Notes from the shop of a Newbie....

[Curmudgeon]

You can not polish out a scratch, no matter how long you try.
The wire you use to burn a line in a duck call will also burn a line in your fingers, much faster.
Catches and blowouts always happen when you are almost done with the turning.
You will wish you had a drawbar on your Jacobs chuck if it ever comes out of the tailstock while the bit is still in the wood !
You can not put a draw bar on a Jacobs chuck while it is in the tailstock, and still use the mechanical advance.
You can not wipe off the Gorilla Glue on your fingers quick enough to avoid a stain in the same place on your finger later.
If you dip your calls, you WILL have a drip edge somewhere, it can not be avoided.
Zebra Wood smells like cow pizz when you turn it (I swear this is true, sorry)
You can not tune a tone board if it came out of a bad jig.
If you don't know how to tune a tone board, you will never figure out it's the jig!
Someone, somewhere, on some forum, has been there, done that, and is willing to help.


 

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

Did ya know.....


that Zebra wood is dried by burying it in manure?  True - and that is why it smells bad. 

that Zebra wood is a member of the poison ivy family?  And why some people itch when turning it.



Did ya know....

the reason you jacobs chuck gets stuck in the wood is because the flutes of your drill bit are full of wood and need to be cleaned off.  The wood chips build up and "lock" the bit to the wood.   Always clean your bit twice as much as you think you should.  A good rule of thumb is when you see chips come out of the end of the blank, it is time to back out and clean.



Did ya know.....

that's the REAL reason they call it Gorilla Glue?   



Al @ THO

[Skegman]

OH  crap, please tell me it aint true ...... I just recieved a lenght of zebra wood  and was gonna make some goose calls from it.......... PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE  tell me it aint so ........Alvin

[VECtor Calls]

Someone, somewhere, on some forum, has been there, done that, and is willing to help.

 ;D  And can you imagine how much longer the list was guys had whenever there wasn't all this information available at our fingertips?! 

I think you found a pretty good place here to ask for help.  I see no time in the future when asking for help is going to be looked down on around here.    ;)  And I don't think bashing on people for asking for it is going to be allowed either.   ;)   ;D

Parker

[Curmudgeon]

Eeeeeeeewwwwwww!
For crying out loud Al, did you have to go and tell  us that little bit of information ? I only made one call out of it (deer grunt) the rest went to screwdriver handles. Are you going to tell is it starts out white too? So where do we post up wood for sale, cheap ! Geeeeeze.

[HaMeR]

I think I figured out the Zebra wood deal for me!! Thanks AL!! No more allergic reactions if I don't turn any more of it.  8)

[Al_at_THO Game Calls]

Ah, one you finish it, no problems   ;D

You would be surprised how much exotic wood is burried to help it dry.

I like zebra wood.  It finishes nice, is hard, has good sound and it turns pretty nice too.  Looks good - I could go on and on.   But that first turn sometimes will get ya!

Ever notice how Bloodwood smells like coconut?  Or Bocote smells like dill pickles sometimes?

I have no idea why that is, but they always make me thirsty for a pinacolada and sub  :)

AL @ THO

[Curmudgeon]

I have no idea why that is, but they always make me thirsty for a pinacolada and sub  :)

AL @ THO

I wake up every day like that !

[Yotehntr]

Note to self... no zebra wood for toneboards!!!

Ya'll are a riot! ;D