I actually made it out goose hunting for the first time this season last weekend and wasn't loving how my goose call fit my lips and my hand. Last night I decided that it was going to get replaced, so I made this. It is water mesh acrylic with a Ron Gould band. I have new 7/8", 3/4" and 5/8" bits, so I was able to pretty cleanly step drill the barrel. It sanded up very clean and there are no sanding marks anywhere on it. The stuff is water clear and really shows off your mistakes or spots where you cut corners, and I didn't want to see any JB Weld for the band through the acrylic. So I worked and worked to get a perfect fit on the bad tenon, then pressed the band on nice and tight. So tight it'll never let go!
I figured after how easy the barrel went with the step drilling and polishing that I was home free since the insert is more straightforward. Nope. Drilled it out with tons of lube and kept the bit cool, but I still got swirly heat marks from the drill. Didn't see them until I was done sanding and polishing, so I was pissed. They were too deep to cut out as part of the exhaust taper of course. Tonight I went ahead and sanded it out from 220 through 2000, but had to avoid the tenon where the guts go because I didn't want to screw up their fit. I was lucky because there were no marks in that area. Got it perfect tonight and tuned it back up with a set of Field Hudnall's guts in it. I'm not a great goose caller but I'm really able to run this call. It is definitely going on my lanyard!
Now I want a duck call made from it. That's going to have to wait.
