Newbe needs suggestions on tools and readiung materials.

[Bucksnort101]

Hello, just joined the forum and would like what I see. Have been interested in making games calls for a while now, but just did not have the information to start.
I am mainly interested in making Turkey calls, Box calls, scratch calls, Trumpets, Slates, etc...
Wondering if I can get recommendations on tools to but, Lathes, Drill presses, saws, etc...  Any desirables brands of woodworking tools.
Also looking for additional reading on call making. So far I have picked up a book called 
Turning Custom Duck and Game Calls: The Complete Guide for Craftsmen, Collectors, and Outdoorsmen by Ed Glenn and Greg Keats  , but would like to find additional reading, be it in book form or on-line tutorials.

Thank you.

Greg
 

[Braz]

Well Greg, you already have one of the best books on the market. That is a great book. Read it over several times as there is a lot of useful information there.

As to the type of tools, there are many ways of making calls. Pot calls for example, can be made by using the lathe or by using forstner bits. Just two ways of doing it. Read the archives, and you will begin to see lots of various discussions. For instance, we just had a discussion recently on chucks for the lathe.

If you have not done much turning on a lathe, you may want to contact your local Woodcraft store and take a lesson or two. Contact the American Woodturners Association and see if there is a local chapter. You may find a mentor very close by. And don't forget to check out the local colleges and High Schools for adult woodworking classes.

[dogcatcher]

Looks like you are a new woodturner, here are a couple of good books on woodturning.

Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Turning (Complete Illustrated Guide) (Hardcover) by Richard Raffan
 
"A Foundation Course in Woodturning" by Keith Rowley

My next recommendation would to checkout the American Woodturners Association site and look for a local tuning club.

http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/

Tools, never buy too cheap.  Buy a lathe that has at least a #2MT in the headstock and tailstock and threads on the headstock of 1" 8TPI.  There are more and better accessories for these models of lathes at reasonable prices.  Drill press, get the longest quill throw that you can afford.  In the saw category, go with a bandsaw first, then the others, to me the bandsaw id the most versatile, my next choice would be a compound miter saw.  Chucks, I would recommend the Barracuda2 from PSI, not the best or most expensive but good chuck for the cost and it has all of the jaws you will need.  The next chuck would be a Jacobs chuck to fit you tailstock, check out The Little Machine Shop they have a good selection of Jacobs chucks at reasonable prices.  Turning chisels, for starters get the Harbor Freight set, 8 chisels fro $40, they are HSS and worth the money and a good set to learn how to sharpen your tools.  Sharpening system, wait until you find a woodturner to help you choose or my choice would be a slow speed grinder with a Wolverine system.

From the above tool, lathe, Jet Mini or the Delta Midi are the top choices, check on Amazon for the best prices.  Bandsaw, mine is 30 plus years old and still works, if I had to buy a new one I would go with the 14" Grizzly band saw, about $450, the miter saw, and of the name brand in 8" or 10" sizes, on sale about $150.  The Barracuda2, around $150 on Amazon, Jacobs from LMS about $20.  Sharpening system budget about $150 for starters.  Chisels and other misc. tools budget about $100.

Supplies, sandpaper, finishes, (lots of finishes), wood, reeds, toneboards, slate and the list goes on.  Just plan on a lot of money.

Marvin

[BigB]

Lots of good points already posted.

Here's a couple of things that helped me out as well:


#2MT stands for #2 Morse Taper.  It is a standard taper size for a tapered metal to metal friction fit or a swedge type fit.  A #2 Morse Taper device will not work in a #1MT device unless you buy a conversion piece.  The majority of accessories are for a MT2.

Safety glasses are a must and a faceshield has saved a few folks from flying debris.

Dust mask and an air filtration system help out keeping things from being inhaled into the body.

Good turning tools are like a good pocket knife.  A cheap pocket knife will have to be sharpened a lot.  The time spent sharpening is time spent away from the lathe.

It is easier to turn an object around a centered hole, than it is to drill a centered hole in a finished peice.

The book you have by Greg Keats and Ed Glenn is a great reference.  There are a few videos out on YouTube of folks turning different items.  There is a video from Bud&Betty on making turkey pot calls that a good reference as well to make a pot call with Forsner bits. 

Everyone makes a call differently, based on the tools they have available to them.  But all calls start out as a blank of wood and come out as a finished call when the process is done, no matter what the process.  There is no "correct" process.  Everyone has their own process to suit their needs.  There are lots of tutorials on the web, and most are easy to find via a search engine.  If you can't find what you are needing, ask anybody here, and I'll be that someone will have an answer for you or a link to what you are looking for.


Marvin mentions about the long quill throw on the drill press.  If you will be drilling a hole 4" deep in a blank, and your drill press only has a throw of 2.5", then you will be having to adjust something.  Either the blank in the press or the deck height of the drill press.  Once you adjust something, the tolerances will be off that you are trying so hard to keep.

One other tool that I haven't seen mentioned yet is a Collet Chuck.  They work well for turning items around a centerline.


If you get stumped on something, don't hesitate to ask.  More than likely, someone has been in that spot before and has figured out a solution.



Brian

[rjl54]

On down the road when you really get hooked (and you will), you may find yourself wanting to try out different woods.  A good reference book  that describes each species is good to have nearby.  I use Wood for Woodturners and reference it often.  A good book will have clear photographs, suggest turning techniques, finishes, and warn of certian health risks. 

Brush up on the safety, get good ventalation, and make some sawdust. Best tip I can give when sanding is to slow the machine down. Then stop the lathe and sand with the grain at the end of each grit.  There are several finishes out there and you'll want to try them all.  But no matter what miricle shine you buy, the final finish will always be determined by how much care you used in sanding.
                             Have fun and show us something soon,
                                                                                       Randy