# Going to make wooden plugs! What all do I need?



## 7stringDemon (Feb 27, 2013)

Hey guys!

As a fun side project, I'm going to make use out of my scrap woods that are too small for guitars and make plugs for my friends and a few people around me who might want to buy some.

I have good woodworking experience, so that won't be an issue. But I DO need some info on different measurements, sizes, shapes and treatment, etc. 

I don't stretch. I have never even pierced my ears. So I know just about nothing about them. I hardly even know how to size them to people's ears and what the sized mean until people start going by millimeters. Fuck it. I'll make a half inch my smallest. Any smaller and it won't even look cool with the woods I use.

So I need to know measurements, shapes, weights, AND what woods are safe to keep in almost constant contact with exposed human flesh and what types of finish I can and can't use.

I currently have nothing in mind. I'm completely open to ideas and stuff. I have no designs, finishes or woods that I currently plan on using.

Also, I'm going to know all of what tools I need. I know I'm not going to need a massive CNC machine or anything but I do plan on making a quality product so I'd like to get the tools that will help me with such.

Thanks guys!

And fuck it, post some pictures of your cool or exotic plugs, tunnels, spirals, etc. I'd love to see them!


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## Watty (Feb 27, 2013)

Alright, I'm going to be "that guy" while trying to be sincere about your intent.

Why not research what African tribes have used for centuries insofar as "lubrication" and "oils" are concerned; let alone what woods work best with constant skin contact. If you're going to do this, may as well do it right, the way it's been done for centuries. I'd guess it would involve some sort of oil from a plant or beeswax? And I'd try looking to the luthiery subforum to see what woods are avoided due to being hard to work, or giving off dust or oils that act as irritants or contain allergens. I believe Cocobolo was one that most luthiers avoid due to the dust being a bit hard to deal with from a health standpoint (see Ola's posting on #31?).

This, rather than following the advice of some kid who thought to make a mockery of tribal traditions.


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## 7stringDemon (Feb 27, 2013)

THAT'S the kind of advise I was asking for. Thanks!

I can't believe I didn't think of looking into ancient tribal methods. Should have been obvious!

I will begin my research.


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## Watty (Feb 27, 2013)

7stringDemon said:


> I can't believe I didn't think of looking into ancient tribal methods. Should have been obvious!



I don't know whether or not to agree with you on that one. 

Regardless, I'd be interested to know whether or not your friends are willing to try the "real way" of doing it.


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Mar 1, 2013)

^ what do you mean "the real way"


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## Watty (Mar 1, 2013)

BIG ND SWEATY said:


> ^ what do you mean "the real way"



Stretching ones ears using:

A) Real wooden plugs that are likely unfinished 
B) Oiling said plugs and skin with plant secretions or beeswax.

I.E. The way tribes in Africa have been doing it for hundreds of years, and NOT the way that (insert derogatory term here) have been doing it as of late to cash in on a ridiculous fad.

That clear enough?


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## MFB (Mar 1, 2013)

You should totally use padouk wood for these, I'm sure they'd be...



_killer._


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## broj15 (Mar 1, 2013)

Watty said:


> Stretching ones ears using:
> 
> A) Real wooden plugs that are likely unfinished
> B) Oiling said plugs and skin with plant secretions or beeswax.
> ...



What? So using acrylic or steel tapers isn't "the real way"? I know acrylic isn't good for your ears (they make them stink for one) but some of us can't afford to buy high quality wooden plugs/ tapers every time we decide to size up. Very rarely can I find wooden tapers or plugs for less at $15 a pair as opposed to acrylic which cost less than $10 for a pair (and if you take care of them and clean them every day the smell and "gunk" build up doesn't get that bad). It's not about "making a mockery of tribal traditions" or "cashing in on a fad" it's about saving money and being a smart consumer. Yes, when I reach my goal size (1") I plan on buying either stone, wood, or bone plugs but when you go up a size every 7-10 days it's way to costly to be spending that kind of money on something one will only be wearing for 1, maybe 2 weeks at the most.


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## tacotiklah (Mar 1, 2013)

My concern about using wood for this as opposed to stainless steel is the fact that wood is porous and can transfer contaminants more easily that way. The last thing you want is a nasty ear infection (if you're doing your lobes) because of using the wrong type of material to make these.


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## Watty (Mar 1, 2013)

broj15 said:


> What? So using acrylic or steel tapers isn't "the real way"? I know acrylic isn't good for your ears (they make them stink for one) but some of us can't afford to buy high quality wooden plugs/ tapers every time we decide to size up. Very rarely can I find wooden tapers or plugs for less at $15 a pair as opposed to acrylic which cost less than $10 for a pair (and if you take care of them and clean them every day the smell and "gunk" build up doesn't get that bad).



Yes, using modern materials to emulate an ancient tribal tradition, is, by definition...NOT the "real way." Hence the term emulation; to put it nicely.

To your second point:

1) If you can't afford the wooden ones, perhaps you could make them? It's a circle of wood...presumably they just rubbed a piece of wood on a stone until it was roughly circular and smooth.
2) Why is there a need to size up every 7-10 days, let alone at all? 1" seems very arbitrary if nothing else, though it does show that you think going past a certain point is silly (to some extent); odd as you're willing to do it in the first place.



broj15 said:


> It's not about "making a mockery of tribal traditions" or "cashing in on a fad" it's about saving money and being a smart consumer. Yes, when I reach my goal size (1") I plan on buying either stone, wood, or bone plugs but when you go up a size every 7-10 days it's way to costly to be spending that kind of money on something one will only be wearing for 1, maybe 2 weeks at the most.



Your two points are completely different, to the point that I don't understand why you made them. Saving money by not buying nicer ones when sizing up has NOTHING to do with the fact that you've elected to copy a tradition for the sake of a fad. And you can't honestly say you're doing neither.

You see other people with stretched lobes. You think it looks cool, or you want to be like the person in question. You stretch your lobes. Saying you would have eventually done this on your own with no prompting at all is about as likely as you stretching your neck with metal rings or your lip with a goddamn plate. It IS a fad, and it IS making a mockery of cultural traditions that have nothing to do with trying to set yourself apart from the rest of society by doing something "edgy."



ghstofperdition said:


> My concern about using wood for this as opposed to stainless steel is the fact that wood is porous and can transfer contaminants more easily that way. The last thing you want is a nasty ear infection (if you're doing your lobes) because of using the wrong type of material to make these.



Fair point, though I'd say that finishing them with the wax should act as a sort of grain filler that would allow you to, with careful cleaning on a regular basis, keep them clean enough to prevent this possibility.


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## broj15 (Mar 2, 2013)

Watty said:


> You see other people with stretched lobes. You think it looks cool, or you want to be like the person in question. You stretch your lobes. Saying you would have eventually done this on your own with no prompting at all is about as likely as you stretching your neck with metal rings or your lip with a goddamn plate. It IS a fad, and it IS making a mockery of cultural traditions that have nothing to do with trying to set yourself apart from the rest of society by doing something "edgy."



Your first points are valid (or at least valid enough to you) and i can see that no amount of logic (if you yourself would consider it logic, although I highly doubt that) that I may use will change your mind. It seems as if we'll have to agree to disagree on that issue, however I do have an issue with the quoted statement. Please, tell me exactly how it is you know my motives for stretching my ears? Did I ever explicitly state them? I don't recall doing so. of course you could just be making sweeping generalizations about someone you only know as a poster on a guitar forum and have never met in real life in order to serve your argument. Making false presumptions about someone on the opposite side of a friendly debate is a fallacy, my friend, and i didn't need a degree from a private university to learn that. Make all the accusations about my supposed "edgy-ness" you want. I can assure you it will not stop me and it won't make me lose sleep at night. I would explain to you my reasons behind my body modifications, but then again i don't feel the need to validate my lifestyle choices to people on the internet


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## Watty (Mar 2, 2013)

broj15 said:


> Your first points are valid (or at least valid enough to you) and i can see that no amount of logic (if you yourself would consider it logic, although I highly doubt that) that I may use will change your mind. It seems as if we'll have to agree to disagree on that issue, however I do have an issue with the quoted statement. Please, tell me exactly how it is you know my motives for stretching my ears? Did I ever explicitly state them? I don't recall doing so. of course you could just be making sweeping generalizations about someone you only know as a poster on a guitar forum and have never met in real life in order to serve your argument. Making false presumptions about someone on the opposite side of a friendly debate is a fallacy, my friend, and i didn't need a degree from a private university to learn that. Make all the accusations about my supposed "edgy-ness" you want. I can assure you it will not stop me and it won't make me lose sleep at night. I would explain to you my reasons behind my body modifications, but then again i don't feel the need to validate my lifestyle choices to people on the internet




So we've reached the impasse.

How do I know your motives? Let's examine what I hinted at earlier with a more fleshed out version. For the purposes of this argument, everything we do is based on one of two things; how we want to live our lives and how we want others to see us living our lives. At first glance, it might be painfully evident that you'd want to live your life with stretched lobes, regardless of how anyone perceives you for having elected to do so. However, I would say that's dishonest. Why? Because if you're doing something that is wholehearted for yourself, you do it because it benefits you in some way. You could argue that having the stretched lobes fulfills a certain aspect of your body image that you felt was missing before. Fair point, but why would you have felt that way in the first place? Most likely because you saw it reflected in the world around you and it seeded itself into the back of your mind. Even something as harmless as "that looks interesting" could easily develop into a need along the lines of what I mentioned a second ago regarding a desire to have the external mirror the internal.

Is that high-level bullshit? Sure. But, at some point, I think we owe it to ourselves to examine just what exactly prompts us to make the decisions we do, if not only to see how others might view us through the same critical lens that we all possess and use to make sense of the world. I'll again relate that there's NO WAY you would ever have decided to stretch your ear lobes unless you saw it as being a decision that would benefit you in some way. Being that there's no individualized benefit (i.e. pain, smell, and societal disdain are detriments), it doesn't follow that you'd have done it purely for your sake. I'd even doubt that the tribes in Africa started doing it just because. There was probably some hunter who got his lobe ripped while chasing a lion or some shit, and it became synonymous with bravery and manhood, hence its continued use up to present day. (Perhaps he thought to fill the resulting hole with a natural thing, so as to keep his body "of the earth," hence the reason for the wooden plug).

And it's not really even an argument in the true sense of the word, it's a statement about the way things seem to be based on the available evidence. So, I'm not trying to single you out insofar as a justification for my position is concerned; more trying to find out how you'd justify it to yourself when asked if you did it purely of your own accord...which per the above, seems to be a moot point. I don't expect it to stop you, nor do I think you need to validate your choices via the internet or any other avenue. However, saying that it wasn't a decision based on something akin to a desire to be "edgy" is almost laudable as, again, you don't see people stretching their necks or wearing lip plates. The folks involved in the casual modifications (yourself included) realize there's a disparity that exists between the social utility present in different levels of mods and you know to stop when you've hit a certain point. (i.e. the one in which you've managed to effectively distinguish yourself from the "rest of us")

tl;dr - No decision we make is made in a vacuum (unless you're of the opinion that Descartes was correct in assuming that nothing is demonstrably real aside from our own consciousness), rather based on past experiences and a constructed conception of ourselves resulting from our interaction with the world around us. 

tl;dr (FO REALZ) - Plugs or no...IDGAF, just don't say it wasn't a fad that isn't making a mockery of tribal traditions.


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Mar 2, 2013)

holy fuck just give it up, i seriously hate when simple threads turn into some dumbass debate.


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## UnderTheSign (Mar 2, 2013)

Watty said:


> Yes, using modern materials to emulate an ancient tribal tradition, is, by definition...NOT the "real way." Hence the term emulation; to put it nicely.


So yeah, we should all totally go back to tattooing the old school way. Fuck modern tattoo artists.

As for the plugs, get some different sized plug cutters:





Or get a small lathe. It shouldn't be too hard making them.

Finishing wise I'd go for a natural product. Beeswax has been mentioned and a girl I know uses olive oil.


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## ihunda (Mar 2, 2013)

OP wanted to create a fun thread about something new he wants to explore, got a big old flame back instead... sad 

I know nothing about enlarging ears but that pictures is worth sharing:


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## Watty (Mar 2, 2013)

BIG ND SWEATY said:


> holy fuck just give it up, i seriously hate when simple threads turn into some dumbass debate.



So, because you hate it, we should give up arguing? I get that you don't like it man, but I don't like it when people assert things that I think are not only fallacies, but fallacies that have associated detriments to aspects of societal institutions. Don't like it? Don't read it.



UnderTheSign said:


> So yeah, we should all totally go back to tattooing the old school way. Fuck modern tattoo artists.
> 
> Finishing wise I'd go for a natural product. Beeswax has been mentioned and a girl I know uses olive oil.



I didn't saying ANYTHING about tattooing (though a somewhat similar pattern of logic applies as per the above) and to equate the two as being exactly the same in this regard is asinine. 



ihunda said:


> OP wanted to create a fun thread about something new he wants to explore, got a big old flame back instead... sad



You'll notice that I didn't flame the OP or his decision to make the plugs. I made a suggestion about how he might some preliminary research that has now been seconded by someone else. I "flamed" someone who asserted that it was not a fad and that it didn't make a mockery of tribal traditions. Again, no need to put words in my mouth or say that they were directed against someone other than the intended party.


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Mar 2, 2013)

Watty said:


> So, because you hate it, we should give up arguing? I get that you don't like it man, but I don't like it when people assert things that I think are not only fallacies, but fallacies that have associated detriments to aspects of societal institutions. Don't like it? Don't read it.



if you want to argue then make another thread or take it to PMs and who even gives a shit, its the internet there is no need to be right 100% of the time, he never even said it wasn't a fad, you're the one who said he said it was a fad. you're the one who assumed he was just following the trendy thing even after he said he wasn't, who knows maybe he saw a documentary on the tribes and liked the way their ears looked. the OP just wanted to know how to make some plugs. theres no reason to start some deep psychological debate on why another member wants to stretch his ears.


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## blaaargh (Mar 2, 2013)

broj15 said:


> but when you go up a size every 7-10 days it's way to costly to be spending that kind of money on something one will only be wearing for 1, maybe 2 weeks at the most.



Don't you think that's a little fast? I don't have stretched ears but all my friends who do say they waited at least a month before going up a size. I'd be really worried about a blowout if I or someone I knew was going up that fast.


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## Watty (Mar 2, 2013)

BIG ND SWEATY said:


> if you want to argue then make another thread or take it to PMs and who even gives a shit, its the internet there is no need to be right 100% of the time, he never even said it wasn't a fad, you're the one who said he said it was a fad. you're the one who assumed he was just following the trendy thing even after he said he wasn't, who knows maybe he saw a documentary on the tribes and liked the way their ears looked. the OP just wanted to know how to make some plugs. theres no reason to start some deep psychological debate on why another member wants to stretch his ears.



To be fair, we are PM'ing, and he's revealed a bit more...and it still doesn't disprove my point. Did I insinuate it was a fad? Yes, because it is. He claimed it wasn't and so I argued why that was a silly viewpoint to have. And even if he saw a documentary and liked the look, that example falls square in the middle of my point if you'd understood why I was saying.

It is the internet, thus nothing matters. Again, if you don't like the debate he and I had here, don't read it. By continuing to post regarding it, you're showing that you do have an opinion on the matter (whether positive, negative, or ambivalent) which is counterproductive to your intended point as far as I can tell.


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## Phrygian (Mar 2, 2013)

^Seriously? 




blaaargh said:


> Don't you think that's a little fast? I don't have stretched ears but all my friends who do say they waited at least a month before going up a size. I'd be really worried about a blowout if I or someone I knew was going up that fast.



Truth. Don't expand too fast! You can develope scar tissue which makes expanding more painful because scar tissue is harder than normal skin, less elastic and will break easier. The amount of skin holding the plug in it's place can also lessen as a result of this. The general guideline from professional piercers is 2.0 mm/month TOPS! Any faster than that and you might get these issues, and some other nasty ones like blowout. 


When it comes to plugs I use wooden ones, I like a concave bevel so that it holds itself in place very well. These are the ones I use now:

Crocodile Wood Tunnels | Mesmerize.no


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Mar 2, 2013)

Watty said:


> To be fair, we are PM'ing, and he's revealed a bit more...and it still doesn't disprove my point. Did I insinuate it was a fad? Yes, because it is. He claimed it wasn't and so I argued why that was a silly viewpoint to have. And even if he saw a documentary and liked the look, that example falls square in the middle of my point if you'd understood why I was saying.
> 
> It is the internet, thus nothing matters. Again, if you don't like the debate he and I had here, don't read it. By continuing to post regarding it, you're showing that you do have an opinion on the matter (whether positive, negative, or ambivalent) which is counterproductive to your intended point as far as I can tell.



iv read his replies numerous times now and cant find where he says it isn't a fad so if you could point that out that would be greatly appreciated. unless you're referring to when he says "It's not about making a mockery of tribal traditions or cashing in on a fad" which even if you are you should be able to tell that hes not saying anything about it not being a fad, hes talking purely about the money aspect of acrylic being more economical than wood despite it not being the tr00 way.

i don't have any opinion on ear stretching beyond the fact that it looks good on some and bad on others, if you think someones reasons for doing something to their own body is stupid or silly that's cool, its your opinion after all but there really isn't a need to tell him about the inner workings of the mind and human nature to say that you think his or anyone else's reasons are dumb.

i do apologize if it seems like im quite angry at you but iv got alot of shit going on and im pretty irritable at the moment and this just kinda made me boil over.


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## Watty (Mar 2, 2013)

Phrygian said:


> ^Seriously?



Yep?



BIG ND SWEATY said:


> iv read his replies numerous times now and cant find where he says it isn't a fad so if you could point that out that would be greatly appreciated. unless you're referring to when he says "It's not about making a mockery of tribal traditions or cashing in on a fad" which even if you are you should be able to tell that hes not saying anything about it not being a fad, hes talking purely about the money aspect of acrylic being more economical than wood despite it not being the tr00 way.



Your first statement makes no sense as you prove the negative you cited was false. And while he was addressing the point you make about the consumerist aspect of it, given my longer report, that's just about beside the point.



BIG ND SWEATY said:


> i don't have any opinion on ear stretching beyond the fact that it looks good on some and bad on others, if you think someones reasons for doing something to their own body is stupid or silly that's cool, its your opinion after all but there really isn't a need to tell him about the inner workings of the mind and human nature to say that you think his or anyone else's reasons are dumb.



I should think that telling someone you disagree is pointless, especially on the internet. Therefore, I decided to justify WHY I felt that way...normally that's something folks tend to appreciate in an argument, even if it's coming from the opposite side. Not fleshing out your evidence is just about as bad as saying "God did it" with regards to religious issues.



BIG ND SWEATY said:


> i do apologize if it seems like im quite angry at you but iv got alot of shit going on and im pretty irritable at the moment and this just kinda made me boil over.



No need to apologize; if this was the straw that broke the camel's back, why not take a break from the internet arguments until you're through with whatever's bothering you? If not that, I don't see why you chose to bring this up...


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## straightshreddd (Mar 2, 2013)

I know this thread is for how to make wooden plugs, but I thought I'd just throw this in there right quick.

NO TAPERS after half inch. From then on use tape. There's a specific tape a guy recommended that is not electric tape. I'm gonna research it and come back. Small, gradual layers for painless size ups. And take it sloooow. Be patient.

And Watty, for the love of christopher walken. GTFO, my n*gga.


lol


But, to OP: find the safest, most durable wood. Even if it looks boring or has no cool grain pattern, you can always put a laminate top. Yo! Flamed maple plugs! That'd be sick. BUCKEYE PLUGS. or figured claro walnut plugs. Fuck this. I'm stretching back to 7/8's.


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## thebunfather (Mar 3, 2013)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SWPlugs/367846704408

This guy is one of my best friends and doing exactly what you're talking about. Pretty successfully, too.


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## Watty (Mar 3, 2013)

straightshreddd said:


> And Watty, for the love of christopher walken. GTFO, my n*gga.



I don't see the correlation between Walken and that particular term, though I don't watch many of his movies...? Regardless, for all the folks who've joined the neg rep fest, just about none of what I said was directed at the OP. My contribution to the thread was to provide some advice that he himself said he appreciated. 

Edit: I do think Mr. Walken is amazing, so you should cap his name when you write it, let alone because you were comparing him to god with your phrasing...and he always gets a capital G....


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## straightshreddd (Mar 3, 2013)

Watty said:


> I don't see the correlation between Walken and that particular term, though I don't watch many of his movies...? Regardless, for all the folks who've joined the neg rep fest, just about none of what I said was directed at the OP. My contribution to the thread was to provide some advice that he himself said he appreciated.
> 
> Edit: I do think Mr. Walken is amazing, so you should cap his name when you write it, let alone because you were comparing him to god with your phrasing...and he always gets a capital G....



I didn't neg you, but you're right. I actually thought about capitalizing his name after I wrote it because he's Christopher Walken and it's a proper noun. haha


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## Watty (Mar 3, 2013)

straightshreddd said:


> I didn't neg you, but you're right. I actually thought about capitalizing his name after I wrote it because he's Christopher Walken and it's a proper noun. haha



I wasn't insinuating that you had man, IIRC, you said you don't use neg rep all that often anyways? Heck, I don't think I've ever pressed that button...

And yeah, even if he wasn't a boss, it's a name so it deserves the caps.


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## straightshreddd (Mar 3, 2013)

Watty said:


> I wasn't insinuating that you had man, IIRC, you said you don't use neg rep all that often anyways? Heck, I don't think I've ever pressed that button...
> 
> And yeah, even if he wasn't a boss, it's a name so it deserves the caps.



Yeah, I only do when someone says something that makes me lose faith in humanity. lol 


But, to OP: 

The bidding's about to end, but check dis shih out

Flame Flaming Box Elder Burl Turning Pen Blanks Wood Crafts A | eBay



Edit: and this 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/blackline-s...708?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac1e7ad0c

Spalted dogwood and orange maple? Shit looks sick. You could make some nice plugs with that. What size are you, btw?


Edit 2: Ahh, just noticed that the widest they have is around 7/8's so if you're bigger, disregard.


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## 7stringDemon (Mar 9, 2013)

Wow, this place exploded!

First of all, Watty. Again, I appreciate the info you first gave me and that lead me to a lot of great info. And since I also am ONLY making wooden ones, the ancient methods really seemed great! Except for one thing. . . . 

I don't give a fuck about sticking to tradition. If I did, I wouldn't be playing guitar. I don't want to roll a broken tree branch on a rock for a week. I want to bust out my router and make some awesome shit that looks good! And if that means I'm making a mockery of ancient traditions, then oh well! I'm willing to bet that everyone here breaks 5 different ancient traditions before even stepping into work in the morning. Why be so tense about it? I'm not part of an African Tribe. Hell, I don't even believe in God! 

I am totally joining the trend for looks alone. Well, I specifically am not. I don't stretch. But my friends are. And I know that they would love to have some badass wooden plugs. I don't care if that pisses off some African tribe leader. He can go fuck himself. 

Also, I'll be using modern materials. I don't care. So long as it gets the job done in a professional way that DOES NOT CAUSE HARM TO THE WEARER, I'm happy. 

I guess that's all I care about here. A good looking, quality product that doesn't cause any harm. 


ANYWAY!

What do you guys think about a double sided plug? I plan on doing half Spalted Maple and half Mahogany! Possibly have to hollow them out on the inside because Maple and Mahogany are pretty heavy. Is that a safe idea? No problems that I should be aware of?

Also, straightshreddd, I'm not ANY size. I'm not making these for myself


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## blaaargh (Mar 9, 2013)

I'd be wary of using anything spalted, as it's a fungus. I suppose if you finished it it would be safe enough, but still, I'd use a different material if possible. If you do decide to use it, the weight won't be an issue, as spalting causes wood to lose a lot of weight.


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## straightshreddd (Mar 9, 2013)

7stringDemon said:


> Wow, this place exploded!
> 
> First of all, Watty. Again, I appreciate the info you first gave me and that lead me to a lot of great info. And since I also am ONLY making wooden ones, the ancient methods really seemed great! Except for one thing. . . .
> 
> ...




 @ the first three paragraphs. Shit made me laugh for real. haha

But, I see. Welp, I'm guessing your friends are into stretching and have large sizes so those links I posted probably were pointless. haha But, ebay has some sick prices on small amounts of wood. That's the cool thing about making gauges. A slab of wood that would make one guitar body can make hundreds of plugs. When I worked at this shop a few years ago, they had a router with all types of sizes and I used to have them drill 'em out and I'd sand 'em and paint 'em. If I had gotten some clear coat or oils, they would have been even better. But, I just put tape around the wearing area for my ears' sake. haha

Mahogany plugs would be dope. I'd research into spalted maple a little more because as blaargh said, it could iritate the ear due to the process maple goes through to become spalted. But, if you really want to use it, I'm sure there's a finish you could use. 

I'd say email some plug makers. They should provide you some useful info. The link the guy posted on the last page had some sick shizz on it.


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## UnderTheSign (Mar 10, 2013)

Just wondering, how are you planning on making plugs with a router?


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## 7stringDemon (Mar 10, 2013)

I'm not. The router was a metaphorical term for "get all of my shit together and get to work on these plugs". 

Using a router would be very wasteful.


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## UnderTheSign (Mar 10, 2013)

7stringDemon said:


> I'm not. The router was a metaphorical term for "get all of my shit together and get to work on these plugs".
> 
> Using a router would be very wasteful.


Haha good, got me wondering there!


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## Solodini (Mar 15, 2013)

I second the concave flares to keep em in place. Really helps. Make sure the flares aren't too big, or have an option for big or small flares as big flares can be a pain if your ears aren't too elastic. There's some cool wooden plugs out there with one wood in the middle and one surrounding it, which looks cool. BodyJewelleryShop.co.uk is where I buy most of my stuff. Wildcat is my second choice of webstore. They both have some decent wooden stuff. Perhaps look at what woods their stuff is made of.

I also agree on going slow with the stretching. Once you're at size, slower stretched piercings seem to look better, as well. By this, I mean that when the jewellery is removed, the flesh doesn't wrinkle and look like a "cat's arse" so much if it's been stretched more gradually.


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## Watty (Mar 17, 2013)

7stringDemon said:


> I don't give a fuck about sticking to tradition. If I did, I wouldn't be playing guitar. I don't want to roll a broken tree branch on a rock for a week. I want to bust out my router and make some awesome shit that looks good! And if that means I'm making a mockery of ancient traditions, then oh well! I'm willing to bet that everyone here breaks 5 different ancient traditions before even stepping into work in the morning. Why be so tense about it? I'm not part of an African Tribe. Hell, I don't even believe in God!
> 
> I am totally joining the trend for looks alone. Well, I specifically am not. I don't stretch. But my friends are. And I know that they would love to have some badass wooden plugs. I don't care if that pisses off some African tribe leader. He can go fuck himself.



None of what I said was directed at you man; furthermore:

A) I don't believe in a God either, but I still find the practice stupid for reasons I've already outlined. The two are definitely not mutually exclusive. Thus, including this sentiment is a non-sequitor for you.

B) Your "sticking to tradition" analogy with the rock/guitar doesn't follow either as I didn't mean to insinuate that we should be reverting back to "stone age" means of doing all things. However, this is a thing that has almost always been done through the use of ancient methods, and, in an effort to distinguish your product from others, perhaps it might be worth following these methods for better results.

C) I didn't say you were joining the trend. I didn't say I cared that your friends were joining the trend. I only bothered to say something because people claim specifically that they are NOT following a trend when they choose to stretch, which simply isn't the truth.

D) I'd dare you to tell him to f-off to his face, but as that's not liable to happen regardless of the chance for the situation to occur, I'll simply imagine what might transpire.


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## theoctopus (Mar 17, 2013)

I'm not exactly sure when my fascination started, but I have clear memories of being attracted to the aesthetic of stretched lobes when I was 5 and thumbing through my father's collection of books on Buddhism. I suppose that means I, too, was following a trend, though it was one that traces back to 5 BCE. 

I went up and down in sizes from the age of 14 to 23, at which point I pulled out my jewelry and never wore plugs again. My largest size was 1.5 inches, and my earlobes now, after not having anything in them for 4 years, can still comfortably fit 5/8 inch.

I've worn a wide array of jewelry, from stone to steel to mammoth tusk to wood. I have a couple tips on building good quality plugs. First, if you're going to build flared plugs, build narrower flares. It can be double flared, or single flared (with an O-ring in the back). If you're going to build plugs that use O-rings for retention, then cut a shallow groove for the O-ring to rest in. That small detail makes a world of difference. Second, do research on porous vs. non-porous woods. Nothing is worse than having wood plugs adhere to your ears. Third, you can vary from the circular shape, if you want. The new thing is teardrop-shaped plugs, and, though they're uncomfortable to wear for long periods, they are cool.



Watty said:


> However, this is a thing that has almost always been done through the use of ancient methods, and, in an effort to distinguish your product from others, perhaps it might be worth following these methods for better results.



The modern primitive concept is not new. It does not distinguish products. It has been around for years and years and years. It was what drove the initial development of plugs made from organic materials.



Watty said:


> D) I'd dare you to tell him to f-off to his face, but as that's not liable to happen regardless of the chance for the situation to occur, I'll simply imagine what might transpire.



My guess is nothing. African tribal leaders probably don't understand much English.


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## Watty (Mar 17, 2013)

theoctopus said:


> I'm not exactly sure when my fascination started, but I have clear memories of being attracted to the aesthetic of stretched lobes when I was 5 and thumbing through my father's collection of books on Buddhism. I suppose that means I, too, was following a trend, though it was one that traces back to 5 BCE.



While I can respect your point, I doubt you'd have made the conscious effort to stretch provided there was no established sub-culture present. Thus, unless you were one of the first people ever to stretch before it became "popular," this facet of the argument really doesn't even hold to the primitive imitation you cite.



theoctopus said:


> My guess is nothing. African tribal leaders probably don't understand much English.



Despite the joking means of delivery, I was being entirely serious. Provided a translator were present, I'd imagine the tribe member might ask what brave feat the [teen] in question accomplished to deserve the stretched lobes. When the [teen] would answer with "nothing, I figured it looked edgy," I highly doubt the tribesman would be "okay" with that.


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## straightshreddd (Mar 17, 2013)




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## theoctopus (Mar 17, 2013)

Watty said:


> While I can respect your point, I doubt you'd have made the conscious effort to stretch provided there was no established sub-culture present. Thus, unless you were one of the first people ever to stretch before it became "popular," this facet of the argument really doesn't even hold to the primitive imitation you cite.


You do realize that stretching your ears has been "popular" for thousands of years, right? I'm not even sure what to say to this. People have been adorning their bodies since before the historical record. Devaluing it by saying that it's part of a current trend is stupid and short-sighted.



Watty said:


> Despite the joking means of delivery, I was being entirely serious. Provided a translator were present, I'd imagine the tribe member might ask what brave feat the [teen] in question accomplished to deserve the stretched lobes. When the [teen] would answer with "nothing, I figured it looked edgy," I highly doubt the tribesman would be "okay" with that.


I am not trying to be offensive, but I can't help but feel that your cultural ignorance is truly remarkable.


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## Watty (Mar 18, 2013)

theoctopus said:


> You do realize that stretching your ears has been "popular" for thousands of years, right? I'm not even sure what to say to this. People have been adorning their bodies since before the historical record. Devaluing it by saying that it's part of a current trend is stupid and short-sighted..



This leads me to believe that you actually think that I'm talking about anything other than the fad that's developed into our modern culture over the last decade or so....not the case. If you were doing it because its something your family's done for generations, rite of passage in you community, etc. I'd have no issue at all. However, given that this isn't the case, I think what I've said isn't out of line.



theoctopus said:


> I am not trying to be offensive, but I can't help but feel that your cultural ignorance is truly remarkable.



We're all ignorant unless we're actually part of the culture in question, so I don't even see how this statement works...?


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## KillerStephen (Mar 18, 2013)

Those damn African hipster tribes and their stretched lobes... Pssh, I hate em! lol

Anyway, I also wear wood plugs. Just prefer the aesthetic. Most Ive owned and worn were either raw, or possibly a light oil on them. I dont recall seeing any that actually had a hard finish on them.

I read somewhere that wood has a natural ability to fight off fungus and bacteria. Not sure if thats true, but Ive never had any issues with various types of wood jewelry Ive owned and worn in the past.

If you make any 1.5 inch, hit me up!



straightshreddd said:


> NO TAPERS after half inch. From then on use tape. There's a specific tape a guy recommended that is not electric tape. I'm gonna research it and come back. Small, gradual layers for painless size ups. And take it sloooow. Be patient.
> 
> And Watty, for the love of christopher walken. GTFO, my n*gga.



You can use PTFE tape, or the more highly recommended bondage tape you can get at your friendly neighborhood porn store, or order online if you find it awkward being around boners.


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## thrsher (Mar 18, 2013)

Organic Plugs - Organic Wood Plugs and Body Jewelry

that is where i get wood plugs from for my GF, maybe you can gather some info. keep informed when you get your work together, would love to see some choice woods not on this site


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## GatherTheArsenal (Mar 20, 2013)

I stretched my ear lobes 2 years ago... i wasn't (and i'm still not) following a "trend." I don't consider ear-lobe stretching as anywhere near to be called a trend, not that I'm an authority on the subject, but I don't see why anyone would even call it that. I always considered fads and trends (or what people consider trends) to be reserved for what the majority of society embraces and accepts ... like leg warmers in the 80's, and plad shirts in the 90's, and whatever the hell was trendy in 2000 and on... but ear-lobe stretching on the other hand?? Isn't even in the ball park to begin calling it a trend  at least not where I'm at and i highly doubt it is in many other first-world societies. It's rare, gets a bunch of stares and the odd inquisitive questions from strangers. 

And reasons for body modfication is entirely subjective on a case by case basis, depending on a person's motivation to modify their body, as i'm sure many out there have done so regardless of "what's in" or hip. Just sayin'... the type of body modification a lot of people get is irregardless of trends. 

To the OP - stoked to see what you come up with! What kind of wood(s) would you be working with?


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