screws with an old can of Johnson paste wax.

 

[ole Jason]

Should be fine but you won't really be gaining anything. Toothpicks work fine for plugging tuner/pickguard holes. There is no tone to be found in drumstick plugs.

 

[smo]

I'm curious if I could make usable plugs out of (drumsticks) that material for small repairs

Yep.
I've used drumsticks for problem fixing.
I have a couple of Maton JB4 basses, which are made of sassarfas. I'm not sure of the overall properties of this wood, but the strap buttons kept wriggling loose. I tried using bigger screws, then toothpicks with glue, and again, and again.... Tried all normal advice I've seen on TB & Ozbass.
But kept having the issue.
So drilled it out, inserted a length of drumstick like a dowel after sanding all the finish off, and glued it in. The drumstick in question was a fairly thin one, so you can barely notice the job under the strap buttons. Never had a problem since.

I would make sure the dowel going in isn't too tight though, don't crack anything!

Also curious if I could glue up and stack them for deeper plugs such as neck bolt holes.

I'm just naive enough to try, assuming rock maple drumsticks are adequate material for the job.

Don't know, never tried it.

Good Luck!

 

[lark_z]

Dowels from big box store.......

 

[srosenthal13]

Dowels from big box store.......

Yeah, I've definitely done that. But I've got all this rock maple sitting around, so......