THO Game Calls Forums
The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls => Handcrafting Custom Turkey Calls => Topic started by: dogcatcher on March 20, 2008, 11:48:36 AM
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How I make a trumpet. First this is my way, it may not be anybody else's way or it maybe the way everyone does it, I don't know. All of the figures for drilling distances are generalized, and are within the measurements of the trumpets I used as test subjects to come up with my version of the trumpet. You will have to refine them to whatever sound you want. There are a lot of variables, the choice of wood, your finish, all of the lengths that you drill, the thickness of the wood of the barrel, and last but not least the caller.
Taking apart a trumpet, First the barrel, the lengths varied from 4 5/8" to 7" long. Then the inside, from the mouthpiece to the exhaust, they all started out as 1/8" hole, then increased to 1/4" and then flared out to 1/2" to 9/16". The last figure could actually be increased to 1' but I chose to stop before the final 1/4" ending of the flares. This appeared to be more decorative than functional and that was proven by making copies of the some of the trumpets without the additional flare. The greatest differences was in the lengths of the step drilling and the taper. So I did an average of all of them for making this trumpet, then adjusted as I went along.
This is what I come up with, first take a 1x1 blank and turn it between center to make a 3/4" dowel. I used cherry, but any hardwood will do..
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07097_600x450.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07098_600x450.jpg)
Next I started the drilling. I used a collet chuck as it worked the best for me, a 4 jaw chuck should be able to work also, but I did not test it. First drilling from the exhaust end, drill about 3 1/2" with a 1/4" bit. Do not overheat the wood, you will be turning this pretty thin, if you over heat the wood you may get some surprise cracks.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07099_600x450.jpg)
Then ream out the 1/4" hole with a 3/8" or a 5/16" bit but ream it only about 2 1/2". This will leave you with a step drill affect.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07100_600x450.jpg)
The next step is to create the taper of the inside of the barrel. After measuring all of my trumpets, I found that a #1MT reamer was the closest to the taper in most of them, 2 were almost perfect fits, the others were within what I would consider close tolerance. Besides a commercial reamer is a lot cheaper than a custom made reamer. Remember to back it out often and not to overheat the wood.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07103_600x450.jpg)
The next step I consider optional, this is the flaring of the exhaust bell, I feel it is more decorative than functional, there are 2 ways to do it, one is to use a chisel to make the flare the other is to use a handheld reamer in the tailstock.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07104_600x450.jpg)
Or
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07105_600x450.jpg)
Now do all of the sanding in the bore. This again is mostly cosmetic, but a sloppy sand job also detracts from the call.
Reverse the blank in the collet chuck. You are now ready to drill the mouthpiece end. First drill with a 6" long aircraft drill bit, 1/8" diameter, these have short flutes so you will have to back it out quite often.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07102_600x450.jpg)
The next step is to make a seat for the Delrin mouthpiece. I will be using a 3/8" diameter piece for the mouthpiece. Drill the hole 1/2" deep, the 1/2" deep is so the mandrel will be able get a good seat in the end.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07101_600x450.jpg)
We are now ready to mount the blank on the specialty mandrels. Notice that one of them has a tapered end. This is a close #1MT that will fit into the exhaust bore of the barrel. the other end will fit into a collet chuck on the headstock. The other is a piece of 3/8" steel rod that will fit into the mouthpiece where we drilled the 3/8" hole, it also has a 60 degree center on the ends to fit the live center.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Calls%20posted/CALL12-07089_600x450.jpg)
Turn the call to shape, here I am adding a tenon to put a compression nut on the end for a ferrule. A 3/8" compression nut will just let your mouthpiece slide through the hole, a perfect fit. Finish sanding all of the outside of the barrel.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07107_600x450.jpg)
Here are the final pieces of the barrel and the mandrels. This is ready to finish or as I will do, dye it. Again look at the mandrels, these do not have to be metal, make the headstock end out of a piece of hard wood and it will be fine, the other end can be made with a piece of wood also.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07108_600x450.jpg)
Now for the mouthpiece. Mouth pieces were from 2 3/4" long to 3 7/8" long, for this trumpet I chose 3". Using the collet chuck mount a 3" piece of 3/8" Delrin. Start with a 3/32" standard jobbers drill bit, drill as far as you can then switch to an extra long aircraft bit to drill the rest of the way through. Do not over heat the Delrin or stop drilling with the bit inside. Delrin will melt and turn back solid and freeze your bit inside of the Delrin.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07109_600x450.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07110_600x450.jpg)
Now turn your mouthpiece to shape. All that is left is the lip stop, I made it before the photo so no before photo just an after version. For the lip stop I use EVA foam. It is the material that fishing rod builders use to make rod handles. It doesn't have that awful rubber smell and it is easy to shape using a chisel or a coarse file. Then it can be sanded, works like balsa wood.
Here all of the pieces.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07110_600x450.jpg)
And the final product.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/CatclawCreek/Making%20a%20TRUMPET/CALL12-07113_600x450.jpg)
A few other things I found out, the finish must be a good one, both inside and out, a good finish on the inside makes the sounds lot more crisp, a sorry finish and the sound will be dull and muffled.
Make the call to make the sound you want, it is your trumpet, if no one else likes the sound, then you may have to rethink if you really like that sound that much. Once you get past all of the so called mysteries of the trumpet you will find that there really isn't that big of a mystery. Most of the mystery is really just a myth. Also remember that the drilling distance I used for this trumpet are just guidelines, you will have to adjust them to whatever you need to get the sound that you are looking for.
This is not the only way to make a trumpet, nor is it the easiest or the cheapest, but it is the way I came up with. Tomorrow I may have a completely different way to make a trumpet. The steel mandrels are not necessary, they can be made from wood and will function properly.
Marvin
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Very good writeup Marvin. I just may have to learn how to use one of those thingy's now. ;D
Brian
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Now you gone & done it Marvin!! You just gave away all their trade secrets & peesed them off!! :o
;D
Actually I think that is a very well written article & I think it's worthy of the title "Trumpet Tutorial". 8)
JMHO of course. ;)
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Thanks for the comments. It was fun doing it, I hope it it helps all of the people that want to try to make a trumpet.
Brian, we don't need calls in Texas, we just wait for the deer feeders to go off and the turkeys come to breakfast.
HaMeR, how could I be giving away all of "their" trade secrets? These are my trade secrets, they would never share theirs.
Marvin
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Marvin, a bit tip of the hat to you for putting this information up. It is great. It is very well done, the pictures and the text follow wonderfully, and it is easy to follow. Just a superb job of presentation.
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Very nice Marvin,I hope the trumpit mafia don't come looking for ya.If they do let me now, I always wanted to go to Texas for some hunting.
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Braz and Twalter4. thanks for the comments. Twalter I have it covered, I am retired disgruntled postal worker and a deranged Vietnam Vet, or at least that is what a few people tell me.
Back to the tutorial, everyone has to remember that these are just guidelines that are listed. You will need to do some work to come up with your sound, to do that your first have to know how to use the trumpet. After you learn how to use a trumpet or even a wing bone call then fine tuning your trumpets will come a lot easier. You will find that your wood choice, your finish, all of the lengths and the thickness of the barrel will all have an effect on the sound. But the real kicker is the individual caller, ideally you would make each trumpet for an individual one at a time. If you are just making them to sell to whoever will buy them things become a little more complicated, then it is up to the callmaker to make a generic version.
Marvin
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Nice Job Marvin,I'm going to use some of your methods towards my trumpet call.
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Looks good. I suppose you are going to sell a few of these. How much you think these will go for?
CW
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CW
Right now I don't have any plans on making trumpets to sell. This entire venture into making trumpets was to prove to myself and the trumpet makers that there really is no big secret about trumpets. Now everyone that wants to try their hand at making a trumpet has a basic set of instructions to guide them to making a trumpet
Marvin
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Nicely Done Dogcatcher.
This is one that deserves being put in the Tutorial Section of the web site. With your permission, I will work it up this weekend.
If you would I rather not, just say the word.
In either case, thank you for a very informative tutorial. Very professionaly done.
Al @ THO
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Al,
It is yours to do with as you want. I think a tutorial will be a great asset to all of the callmakers that want to attempt to make a trumpet. Being that this is more of the mechanics of building a trumpet each callmaker will be able to "tune" it to their own sound.
Marvin
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Here is a little more information that might be helpful.
I found that there are popular 3 sizes of holes in mouth pieces that can be used, 3/32", #45, and 5/64" holes. Each hole size will give you a different tone from a mature hen to a young hen. This can also be attained by changing the barrel lengths, wall thickness, and the drilling lengths, but changing mouthpieces is easier.
Shorter barrels give you a higher pitch, the longer the barrel the lower the pitch. While you are stretching or shortening your barrel remember that the length of the drilled parts also have to be adjusted, you cannot cut off 2 inches of the bottom of the barrel and leave all of the drilling the same.
The walls of the barrel are also a factor in the pitch, a thicker wall is higher pitched than a thinner wall and a thin wall is more raspy than a thick wall. But don't forget all of the other factors that also come into play.
The finish, a great finish will provide a better sound than a poor finish. Also moisture in the wood will affect the sound, so a good finish inside and out is imperative. Wood will absorb moisture from the air, a good finish will not stop it but at least slow it down. The moisture content will also affect the pitch or tonal qualities of the call.
Wood choice, soft woods are like mufflers on your vehicle, they muffle the sound. You want a good quality hardwood so that none of the hard work you have done to make this call sound good is absorbed into the walls of the call. A softer wood with a great finish will also work
Lip stop info, best source for lip stop material is the fishing rod building catalogs. Look for EVA foam rod handles. Some of them even have colored EVA foam. Forget those nasty smelling rubber stoppers, that is for the beginners.
Drilling and sanding the trumpet, make sure you do NOT overheat the wood. You will be turning the barrel pretty thin, if you over heat the wood you can cause stress cracks. Not much fun to see a crack develope the day after you spend all day working on a barrel.
All you need to do is make it with the sound that you like, of all the trumpets I have they all vary a little, even from day t day the sound can vary just because of the temperature and humidity and the way it used.
Marvin
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Good work Marvin. Looks like you've come up with a great way to skin a cat! 8)
Parker
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Marvin, that is great. I don't know if I will ever attempt to make a trumpet, but it sure is nice knowing there will be a tutorial available to get me heading in the right direction if I decide to try it. Thanks for all your hard work. Although, I'll bet you enjoyed every minute of it. ;D
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You know, I dont think any of us mentioned that it was a pretty darn nice looking call too.
Came out great. I like the dye job.
AL @ THO
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Hey Dogcatcher
Your tutorial has been posted on the main site. I gave you TOP billing!
From all of us
THANK YOU
AL @ THO
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Congrats Dogcatcher!! 8)
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Thanks Marvin and Al for another fine piece of work.
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Thanks to Al for posting the tutorial, to everyone else thanks for the comments. I hope this inspires everyone to make at least one trumpet, even a field grade version like the one I made will give a great sense of accomplishment.
If you ever really want to know what the secret is about trumpets, read what Al said, that is the answer to all of the "secrets". There really is no secret to making a trumpet. From all of the research I did I came to the same conclusion, there are no real secrets.
Have fun and enjoy.
Marvin
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Marvin
I see you posted some stuff on the other site about these also. While I was reading it I noticed something strange. The one who is talking about how you need to know how to use them before making one just made his first ones less than a month ago. Whats up with that?
CW
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I think you are confusing two people - the guy who made the trumpets is Preston G8orbait or something like that,
the guy answering the questions was Gr8Calls or what ever. They are two different people.
I used to get them confused too. Twin sons of different mothers LOL
AL @ THO
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I feel that the statement that was made on the other forum is all part of the smoke and mirrors screen that has kept callmakers from making trumpets. As I studied all of the information I could find, there was always that statement made, but no one ever explained why. The process of making a trumpet is mechanical. Playing the trumpet would be helpful, but it is not necessary to be an "expert" as is being preached.
To tune a trumpet for a specific individual is a different story, but you will not find that most trumpets are made in that fashion, most trumpets are made on "spec" or speculation that the maker will be able to sell it to someone. Once the trumpet is made it is possible to re tune it, but it would be very difficult if not almost impossible.
Marvin
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After looking this over, I may have to give it a try one of these days. I just need to follow the directions and see what happens.
Thanks to both Marvin for the initial post and Al for making it into a tutorial.
Jerry
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Hey, give me a link to the post on the other site so I can look it over. I think I know which site, but I'll let you tell me. If you would rather, you can PM me the link. Thanks.
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http://www.customcalls.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1205981515
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The secret to this method is the mandrel system, the current method of making trumpets using a center steady rest will soon be obsolete. All of the research lead to the trumpet turners using steady rests instead of a mandrel system, a system that works but is a lot more work than doing it between centers with a mandrel system.
I started to make up a drilling guideline for the trumpet but I feel that the info I already gave is about as accurate as it can be. There are way too many factors that determine the final sound. Every thing from the wood, to the thickness of the barrel. And as if that is not enough the user also is the ultimate factor of what the sound will be when played. Beside if you want to make a trumpet and it actually be your trumpet you have to do some of the experimenting.
Marvin
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Uh - I was kind of hoping for some blue prints. You know, detailed engineer drawings or such?
And if you dont mind, could you maybe drill out a nice piece of wood for me, maybe turn it too? Don't worry about the finish, I'll do that after I sign it.
(man he is gonna whoop my butt)
AL @ THO
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There you go Dogcatcher,you got a market predrilled trumpit blanks.All you have to do is turn and finish.
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One of my goals in this project was to make one, then have someone that knows how to use it give me their opinion. I did that, during the project I kept hearing all of this "stuff" about secrets, well after all of this time I found out that there is no real secrets, just a lot of smoke and mirrors. The ones that I made are in 2 collections, both got the stamp of approval from my expert, so I am satisfied and finished with trumpet making.
Now I will tell you how you do the spring turkey hunt, you wait until the deer feeder goes off. First the deer will come to the feeder, then the turkeys will come, you pick one out and then with a 22 you pop his head off. Why waste the time with calls, camo etc.
Marvin
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Marvin I like that logic. On both fronts. The trumpet was just to prove it an be done. Great job!! And I love the turkey hunting logic. Hell, he tastes just he same!
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I catch a little flack about my theory on turkey hunting, but what is the difference if a hunter has a vest full of calls, a $1000 shotgun, a couple of decoys and a full blown camo rig? I see my method just as sportsman like as theirs. I just use the "call of the feeder" instead of vest full of calls.
Marvin
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Heck yea, I agree with you. And the darned turkey probably tastes better getting all that grain and all. ;D
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That not HUNTING. This sounds just like what you described. I buy my beef from a private farmer. Heres how it goes. I call and order a beef, I stop by and we let one of the animals out in the farmers yard where there is a pile of corn, animal eats at corn pile, meat locker guy walks up, plugs it in the middle of the head with a 22, hangs it, loads it in his truck, and moves on to the next farm. He is as much a hunter as someone who uses the method you describe.
Sorry to hijack but up here we have been fighting the canned "hunts" for years. It is still illegal here in MN but WI allows it and it has about ruined thier deer heard with CWD.
CW
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Canned hunting has nothing to do with CWD. The first known CWD cases were in areas where no canned hunts were ever held. In fact they do not really know what causes CWD it is really just a theory of what causes it.
http://www.cwd-info.org/index.php/fuseaction/about.faqDetail/ID/ffd8b8cbaa1e802683f9b519b1e7d8ba
Marvin
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I'm not a huge turkey hunter, but I do love calling game animals, any game animal. Especially with a call I made, or one a friend made for me.
Killing sort of ends it. Here in NH, we can only take one turkey. Our season is only a month long. I would rather let turkeys walk every day just so I can have an excuse to go out and call them again.
If I want a tureky dinner, I'll stop off and buy a butter ball. The joy is in the calling. The hunting. There is no real joy in the killing for in many cases, it ends the season.
This is why I do not hunt over bait, or food plots. I am out there to pit my calling skills against the animals senses.
Killing an animal is not hard. In many cases you can do it from 300 or more yards away. But when you get them so close you can see the puzzled look on their face as they try to figure out what that green blob is that is making the sounds like a sweat young hen or a doe in heat, or a dying rabbit, that's FUN! that's why I am out there, and that is why I make calls.
Al @ THO
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I guess canned hunts was the wrong wording for what I was saying. CWD is a viral infection. It is spread here in the Great Lakes regions at the feeding stations and cattle feed lots. We have had a few years of special intensive (I believe it was Unlimited @$10 each tag not sure I don't hunt them timber rats) seasons in certain areas that are infected in northern MN. Wisconsin allows hunting over bait, MN does not. Wisconsin has a bigger CWD problem than we do and they blaim it on the fact that deer are held in bigger herds than normal because if the baiting. In my opinion hunting over bait is no differant than a high fence "canned" hunt. Marvin I know that you are in Texas where they have both forms of target shooting. To that I'll add that in my opinion that style of what every you want to call it is not hunting in my book. Up here we have 5 day season that is chosen by lottery, or you can go 14 days with stick and string at the end of our 8 time periods. Nothing is for sure, and I actually have more fun taking buddies out and calling for them than I do hunting myself. ;D By the way if any of you feeder hunters want to harvest something big, I'm going to be getting a Pig mid April and a Beef around the Fourth of July. Of course I get the meat. ;D
CW
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Marvin,
You're thoroughly confusing me by your turkey hunting bashing comments. All animals have to come to food. All animals could be hunted in the same way. Why do you decide turkey hunting is so lowly? ???
Do you hunt with the calls you make? You tend to make predator calls most of the time, correct? Do you get enjoyment out of calling predators in with your calls, or are they just turned wood? ??? You could just put traps around a dead chicken and not have to use any of your predator calls. :-\
Parker
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Parker,
This goes beyond the turkey hunting aspect of things, and is really, I think, directed at a group of people who shuned predator and waterfoul hunters as being Not Worthy of their organization.
Marvin is cool. He makes great calls, and he hunt legally. Not much more can be said about that.
On the other hand, I know TWO poachers who are well loved by memebers of another board.
Give Dogcatcher a break. Please.
AL @ THO
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I'm totally fine with saying that trumpet call making and use is not some kind of mystery. I'm not fine with bashing turkey hunting as a whole. Everyone has their passion, and as you can probably tell, mine is turkey hunting and turkey call making.
I agree with what Marvin is trying to do with the trumpet making stuff. I disagree with throwing all turkey hunters and turkey hunting under the bus.
I can't see the difference in one kind of hunting over another. I don't break them up like that. I say go do what ever helps you get your jollies.
I'm not referring to anything about poaching, because I know baiting is legal in many states.
And past that, I'll :-X
Parker
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I'll make one post on the subject in discussion.My favorite turkey call is the wingbone,it's gotten me turkey replies that others haven't and I've been successful with it.I'm working on a trumpet call to use this spring to compare to the effect of the wingbone for the fun of it.I love calling turkeys aand dedicated much time 17 yrs. ago to help start w/4 other guys the local chapter of the NWTF.
Several yrs. ago I made two trips to West Texas to hunt turkeys,the ranch owner owned 25,000 acres with access to a total of 250,000 acres.He started the turkey hunting to help cover cost of running a beef operation.For fun he and others would super glue corn onto leghold traps and wait for turkeys to peck the trigger paddle[their idea of turkey hunting].The second year he told us hunters he preferred turkey hunters over the deer hunters as the turkey hunters were more serious on the hunting/calling and atitude.After that he raised his prices as the turkey hunting market increased.Just my short little thoughts that came to mind as I caught up on the subject.
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I apologise for the cheap shot that I took at a few "elite" trumpet people.
For the CWD comment, there has been NO confirmed cases in Texas, so the "canned" hunt or the baiting method of hunting has nothing to do with CWD. If you do the research even the scientists don't know the cause of CWD.
Turkey hunting and deer hunting in West Texas, in the county that our place is located we can shoot 5 deer and 4 turkeys, all of the water in about a 2 mile radius is locate on it. Food sources include the cattle feeders and wildlife feeders. Without these 2 sources of food there would be minimal wildlife.
Predator hunting, we do anything that is legal, including night hunts, baiting, high racks, and spot lighting to stop the predators from killing livestock and game animals. There is even a poison program usually going on, along with a "birth" control pellet.
Now for the way I hunt, I am a 100% disabled Vet, I use a walker to get around, I am blind in one eye, so I don't feel I have to give reasons or "excuses" to anyone as to how I hunt as long as it is legal. If the state of Texas has no problem with it neither do I.
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I don't feel I have to give reasons or "excuses" to anyone as to how I hunt as long as it is legal. If the state of Texas has no problem with it neither do I.
HEAR HEAR!
Thank you for your service to our country too Marvin. :)
Parker
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He forgot to tell you guys he is retired from the Post Office too. So - a postal guy with a gun....
I wouldn't piss him off it were me LOL.
Love ya Marvin. You are a hell of a call maker and good guy all around. You tell it like you see it, Got to repsect that!
AL @ THO
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Al,
You have to admit, I am a strange combination, a disgruntled retired postal worker and deranged Vietnam Vet. But my shrink keeps telling me I am okay?
Marvin
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Marvin
I do apologize for the mistake I have made. I just got my Outdoor news and on the front page is an artical about the MNDNR killing more deer because of bovine TB. It was not CWD that i was thinking of it was the TB. And just for the record the permits were free and over 45 any time of the year permits have been issued to landowners. We have a problem up here and it has been linked to baiting. As for you being dissabled there is a thing the NWTF started years ago called Wheeling Sportsman. That is fair chase so maybe you wouldn't be interested, but if you are it is a great program. Up here we have a enormous National Guard Post in the middle of the north woods that is full of all kinds of animals that is opened up for this hunt. Check it out you might like actually hunting for turkeys.
;D I still don't have a taker for that Angus hunt in July, If anybody is interested. ;D
CW
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Dont need an Angus mount. Got too many of those when I was a kid growing up on a small cattle ranch. ;D