some of my calls

[mattkenny]

Hey everyone,
I'm fairly new here, so figured I'd introduce my self and show what I've been up to. About 3 years ago I started tinkering with making goose calls of my own, I was moderately successful enough to use one of them for a season of hunting. Well then I ended up buying a Cold Front Calls goose call from Randy, and needless to say mine got bumped off the lanyard. That and being busy I hadn't done any call making for a while until recently. I came across some of my wood piled in my garage and decided to start tinkering again.
I'm a machinist by trade, and so far have been making the calls on my metal lathe at work. But I've just bought a used wood lathe so I can do it at home in my free time instead.
Here's what I've done lately, a maple, padauk and yellow birch/ziricote goose calls, all are different internal dimensions of some sort so I could experiment with different combinations. Not the fanciest shape, but I like it:

[jcz]

  

Looks like you are well on your way. I like the middle call best. IMO goose calls need a lanyard groove on both ends and bands are a must. Keep at it!!   

[David @ Mad Duck Game Calls]

I like the middle one to, it isn't to short but isn't to long so its just right. 


David

[Fowl Mood]

I like the shape you have.  You don't need a fancy shape to kill geese anyway.  Keep at it!

[mattkenny]

Thanks guys!
I forgot how fun making these was. And I agree, I prefer bands and lanyard grooves as well, I was just experimenting with those 3.
Up next is a cocobolo with brass band. But I want to get my wood lathe set up first. If it urns out good, I'll post up pics again.
Matt

[mattkenny]

Well, since my last post, I've made some good progress. After figuring out my internal dimensions that worked the best for me, and settling on an outside shape/style, then making myself an expanding mandrel and setting up my wood lathe, I've done some productive "playing"!  Now, I'm still doing some experimenting with finishes, so far have been using tung oil.  I love how the tung oil gives the lighter colored woods a darker tinge, but I don't like how it takes away the awesome looking grain in the dark woods, like rosewood and blackwood.
Anyway, from left to right: yellow birch, a couple different cocobolos, a rosewood barrel/cherry insert, zebrawood barrel/abw insert, and an all abw. Some brass, copper, and aluminum bands.
I'm having a blast turning these!
Thanks for looking,
Matt

[David @ Mad Duck Game Calls]

Now those look AWESOME!!!! Try some teak oil or velvet oil, they will give you a nice satin finish also.

[RVivian]

  Very nice group of calls.  Looks like you got it.

Ray

[j heaven]

Very nice group of calls 

[VECtor Calls]

Those new ones look super sharp man!  Great, smooth style! 

What have you got going for your guts/gutsert?

[mattkenny]

Thanks guys!
David, I'd like to try some teak oil next, do you think it will be lighter than the tung oil?
Vector, I have tried one aluminum gutsert, but for the rest I have made PVC ones. I figured the PVC would glue up better than the aluminum ones. I'm not sure if there's much sound difference  between the two yet, I'll have to do more experimenting. For guts I use mostly GK, and Wade's SR 11s, but plan on putting in an order soon to try out a couple other different sets from Wade. I do like the 11s though.
I've played around making my own and had some success, but for the price of them, I'll just keep buying them for now, and try again down the road maybe.
Matt

[dogcatcher]

Thanks guys!
David, I'd like to try some teak oil next, do you think it will be lighter than the tung oil?
Vector, I have tried one aluminum gutsert, but for the rest I have made PVC ones. I figured the PVC would glue up better than the aluminum ones. I'm not sure if there's much sound difference  between the two yet, I'll have to do more experimenting. For guts I use mostly GK, and Wade's SR 11s, but plan on putting in an order soon to try out a couple other different sets from Wade. I do like the 11s though.
I've played around making my own and had some success, but for the price of them, I'll just keep buying them for now, and try again down the road maybe.
Matt

The color of teak oil will vary by brand, I have one that is almost water clear, it doesn't darken wood at all.  Watco teak oil will darken wood since the mixture is a light brown.  I think the clear one is Daly's, not sure on that, but I know it takes several coats to get a good finish.

On the PVC gutserts, cut some grooves in the inside of the tenon and on the gutsert.  The grooves will give a locking feature between the glue, the wood and the gutsert.  If the glue fails on the gutsert, the glue in the groove will keep it from coming loose.  I do the same when using aluminum gutserts.  It is like creating mini tenons of glue on the wood.

Marvin

[mattkenny]

Last time I was in my local hardware store I noticed they had 2 or maybe even 3 different brands of teak oil, I'll have to go back in and check them out again, and see what brands they are.
Thats a good tip about the grooves Dogcatcher. I put the grooves in this last batch of gutserts. This time I put them both around the tenon and down the length of it too.
Matt

[Henry H]

Good looking calls, Matt.  What tung oil are you using?  Lots of products marked as tung oil actually contain little or no tung oil.  In my experience pure tung oil doesn't hide the grain in darker woods, it highlights it.  I use tung oil from the Milk Paint Company (order it online - I also use their citrus solvent to cut early coats), and have been very happy with the product.

[David @ Mad Duck Game Calls]

Also try velvet oil, its harder to find then teak oil (you can get teak oil almost anywhere) but I've heard water runs right off of it!! Talk to Michael Foster (Foster Calls) I know for a fact that he uses a TON of velvet oil so he can probably help you with it.