First call in 8 years

[HVF21221]

Here is a pic of three duck calls I made.
Left: Bloodwood, I made the barrel 8 years ago. I completed the stopper last week.
Middle: Cocobola barrel I made 8 years ago, I completed the aluminum stopper this week.
Right: My first complete call in 8 years. Ebony barrel and aluminum stopper.
I knew I have been away for a while but did not realize how long until I looked at one of my signed calls and it was dated 2000! I have moved into a new house and been busy in general since then, but I have been waiting for some time to get back into the game. Of course I may be back out of the game this summer when I plan on a new man cave in the form of a 24 X 32 detatched garage with workshop upstairs, but that will be ok.
Thanks for looking, Howard

http://home.comcast.net/~hoobandnic/3calls.jpg

[Braz]

Well, those are sure good looking calls. I hope you stick around and share your knowledge. Nice work.

[dogcatcher]

Those are nice looking.  How did you ever cut an aluminum toneboard?  I be that took a long time to tune.

Marvin

[HVF21221]

Thanks for the comments. These calls are using guts I bought. Back in 2000 all my calls were AR style and I had a jig made at a machine shop. Getting back into the hobby I noticed alot of more readily available parts. I wanted to play around with the new stuff and compare it to my old calls. I like both and will probably still mix it up. I have been thinking about how to do an AR style in aluminum though.

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

That's way cool! I had a guy donate a call to a charity event lastyear that was a solid aluminum arkansas style single reed. Sounded really crisp. Nice job on those three.

 Bob

[HaMeR]

Very nice!! Welcome back to the game!!  8)

[HVF21221]

Thanks guys. I've got a few made now in aluminum. I did a few in acrylic using the same dimensions out of some nice acrylic I got from a guy named Al. As far as making barrels I have been out of commision, I bent my mandrel. I should have all my supplies in this week to make a new one. My old one was purchased not that long ago so I'm not too happy. It was brass, my new one will be steel. I am also going to make one in 1/2" diameter to put the stoppers on to sand/polish.

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

OK, I give up.  I have tried to open that fiilre for a week now and it just will not open for me  ???

Gonna have to try something else here.

AL @ THO

[Troy of Run -N- Gun Game Calls]

It opened up for me,It all in your clicker.Cool call,nice job.

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

I got them to open LOL   Yippie!   Now I can see those aluminum stoppers.  I was about to throw the lap top out the darn window.

THey are pretty cool.  Do you turn the stoppers on a metal lathe or on a wood lathe?   

Al @ THO

[HVF21221]

Both, I was turning all my AR style wood stoppers on an old shopsmith. (Too big for the smaller jobs) Then I purchased a Rikon Midi lathe. Now I have gotten a benchtop metal lathe and have done the aluminum and acrylic stoppers on it. I have also made aluminum gutserts for goose calls and now new mandrels for turning the calls on the wood lathe.
Howard

[Timber Ghost]

those are some mighty fine lookin calls for sure!