Thread: What are you working on?

Looking good! Can't wait to see the finished product.

I take it that they sell the reeds to make these custom calls. Do the reeds get glued in or can they be interchanged between calls. Just wondering

Thanks, fellas-Considering it was my 1st actual duck call (following a couple of practice prototypes in poplar-I wasn't going to practice on a $50 blank!), I'm pleased with it. I actually copied the design from a call my son already has, although putting a little shelf under the band was my own touch. Here are a couple of finished pics.


Since it will no doubt see cold, muddy water and horrible conditions, I went with 9 coats of CA turned in for a finish, then polished through the grits with micro-mesh, followed by buffing out with rubbing compound and RenWax. It was actually easier than I expected overall (especially since I tried my new carbides for the inside curves ). I hope to turn some more in various tropical hardwoods soon, and maybe some acrylics. I gotta wait until I get paid to buy more inserts and supplies, though-this latest rabbit hole has damn near bankrupted me!

That finished, I chucked up my desert ironwood blank for a brush handle, and got a horrific catch that split about an inch on 1 end and jerked it out of my 50mm jaws-that stuff is so hard it is merciless on poor technique and dull tools! Think I'll go back at it tomorrow with freshly-sharpened tools and well-rested. Lesson learned-don't turn tired!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Looking good! Can't wait to see the finished product.

I take it that they sell the reeds to make these custom calls. Do the reeds get glued in or can they be interchanged between calls. Just wondering

Roy, that black plastic reed insert can be purchased in several colors for fairly cheap. Some guys who make totally custom calls make their own wooden reeds and inserts using a special jig from what I've seen in videos-I'm a long way from trying that. In any event, not being a duck hunter myself, I have to rely on my son for what sounds "right" to ducks, so I wouldn't have the knowledge or cred to "tune" custom call inserts.

Jelly, that razor looks like a less than perfect regrind, the bevel looks nice though. You should be able to straighten the face out by hand.
AA Ron, nice looking call. Don’t use power or sharps tools tired or angry. I recently had a 14 stitch reminder on that golden rule. I’m glad you got away with a chipped piece of wood.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Roy, that black plastic reed insert can be purchased in several colors for fairly cheap. Some guys who make totally custom calls make their own wooden reeds and inserts using a special jig from what I've seen in videos-I'm a long way from trying that. In any event, not being a duck hunter myself, I have to rely on my son for what sounds "right" to ducks, so I wouldn't have the knowledge or cred to "tune" custom call inserts.

As many of us have found with the rabbit holes with this age old art some guys get really into what they make.

But there again, others like to have a little fun-----------------------------------------

That was funny, Roy-the dogs enjoyed the hell out of it!

Oh Roy, I had tears in my eyes. Thank you.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Oh Roy, I had tears in my eyes. Thank you.

Glad you enjoyed it. The guy does a pretty good wild turkey gobble. Not so much here in Walla Walla, but 30 miles away in Dayton where I grew up the damn turkeys are all over town!

On a whim, an old friend used a large cardboard box with a stick holding it up and a string tied to the stick and a bowl of something under the box to see if he could catch one and sure as hell he caught one in his back yard! He did what the guy in the video did and ran out and held the box down so the bird couldn't get away However---------He did release it as that's a BIG NO NO here in Washington State.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Lesson learned-don't turn tired!

Looks even better with finish and polished up!
I have a small piece of this stuff, waiting for me to try my hand at dying and stabilizing...if memory serves, I'm thinking it'll be big enough to get a brush out of,... If it doesn't warp while baking in the resin

As for that lesson, yeah, been there
Never with desert ironwood though! I'm definitely not "there" yet, with my turning.

I just made this handle for an old chisel last week out of Cumaru/Brazilian Teak...hardest wood I've turned so far...


Making the butt ring for it from a piece of 1" brass rod was fun though

Drilled to 3/4 ID, pattern ground out with a sanding drum, then aged in vinegar and salt fumes, and lightly sanded the high spots to accent

Nice looking call, Aaron.!

My only complaint is that its too shiny. From an ex duck hunters view, might as well have a flashing, neon sign hanging from your neck.

Next would be how it sounds. Will it sound a high ball, without turning into a widgeon whistle, will it do a feeder chuckle, without the reed sticking.

Used to love waterfowl hunting, but man did it end up getting expensive as I got older, and they illegalized lead shot, for soft steel, or bismuth. Wasn't about to run that stuff down the barrel of my 97 Winchester.