A "DIRTY" word

[Heirloom]

I was just wondering if anyone has ever had any experience with duplicators. (Told you it was a dirty word) I have no intention of going to using one but my son (with a Masters in Manufacturing Technology) keeps tossing that word out when we talk about the shop ad how things are going. I know where he's trying to get me to go and I AIN'T GOING. But he does have me curious now.
PLEASE, when you hit me, don't use metal or good wood. Metal breaks bones and blood stains wood.

[Amerflyer48]

I view tools as just that  tools..

 kinda like the "Force" in star wars...

 it is still your design,..and you still select the blanks...the variations will be smaller and it will be more consistent....


and...

the "Handmade by Brian" calls will be worth more to collectors  make sure to mark the duplicated ones with "Designed by Brian" so we can tell the difference 

 I can see it being a personal choice,.. 15-20 of a design by hand is special 500-1000 by machine kinda loses that "custom" touch

John

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

I'm not sure you will accomplish anything other than constancy with a duplicator.  I dont think you will save any time in the long run either.  

Why are you thinking about a duplicator?   In other words, what do you want it to do for you?

Al @ THO

[alscalls]

Hell I dont even use a tape measure.........
I have been asked a few times to make a call exactly like a previous one...... ....I have tried and came close by making a template but the wood want what the wood wants and I would just rather do what feels right.

[sharkathmi]

The guy we get our hay from was over the other day and I showed him my lathe setup.
Being a machinist, the first thing he said was I needed to get a duplicator.
I turn for fun, it's a hobby, and I'm only in the beginning of my turnings (less than 6 months)
I like chucking up a piece of wood and watch what happens when the chips fly.
Typically, I don't have an outcome in mind, just turn and see where it goes.
For me, a duplicator defeats the purpose of turning.
For some of you guys that make lots of calls in any given day or week, I can see where a duplicator may speed things up a bit, if you are trying to make an exact duplicate. If you are turning and selling commercially, I know some folks that want that consistency from call to call. They set up jigs that cut consistant lengths and bore X number of blanks at a time. Consistency if important to them. For me it's not.
I made these without a duplicator.

Just a set of calipers.
I think they are pretty close in size, etc, and yes it took a little extra time to get them that way.
Part of being a custom call is there isn't another one just like it.
If I purchased a custom call that I later found out was turned with a duplicator, I wouldn't care.
It was still hand crafted. You can only do so much with a duplicator.
I guess if boils down to what you are trying to achieve.
It's a personal choice.
Just my thoughts.
Mark

[Braz]

Mark, those two calls are just stunning. Very, very nice work on the turning and the glueup. 

[sharkathmi]

Thank you Sir!!

[Heirloom]

They are absolutly stunning Mark.
Thanks for the input guys. I think my son is thinking on the lines of production. but my thouhgts are thatby the time you set up and then run the peice, your still looking at about the same amount of time. Especially when you look at the time it takes to sand and finish a call the way i like them done. He may also be tryong to think of a way to get "Whats-his-name" into doing more to help around here. Like I said, I don't see myself going there. As it is now, I basically turn out the calls and then in the evenings or whenever, I set them up and sand them, sort of a stand up and turn and then use the sanding to sit and take a break.

[Jeff @ Mutt Calls]

Brian, whatever you do it will be just fine. You do great work in and of itself... a duplicator would only be another avenue to pursue. Ulitimately it is youre choice which is so cool about this hobby! I love hearing all the opinions about stuff like this. It's healthy!

Shark, I would love to know how you do those glue-ups... they are simply magnificant!

Mutt

[Braz]

He sent me a picture tutorial and it is good. Let's talk him into posting it.

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

Talk is cheap - if he doesn't     


 


AL @ THO

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

I have used a duplicator in the past, and it is a huge timesaver when someone orders a large amount of calls. I did 33 Cocobolo single reeds for a duck club a couple of yers back, and I used the duplicator to get the barrels all the same size and shape. It makes things alot easier fro short runs, but I've never been big on keeping to a set shape on my calls. It very simply a tool that you can use to your advantage in certain situations, so leave it at that and make your decision. Good luck with it.

 Bob

[Curmudgeon]

I bought a bunch of 5/8 dowle to match a bunch of 1.5 rod I had. It turned out to be way way over .625! I bought one of the duplicators from PSi to take it all down to 5/8. After fussing with that for a while I made two decisions. I needed to find a source of true 5/8 dowle rod I could use without having to spend any time resizing it, and if I never saw a duplicator again it would be too soon. I did actually make a template for a duck call barrel thinking it might work better for that, but I was sorely mistaken. I think it would work well for pens, but I don't fuss with pens.

[Repeat]

I don't think it is a bad thing You do need to design the original to duplicate but that could be done on a CNC machine and you wouldn't even need to touch the wood.. BUT WHERE WOULD THE FUN BE IN THAT!!!!!!
 I have a call making friend that a old time predator call builder left him the patient for his calls. And he sells his calls commercially so he uses a duplicator to make all those call " He just sold 300 " to a sporting good chain I don't ever want to make 300 of one kind of call but that's just me I want to sell calls just not 300 at one time.. But they are all suppose to look the same but I can tell when he does a big run because it is boring to him..He would rather do custom calls.
I kind of think the design is in the wood I just let it out...But again I'm kind of new to this stuff.." kind of sounds like a Zen thing "
Repeat

[sharkathmi]

Talk is cheap - if he doesn't     

 



PS - Like I told Braz, it isn't a very good tutorial. I didn't take enough pictures between steps.
But if you would like to see it, I can post it.

I'd do anything to keep from being banned.