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I just made some pegs. I have 2 that still don't have the head carved down yet.

The first step is the rough turning.



Then I change jaws, and turn the head to the approximate shape. At this point the button is done, because it had the taper, and the groove for the tail gut cut, on the first side.I just round out the other side,



Then I cut the taper, and carve in the shoulder. It will need shimming to get it true again. If it isn't perfect, no one will know that the head is .002" off. I use the cutting tool to mark the 2 grooves. I cut with files. Then I polish it all up.



Now the head needs to be carved down. You could use the round end of a belt sander. It is concave north/south, and convex east/west. I used a knife. It worked great. Not much dust.



I smoothed it up by scraping. The shape is by feel. The edges should all be about the same, to about the widest point. It should look even.



Then it needs the carving that makes it look like a heart. I start with an X-acto cut for the centerline; then carve away with a 6mm chisel. I could use a 3mm chisel.



This is a shot showing the shape:



I finish with CA pore fill. I brush some iron acetate in the area between the collar and the head, to darken it so it recedes out of view. Polished with micromesh. This is almost complete filling; better than it was. I'll leave it like that so it looks like wood. They feel nice.

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Why be normal?

Beautiful. Thank you for the tutorial.

Those are beautiful, Ken. So much attention to detail in a small part that probably makes a big impression on the player.

Way cool Ken. Thanks for the tutorial.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Lovely, really nice work.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Great tutorial Ken. I've been thinking about making a flamenco with pegs instead of machine turners.

Brent,
I'm finishing up some pegs I made for a small Torres. The original had pegs. I think I used the cream colored part of a board labeled "Royal Ebony." I think it is Katalux. But it could be something different. Pegs don't have to be real hard; they can wear out the hole then; if they aren't really smooth, and have some lube. Walnut, cherry, maple, can all be used. Often I match the pegs and the fingerboard. The fretboard on the Torres is a purplish Katalux. Something interesting is nice if you are going to the trouble to make them.

On these, the stock was narrow, a little over 3/4" I like them wider. The one think I don't like about what I did is the undercut is too wide. I think I was having trouble with he knife slipping and nipping the collar. It wasn't a good idea. What was a good idea, is the way I didn't the last ones. Cut a line down the middle with a knife, and whittle away at the curve with a sharp chisel. Twist the chisel to smooth the bottom up. Even my 6 mm chisel didn't mar up the collar.

It looks like I made the 1/8" rounded chisel for the u'cut out of the shank of an old 5/16" HSS end mill!

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Why be normal?