You won't believe this....

[gooseforsupper]

I actually made some duck calls...

 They sound pretty good, but I'll throw up pictures of the tone boards so I can get some help with the tweaking....

Osage...












The osage call is squealing when I really lay into it, and is hard to blow as you come down in notes and pressure and the end of a run.  I got it as good as I can without taking the tone channel too far, and have tried all lengths of reeds and sizes of cork.  It will still kill ducks all day, but takes a lot of self control not to make is squeal.

Next up,  a matched pair of desert ironwood....



The light colored call toneboard....





The darker call toneboard....


On the desert ironwood tone boards, The light colored one has a great ring to it, and I REALLY have to lay into it to make it lock up.  It has a great mature hen mallard sound to it.  Same problem on taking too much air to finish the last calls notes of a run.  It still rocks but takes work to blow it right.

The darker colored call has the same problems, just a little harder to blow..


So there you have it, a goose call guy trying to make duck calls.  I'll tell you, making goose calls is just drill and fill compared to tweaking these tone boards.  It will drive you nuts, or at least get you promoted to condiments.... 

 
Doug

[Joe Short]

I think you're off to a good start, they have an appealing look about them. As far as toneboard tweaking, I would recommend the following:
Your radii slope too gradually, sharpen the dip at the end of the toneboard and you'll see vast improvements in tone and range.
Cleanup the cork notches and shorten the overhang by a hair to open up the rasp.
Lastly (I know I'll catch some flack for this, but it's a purely subjective matter) ditch the friction fit, you're on track with the o-rings. If your calls ever start making their way into the hands of hunters, you'll be glad they can't destroy a barrel by pushing an insert in too far.

[gooseforsupper]

Thanks Joe!  Good stuff.  I was tending towards filing a bit right at the end of the tone channel out to the tip.  I'll play with the osage one as a test....

[Henry H]

You'll soon be known as duckandgooseforsupper!  Love the DIW calls!

[jcz]

Really hard to tell where your tone channel ends. I can see it in the first insert. Looks a little short. (Maybe) Have you tried different width reeds?

The calls looks great! I prefer the DIW insert over the first one going off looks.

[Caney Creek Calls]

Sharp calls Doug, I like the DIW also. Tone boards will make you pull your hair out. To me it looks like to much of the reed is resting on the tb. You might try sanding just outside of the cork notch just a little and see if it helps. Just remember to keep as many things consistent as possible and change one thing at a time. Good notes and practice dowels help. Good luck Buddy.
Lewis

[R.FINCHUM]

GFS,   I AM REALLY GOING TO CATCH SOME FLAK FOR THIS BUT LOOKING AT THE TONEBOARD THAT YOU CAN SEE THE LENGTH OF THE TONE CHANNEL, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THE CHANNEL RUNS TO FAR INTO THE SLOPE OF THE TONE BOARD. I STRUGGLED WITH THIS FOR A LONG TIME ALSO. I FINALLY STARTED TO STOP THE TONE CHANNEL BEFORE THE SLOPE AND AND MAKE THE DISTANCE FROM THE END OF THE CHANNEL NO MORE OR NOT MUCH MORE THAN 1/2'' AND STARTED GETTING THE PROBLEM FIXED. I HAD SEVERAL JIGS BUT DIDN'T LIKE ANY OF THEM. I BOUGHT A PINTAIL P2 PUBLIC JIG AND WORKING WITH THE RESULTS STARTED TO GET A SOUND I REALLY LIKE. I HAVE SOLD SEVERAL ACRYLIC AND WOOD CALLS SINCE AND THEY HAVE ALL CALLED BACK FOR MORE CALLS. EACH GUY SAID IT WAS THE EASIEST CALL THEY HAVE EVER USED. ONE GUY IS A PROCUREMENT OFFICER FOR A LARGE COMPANY IN DALLAS AND WANTS TO MARKET MY CALLS. HE TOOK A DUCK COMMANDER CALL OFF HIS LANYARD AND PUT MINE IN ITS PLACE AND A GUY FROM FLORIDA BOUGHT ONE AT CABELAS IN FRONT OF THE DUCK CALL RACK. HE ORDERED 2 MORE TO TAKE TO CANADA THIS MONTH IN PLACE OF HIS RNT EL DIABLO CALLS. MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. A GUY THAT BOUGHT A CARVED CALL WANTS TO DISPLAY A SELECTION OF CALLS IN HIS HUNTING STORE AND THE GAME WARDEN HERE WANTS A SET OF 5. THEY ALL SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE SOUND AND EASE OF BLOWING THEM. PROOF IN THE PUDDING, I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES AT HUNTING SEASON. I HOPE TO START MAKING GOOSE CALLS SO I'M SURE I'LL BE PICKING YOUR BRAIN SINCE I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST AT THAT.  I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET YOU GUYS SOMETIME. BY THE WAY, I TOOK THE CARVED CALL TO KEN BROWN, A GUY KNOWN AROUND HERE FOR HIS CALLIGRAPHY ENGRAVING. HE SAID HE DID A LOT OF CALLS FOR DU AUCTIONS AND THINGS AND WOULD PUT A NAME ON MY CALL FOR 4 BUCKS A WORD. AFTER HE SAW THE CALL HE SAID IT MADE THE OTHERS LOOK"CHINSY" AND FROM NOW ON I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 10 DOLLARS A WORD FOR THAT QUALITY OF WORK. DONT MEAN TO BLOW MY OWN HORN SO I WILL POST IT THIS WEEK. MY WIFE DOES BEAUTIFUL WORK. BUT 10 BUCKS A WORD BECAUSE ITS TOO PRETTY FOR 4. MY WIFE CAN DO IT NOW SO ITS HER OR RON FROM NOW ON. 

[Andre's Wood Works aka: TheDecoyDude]

GFS,   I AM REALLY GOING TO CATCH SOME FLAK FOR THIS BUT LOOKING AT THE TONEBOARD THAT YOU CAN SEE THE LENGTH OF THE TONE CHANNEL, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THE CHANNEL RUNS TO FAR INTO THE SLOPE OF THE TONE BOARD. I STRUGGLED WITH THIS FOR A LONG TIME ALSO. I FINALLY STARTED TO STOP THE TONE CHANNEL BEFORE THE SLOPE AND AND MAKE THE DISTANCE FROM THE END OF THE CHANNEL NO MORE OR NOT MUCH MORE THAN 1/2'' AND STARTED GETTING THE PROBLEM FIXED. I HAD SEVERAL JIGS BUT DIDN'T LIKE ANY OF THEM. I BOUGHT A PINTAIL P2 PUBLIC JIG AND WORKING WITH THE RESULTS STARTED TO GET A SOUND I REALLY LIKE. I HAVE SOLD SEVERAL ACRYLIC AND WOOD CALLS SINCE AND THEY HAVE ALL CALLED BACK FOR MORE CALLS. EACH GUY SAID IT WAS THE EASIEST CALL THEY HAVE EVER USED. ONE GUY IS A PROCUREMENT OFFICER FOR A LARGE COMPANY IN DALLAS AND WANTS TO MARKET MY CALLS. HE TOOK A DUCK COMMANDER CALL OFF HIS LANYARD AND PUT MINE IN ITS PLACE AND A GUY FROM FLORIDA BOUGHT ONE AT CABELAS IN FRONT OF THE DUCK CALL RACK. HE ORDERED 2 MORE TO TAKE TO CANADA THIS MONTH IN PLACE OF HIS RNT EL DIABLO CALLS. MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. A GUY THAT BOUGHT A CARVED CALL WANTS TO DISPLAY A SELECTION OF CALLS IN HIS HUNTING STORE AND THE GAME WARDEN HERE WANTS A SET OF 5. THEY ALL SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE SOUND AND EASE OF BLOWING THEM. PROOF IN THE PUDDING, I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES AT HUNTING SEASON. I HOPE TO START MAKING GOOSE CALLS SO I'M SURE I'LL BE PICKING YOUR BRAIN SINCE I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST AT THAT.  I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET YOU GUYS SOMETIME. BY THE WAY, I TOOK THE CARVED CALL TO KEN BROWN, A GUY KNOWN AROUND HERE FOR HIS CALLIGRAPHY ENGRAVING. HE SAID HE DID A LOT OF CALLS FOR DU AUCTIONS AND THINGS AND WOULD PUT A NAME ON MY CALL FOR 4 BUCKS A WORD. AFTER HE SAW THE CALL HE SAID IT MADE THE OTHERS LOOK"CHINSY" AND FROM NOW ON I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 10 DOLLARS A WORD FOR THAT QUALITY OF WORK. DONT MEAN TO BLOW MY OWN HORN SO I WILL POST IT THIS WEEK. MY WIFE DOES BEAUTIFUL WORK. BUT 10 BUCKS A WORD BECAUSE ITS TOO PRETTY FOR 4. MY WIFE CAN DO IT NOW SO ITS HER OR RON FROM NOW ON.

I think you explained that well, but for that info to be truly the most helpful, could you possibly post a pic of the toneboard? Also, I'd really love to see some of your work... frankly I'm not sure that I've seen any yet. Last question is do you or your wife carve calls? I'm not sure if I understood.
I always can use help on toneboards~Andre'

[Robert A.]

 

Great looking calls Amigo!! Keep playing with your tone channel length and you will find a happy medium.. One suggestion is to drill it to long and begin back filling the tone channel with wood putty, then you can run a drill bit down your tone channel where you can see the end and adjust your sound until you get the results you want.

Give me a call if you have any questions i am more than happy to walk you through it.. Also take plenty of notes as you go..

Robert A.
979-299-4495

[jcz]

Goose, also try opening up the exhaust a bit. What is it opened up to now?

[Gouldman]

Hey Doug....Good to see ya hammerin away, give me a shout sometime.

[gooseforsupper]

Hey Doug....Good to see ya hammerin away, give me a shout sometime.

Osage .325
Light colored DIW (best sounding) .341
Dark DIW .334

Question for you guys....???
The reamer I have right now is just a cheap harbor freight one and its way to angular,  I need one that goes deeper into the exhaust so I can get a gradual taper that ends right before the cork.  Suggestions??  I think if I get a more tapered exhaust opening it should help.

Thanks!
Doug

[FDR]

Cut the tip off the reamer until the small end matches the exhaust throat diameter and start there. I used a side grinder to cut mine.  A repairmans reamer is what I use. Got mine from HF.  Bought 2 and cut one off.
Fred

[Caney Creek Calls]

Doug,  I have a cheap harbor freight smooth (stepless) uni-bit that is 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. You could also try a repairman's reamer from a hardware store.

[gooseforsupper]

Hi gang!
I went to Harbor Freight today and bought a reamer, 1/2 inch down to 1/8 inch and it's about 4 inches long.  $2.99, what a bargain.  I'm going to have to go out and make more tone boards.. 

Doug