Gonzo620 Posted December 24, 2017 Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 So I know how inexpensive plugs are, but I still wanted to give it a whirl. I’m totally a DIY guy so why not plugs. Saves me a few buck and can possibly make some too. Started out by making the mold. First I cut a 3”x10”x2” thick block of delrin plastic work was about to trash into 4 strips. Next I bolted them back together with 6 long bolts. Then I drilled a 3/8” holes in a staggered pattern 1-1/4” deep. This will be the stems of the plugs. Once all the 3/8” holes were drilled I used a 7/8” drill bit to make the crowns. I drilled down 1/4” in depth. Next step was the recipe. I have some old clean sand in a bucket in the garage, and I managed to get some Portland cement from the bricklayers at work. I went with a ratio of 3 to 1. 3/4 cup of sand and 1/4 cup of Portland cement was enough for the mold and a few flat disc. I mixed all the ingredients in a empty calcium supplement container that I cut the top 1/4 off. I added enough water to create a syrupy consistency. This will allow any air bubbles to rise out of the mix. Now comes the fun part. I started scooping the mix into every plug hole in the mold. Once they were all filled I smoothed the surface and started to shake and tap on the mold to work out any trapped air bubbles and settle the mix in in every plug hole. Followed by a top off of mix to any low spots. Dry time is two days. And Shazam! Unbolt the mold pry the strips apart with a flat screwdriver, a few taps hear and there and a wiggle of the plugs and walla. Let me know if you wanna try for yourself. I’ll be happy to give any advice about the process. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrood Posted December 24, 2017 Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 Nice! My homemade plugs look like something my grandkids would have made with play dough. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldend Posted December 24, 2017 Report Share Posted December 24, 2017 Good work. DIY is a big part of the fun! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefaddict12 Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 That is so awesome! I' a big DIY'er and this has really spike my interest! Now I just gotta find a way to make a mold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo620 Posted December 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 5 hours ago, Reefaddict12 said: That is so awesome! I' a big DIY'er and this has really spike my interest! Now I just gotta find a way to make a mold. In my research I saw some people use wood. I used the plastic cause it was available and was killing time at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentNight1793 Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 I have been on the hunt for large grow out plates (3" plate or larger) mainly for zoa's and paly's. It is hard to find anything larger than a 2" disk. This would be a great idea for those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted January 4, 2018 Report Share Posted January 4, 2018 2 hours ago, SilentNight1793 said: I have been on the hunt for large grow out plates (3" plate or larger) mainly for zoa's and paly's. It is hard to find anything larger than a 2" disk. This would be a great idea for those. You could use the same mixture and use the bottom of plastic cups. Pour it in and pop them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentNight1793 Posted January 5, 2018 Report Share Posted January 5, 2018 15 hours ago, Budman said: You could use the same mixture and use the bottom of plastic cups. Pour it in and pop them out. That is a good idea.....weekend project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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