Author Topic: Owl call help  (Read 14053 times)

Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Owl call help
« on: December 20, 2008, 10:14:57 AM »
I just got a couple of orders (via email) for owl calls.  I have the guts that Al sells but not exactly sure how to put them together in a call?  I have an idea but would hate to turn good wood down and not get the desired outcome.  I have an old owl call at home that has the same style guts I bought from Al; the call was made by M.A.D.  I don't want to duplicate the M.A.D. call  :nono:

Does anyone have a starting point for me?  I'm sure when I put the tool to the wood with half an idea of where I'm going I could figure it out.

In advance, thanks for any assistance.

Mutt~ :bow:
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Offline Prairie Game Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2008, 12:38:58 PM »
Mutt I'm not a big fan of those guts I've used them when I first started making calls. What worked for me was to make a chamber in the exhaust part of the call. The tone board fits a 1/2" hole. Drill a 1/2" hole through your blank then open just one end up with a 5/8" drill then turn or use a 5/8" dowel and drill a 1/4" hole in it glue about a 1/4" piece into the 5/8" opening then cut the rest off. This gives you a 5/8" chamber to buffer the sound and give you that throathy sound of the Owl. Now you may need to play with the length of your chamber I forgot how long I made it it has been a few moons ago. I know I started with a 4" blank piece if that helps at all then figure a reasonable tennon to go into the barrel and play with it from there. Hope this gets you started at the very least! :sweatdrop:

Larry
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Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2008, 09:26:26 AM »
Thanks Larry, I kinda have this figured out in my head. I wonder if ½" chamber would work and eliminate the step of gluing in a ¼" piece in the end.  I have some rubber stuffing tubes we use here on the ship for electrical work. They are conical in shape and have a perfect ¼" hole thru the middle.  They fit like a dream in a 5/8" exhaust hole.  Need to find the right glue for rubber-to-wood. It might take a little trial and error to get it.  My customer wants Gabon Ebony & Pink Ivory in this owl call... Don't want to waste too much of that stuff  :no:

Jeff

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Offline JThomas

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2008, 11:58:17 AM »
Thanks Larry, I kinda have this figured out in my head. I wonder if ½" chamber would work and eliminate the step of gluing in a ¼" piece in the end.  I have some rubber stuffing tubes we use here on the ship for electrical work. They are conical in shape and have a perfect ¼" hole thru the middle.  They fit like a dream in a 5/8" exhaust hole.  Need to find the right glue for rubber-to-wood. It might take a little trial and error to get it.  My customer wants Gabon Ebony & Pink Ivory in this owl call... Don't want to waste too much of that stuff  :no:

Jeff

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Jeff, CA glue works for me on this one..

Jeff
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Offline Prairie Game Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2008, 04:24:15 PM »
Jeff I forgot to tell you something else you can do. I must of been having a senior moment! :rofl:
Anyways you can drill 1/2" hole don't go all the way through then drill the last 3/8-1/4" with a 1/4" bit and use a pen turning mandrel with a 1/2" bushing on it. Sorry I forgot that and that will give you the 1/4" exhaust hole and the right back pressure too make the blank about 3 1/2" long that should give you the right chamber too. Let me know if you understand what I just wrote please. ::)

Larry
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Bucko

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2008, 06:05:38 PM »
Mutt,Slow down and make a practice call or two or more.----

Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2008, 06:24:45 PM »
Larry, I understand what you said.  Sounds to me that the barrel should be approx. 3" long and the exhaust lenght determines, more or less, your sound.  Most owl calls have the ¼" hole in the end, usually with that little piece of rubber. I made an owl call one time with an old set of guts from an old call. In the end, I think my sound chamber was too short so I had to releive the ¼" exhaust hole with a ½" hole and it sounded good. Reason I'm a little hesitant is I'm using expensive wood for a customer and have but one shot at getting it right.  I'm not real handy with owl calls.... but I'm soon gonna be :yes:

Bucko, thanks for the advice but I have to respectfully decline.  If I slow down much more, moss will start to grow on me :rofl: :rofl:

Jeff

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Offline Heirloom

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #7 on: December 21, 2008, 11:53:32 PM »
Um, Sorry to be the one with the bad news MUTT, but, maybe you might ought to turn around next time you get outside. There's a bit of green tinge on your northern side...  :yes: just kdding, it's almost all the way around now.... :rofl:
OK, sorry, I'm just still goofy after a good day, anyways, I like the idea Larry had, as long as you keep the main barrel long enough. I would personally start with what I figure was almost too long of a barrel and then work it down slowly till i found the sound I wanted. I hope it helps. Good luck, I know you'll figure it out and have a great call made and a happy customer.
Brian Warner
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Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2008, 10:19:33 AM »
Brian, I hear ya loud and clear :tt2: and it seems true some days don't it?  I'm sure it will all work out in the end. If I cant figure it out, I'll send my customers ya'lls way.

Mossy Mutt~

Jeff
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Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2009, 04:55:30 PM »
Larry, et al,  I'm getting ready to start this project shortly when I get home, so I went back and re-read this thread.  On one of your repsonses, you mentioned you thought the exhaust of the owl call using the style of guts I have (Al's) should be 3½" approx.?  Would that be the overall dimension or should it be 3½" from the tip of the insert? Lastly, would a ½" bore be sufficient for a sound chamber?  My mind tells me this.... a ½" bore that is 3½" long would come close to the size ratio (volume) to a 5/8" bore which is 3" long? The ¼" hole in the end of the exhaust is a standard and can probably be altered one way or the other to achieve the correct volume of air passing through it. I don't believe the rubber piece in the end is a requirement.  Now that I have completely confused myself, perhaps I'll burn through some pine to find the right design. Man, that rhyme rocked :punk:

In advance, thanks for the past help and future "bail-out"!

Jeff

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« Last Edit: January 15, 2009, 04:57:59 PM by MUTT »
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Offline Heirloom

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2009, 07:07:22 PM »
Tell you what MUTT, when you decide to quit "TROLLING" and come ome, let me know and i'll send you one to see an mess with. easy as that.  :yes:
Brian Warner
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Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2009, 07:55:38 PM »
Thanks Brian.  I appreciate that. I wish we were doing some trolling down here.  Only thing we have caught this patrol is one Mahi Mahi and 218 migrants.  I'll give you a shout when I get back on the beach.

Take care,

Jeff

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Offline Heirloom

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2009, 08:28:20 PM »
which one puts up a better fight on the hook????
Brian Warner
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Offline Prairie Game Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2009, 08:40:50 PM »
Hey Mutt was having a senior moment for sure I dug out my notes and I made mine using those very guts, 3" long blank on the exhaust end. Drill 1/2" dia hole, 2 3/4" deep, drill the last 1/4" with a 1/4" drill. Now I did go up one size and down one size and I liked the 1/4"dia. hole the best. Give your self about 1/2"+ tennon to stick into the barrel. The Barrel I made was 4" long on the blank. With the gut and tennon you are into the barrel about 2 1/2"+ depends on the length of your tennon. Clear as mudd???

Larry
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Offline Jeff @ Mutt Calls

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Re: Owl call help
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2009, 09:03:35 PM »
Brian, the answer to your question is  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:... those are some poorly folks by the time we find them. It is sad.

Larry, I think I got what your saying.  It's in my head but I can't imagine it on the lathe until I do it. 

This has got to be most talked about project that has never happened in my life :wacko: I'll get it one day. And by "I'll".... I mean with the help of you fine gentleman!

Respectfully,

MUTT~
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