WORKING WITH THE GRAIN ON A LATHE TO MAKE A POT CALL

[K. RUGE]

I JUST GOT SOME REAL NICE EASTERN CEDAR 4x4 PEICES AND WHEN YA LOOK AT THE END GRAIN YOU HAVE SOME NICE CIRCLES OF COLOR , CAN U TURN WITH THE GRAIN , AND MAKE A NICE LOOKING CALL I THINK ........

[Pure Hunting Custom Game Calls]

Are you talking about having the end grain on the top and bottom of the pot.  If so, you might be able to but I think you will be asking for trouble.  Cedar cracks very easily and I would think even more so turning it that direction.  Just my opinion, others may tell you different.

[K. RUGE]

TRYING TO GET PHOTOBUCKET    NOT WORKING

[Andre's Wood Works aka: TheDecoyDude]

Is it risky to use the face? Definitely. However, I bet if you drill out the pith (making it the exact center of your call of course) you can safely make a call that will MOST LIKELY not split. Make sure it is sealed VERY well though. I might be a loner on this, but if you don't think it is too expensive to [perhaps] fail, I say give it a shot. ~Andre'

[Pure Hunting Custom Game Calls]

The center of those pieces are called the pith.  VERY unstable wood.  Easily cracks.  I'm not telling you what to do just what I would do.  The dotted lines would be my cuts.  This all depends on what size blank you are wanting to start with.

Andre` beat me to my other suggestion which was going to be drill the pith out.  I would definitely only try one of them.  It would be one of the ones that is solid all the way around.  Not like the one on the top right.

[dogcatcher]

Get a piece of pine 4x4 slice a 3/4" piece off the end, see how much pressure it takes to snap it in 2 pieces.  Try a piece of long grain 1x4 4" long.  The 1x4 will be 3/4" thick, see how much pressure it takes to snap it in 2 pieces.  Would I use it?  It all depends on the individual piece of wood after I tried it

Marvin

[VECtor Calls]

Sure would be awesome to capture that grain in a pot call, but in cedar, I would pass 10 out of 10 times.

I work with a lot of eastern red cedar, and it is not something you want to bank on for strength and non-cracking in this direction.

Vince

[Prairie Game Calls]

I did it with some crazy grain walnut but I stabilized the pot blank first. I'll look for the picture of it.

Larry

[K. RUGE]

LARRY , THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA >. stabilized. <  A WHILE BACK I BOUGHT A stabilize KIT HAVEN'T USED IT YET , THE BLOCKS ARE WAX REAL GOOD , I DONT KNOW WHAT THE % MOISTURE
IS , DO U THINK STABILIZING FIRST WOOD WORK ? IF SO WOULDN'T THAT BE THE WAY TO GO
THERES ONLY TWO SIZE'S OF BLANKS THAT I WOOD CUT  4x4 AND 3x3 .......

[Prairie Game Calls]

Stabilizing it will harden the grain and from what I found made the grain orientation insignificant and them allowed me to turn the pot with out it exploding or warping. Make sure it is dry I like to set my oven to 150 degrees and dry the wood for a good hour or so first then make very certain the wood has cooled all the way or you will set the resin up prematurely. I looked for the picture and couldn't find it but I know who has the call Chuck Anderson of Chucks Calls has it and I know he used it a time or two.

Larry

[VECtor Calls]

Can you stabilize cedar?  I thought there was an issue with it being stabilized  for some reason?

Vince

[Prairie Game Calls]

That I don't know I did a trumpet blank and turned it and it came out harder than it was and turned like the stabilized stuff. Maybe we need to talk to Turn Tex.

Larry