Author Topic: my method for the reelfoot insert  (Read 6011 times)

Offline Henry H

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my method for the reelfoot insert
« on: July 17, 2013, 12:07:48 AM »
This way is certainly no better than the others in this section... in fact, it is largely based on a compilation of them.  I had different supplies/tools than the others so had to improvise, and thought sharing might spur creative ideas for folks thinking about trying a reelfoot but without some of the tools in  prev tutorials.

First, I turn my blanks to 1.25" dowels.  Why 1.25?  That is how wide my lathe chuck spreads.  After deciding on which end will be the exhaust and chucking the opposite end, I mark lines just as FDR does at 1.5" and 2.2" from the outlet.  Then I use a 1/4" bit and drill the exhaust to 1.75" (.25" longer than the closest line).



Once drilled, I take the blankd off the lathe and screw it  onto my "jig".  This jig is a homemade bandsaw sledthat helps with all 3 toneboard cuts.  It was made from a leftover wooden section of an incra jig set plus some t-track £ had laying around and a piece of aluminum with a 90 degree angle that came off of something (can't remember what)and sat in abox until this came up.  The machine screw end of a 1/4" lag screw fit into that piece of aluminum and is further secured by a nut on the other side.  The wood screw end provides the mount to hold the insert.  I first cut the length of  the toneboard, then the furthest line from the exhaust, then the closest.







I end up with this:



Keepung the cutoffs for later, I then move to my drill press to cut the tone  channel.  I don't have a mill, but found that with a 1/4" mill bit and an xy table, for light work like this one isn't  necessary.  This is easy to set up and do with a little experimentation and practice.  I use a rubber washer under the exhaust end to create a sloped channel.  This pic shows it halfway through pass 2.



Once this is done, I'll glue the 3 pieces back together using medium CA (just a couple drops per piece with a newspaper separator to keep it easy to separate them later), the chuck the blank for turning, sanding and finishing.

Hope this helps someone... don't hesitate to ask if I wasn't clear on anything.



Offline FDR

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Re: my method for the reelfoot insert
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2013, 09:03:41 AM »
Slick! Now there is no excuse for you other guy not trying a Reelfoot style call.  Thanks for sharing Henry.

Fred
Fred Roe
Reelfoot, the original duck call. What's on your lanyard?