Help with inlays

[Brett]

Hello all, this is my first time posting. I been reading everything I can about the art of call making. I can turn a simple barrel and insert as well as tune it. I received a lathe for xmas so I dove head first and boy its been a blast. I decided to try my hand at inlays. I start with a 1 1/2" square blank and turn it down to 1 1/4". Every joint seems flawless at this thickness but as I turn the mouth end to 1" and shave the middle out the seams start to become noticeable. Some worse than others. Is there anything that can hide the seams better or do the barrels become firewood? Thanks for any advice.
http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p708/cajun-on-nitro/IMG_1192_zpsu1ab4cd5.jpg
http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p708/cajun-on-nitro/IMG_1188_zpsxckezccy.jpg

[Mann Lock @ Hollow Wing Calls]

What glue are you using and are you pressing them and letting them sit for a few days?


Just a thought is either your cuts are not strait and its showing in the finished product....

Could be you are jumping the gun and turning before the glue is set up completely and its separating....

Could be that your tools are just not sharp enough and are catching at the seems, one wood is harder than the other...

Essentially it could be multiple things happening all at once...

[Brett]

Tried a few with ca and a few with titebond exterior wood glue. Sat clamped for a few days. Some I am not sure of as a friend already had them glued. They were drops from his cutting boards. I guess I will have to try some pieces that I can run through the table saw and glue up

[Ryan@roosagamecalls]

It sounds like the two matting surfaces are not square to each other .i use a small metal 6" ruler as a straight edge to check squareness or flatness .

[FDR]

X2 to what Ryan said. A ridged 6 inch machinist rule has square flat edged. I use one to check to see that my tone boards are flat.

Fred

[Brett]

Thanks for the replies. I will pick a rule and see how those blanks that my buddy glued up look.

[LagrueCustomCalls]

Agreed with what everyone said above about perfectly flat mating surfaces.

I like to get mine perfectly flat, then sand them lightly in a cross hatch pattern with 320. I glue them with Devcon '2 Ton' epoxy. I've got laminated calls over 20 years old that have never delaminated.

One final detail I've found is that certain woods laminate well, and certain woods will have tearout at the lamination joint. You have to experiment to find the best lamination woods. Two of my favorite are Bois d'arc and Walnut.... Hmmm Maybe I need to do a new lenghthwise laminated call in that combo....