Author Topic: How to select a goose call mandrel????  (Read 7198 times)

Offline Last Strut Calls

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How to select a goose call mandrel????
« on: March 08, 2012, 12:43:38 PM »
Hey all,,Ive been making turkey pot calls for the last six years and want to make some goose calls and eventually get into duck calls. My question is what type of mandrel works best? I'm thinking a 5/8th expanding but is there a better one out there for making goose calls?
Thanks
Kev

Offline Bob from Eames Custom Calls

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2012, 02:43:27 PM »
 Alot of that depends on how you plan to drill the barrel. Most of the guys I know sped drill thier barrels from 7/8" to 3/4" and some down to 5/8" for the mouthpiece. I personally have a pin lock style that has the pin slot in just the right spot for turning my barrels. I also have an aluminum mandrel with orings that works great for sanding and finishing, and I had a local machinist turn that one for me.

 Wade at webfoot has alot of mandrels, but knowing what you're step dimensions are is a critical part of picking a mandrel.

 Good luck!

 Bob
My biggest fear is that I'll die and my wife will sell my callmaking supplies for what I told her they cost.....

Offline Last Strut Calls

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2012, 03:26:57 PM »
What I'm thinking is drilling 7/8" part way than drilling the rest 3/4" for my barrel. Will a 5/8" mandrel work for this? Also I'm planning on using gutserts from shell creek so does that mean I have to step drill my insert too?

Thanks

kev

Offline Gouldman

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2012, 03:53:34 PM »
Hey Kev...welcome to the forum,    A 5/8 mandrel will not work on a 3/4 hole, I would go with a 3/4 at the least and would consider a step 7/8-3/4 mandrel from Wade for doing goose calls.
And yes you will have to step drill 3/4 to 5/8 on your inserts using Bills gutsert.  Good luck, Ron
Of all the things I've lost while call making...its my mind I miss the most.
"A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.



 
 

Offline Last Strut Calls

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2012, 04:05:05 PM »
Thanks Ron!! So do you recommend an expanding type mandrel? I'm planning on getting one with a morse 2 taper because I dont have a collet and I'm a college student so I'm on a budget lol

Offline Duckman249

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2012, 05:12:11 PM »
LSC. I am a novice and only made a couple goose barrels for Echo inserts myself. If you plan on about a 3 to 3 1/4 barrel, I believe you would drill 7/8 in about a inch and then 3/4 the rest way out. I have done both 3/4 all the way out and also stepped the 3/4 down to 5/8. I have a collect set and a set of expanding mandrels that I use. If you are going with the expanding mandrel with MT #2, I would think a 3/4 mandrel would work. I believe there would be enough barrel that is 3/4 that you could use the mandrel from either end. This is what I did. Again I only made barrels and I am going to try one with Echo guts soon. I make wooden fishing plugs and am tied up making them right now before striper season here on the East coast. I looked at Wade's step mandrels and it looked like to me that you need a collet for them. I could be all wet here but just trying to help. If I am incorrect maybe someone else could correct me. Good luck. Les

Offline Gouldman

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2012, 06:29:20 PM »
Yeah, I use a 3/4 expandable w/ #2 morse it works fine. Wades new step does appear to be collet only. I'm sure he will weigh in on the subject, I plan to have the step someday myself. Ron
« Last Edit: March 08, 2012, 06:30:55 PM by Gouldman »
Of all the things I've lost while call making...its my mind I miss the most.
"A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.



 
 

Offline Chris @ STW Outdoors

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2012, 07:03:25 PM »
LSC, I really only make goose calls. The only mandrel that I can not do without is a 5/8 expanding. Wade carpenter has them with a taper, I believe. You will drill your insert and barrel to 5/8. You could do 3/4 for the barrel, but it will make the call harder to blow. My advice would be to drill your barrel 7/8 to just beyond a sr-1 gut from wade and then 5/8 the rest of the way. That is a good place to start, because it will give you a good sounding and easy playing call. From there you can start experimenting. The above mentioned dimensions should be easier than doing three steps in the barrel. After drilling, place the barrel on the 3/4 to 1 inch of 5/8 bore you have left, then bring a live center up to the 7/8 part for stability. Then turn away. The insert is much more simple, because it is mostly 5/8. You will need a 3/4 step for the gutsert as mentioned before. Hopefully that helps. Short answer is 5/8 mandrel.
Chris Wright

Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2012, 10:48:27 PM »
Hi gang!
I could write a whole book on this subject.   LOL!
Here is what I am sold on:

Wade's MVS crush lock mandrel custom sized at .610
I drill my blanks 5/8 all the way through and then step bore the sound chamber in the barrel.  Glue in the gutsert, and assemble the blank.  Then I slide it on the mandrel with a few small pieces of sacrificial wood at each end, crank on the nut to crush lock the blank on the mandrel, and turn the call all as one piece.  It is slick!  :punk: :punk: :pot: :hammer: :up1:





After turning I finish the mouthpiece and exhaust end on an expanding or stubby mandrel. 

I like Wade's MVS mandrel so much that I had him make me an 11 inch crush lock mandrel for doing goose flutes. 
The most valuable tool I own...   :bigup:

All The Best!
Doug

Offline Last Strut Calls

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2012, 11:58:40 PM »
So do you guys all think that a 5/8" bore makes the best sounding call? I plan on using shell creek gutserts for all my calls.

Offline Chris @ STW Outdoors

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2012, 08:26:00 AM »
Best sounding is a very relative thing. I would say that a 5/8 bore is a good place to start for goose calls. From there you can start experimenting with other sizes, but 5/8 is probably the most common.
Chris Wright

Offline Last Strut Calls

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2012, 03:38:00 PM »
So If im going to use shell creek gutserts,,will a 5/8" bore make the goose calls more difficult to make??

Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2012, 05:26:57 PM »
Nope, You will have to counterbore at 3/4 diameter in order for the gutsert to get glued in.  The gutsert is 5/8 interior so it all matches up.
You will have to counterbore the barrel for the gutsert and beyond the guts a hair to make a sound chamber.  That's where the real experimenting starts.  Trying to come up with a sound chamber dimension that the guts will run well in.  Different guts work best in different sound chamber configurations.
It's a learning curve, but worth it as you start to figure out what makes a call tick.
Good luck!
Doug

Offline Gouldman

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Re: How to select a goose call mandrel????
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2012, 06:25:16 PM »
Doug hit it on the head its an experiment for sure, and its all relative when talking about what combos are best. Try a few different bores and you'll find what your after.  Ron
Of all the things I've lost while call making...its my mind I miss the most.
"A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.