Author Topic: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....  (Read 16605 times)

Offline gooseforsupper

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Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« on: April 03, 2012, 09:53:42 PM »
Here is the flute blank all glued up and drilled through at 5/8 inch ready to go.  I had Wade Carpenter of Webfoot Custom Calls make up a custom mandrel to spin up flute blanks on.


Here are the dimensions of the mandrel, using one of Wade's MVS mandrels as a guide:


I start with a piece of sacrificial wood drilled through 5/8 and slide it on the mandrell, then the blank, followed up with another sacrificial block.  Now is when you line up the marks for the grain...  Then I crank down the nut on the threads and lock the blank onto the mandrel very tight.  This works slick!  The blank never moves on the mandrel, it's rock solid and ready to turn.  I love doing call this way, as I can turn the entire call as one piece and never worry about matching up the two halves.



Now, turn it round, then remove it from the mandrel...


Now we are going to counterbore.  Here are my tools.  On the top is a custom drill bit for step drilling barrels all in one shot.  It was made by River Mallard and is made to my bore specifications.  The bottom shows my 7/8" and 3/4" pilted counterbores with a 5/8" pilot for boring blanks.  I used these for years before I broke down and had a custom bit made.  I still use the 3/4" to drill the exhausts for the gut-sert.  You can buy these from Enco.  I also have a 1 inch drill chuck on a #2 morse taper for holding the big counterbores.


Test fit to make sure the 5/8 inch pilot will go all the way through the blank without binding up.  If it does, remove it with a small rod and take the blocks to the internal bore sander again until the pilot slides right through.


Then chuck up the blocks and drill the counterbores.  MAKE SURE YOU DRILL THE RIGHT ENDS!  :devil2: :taz:
First the barrel:




Then the exhaust.  Use the 3/4" counterbore and drill in three inches or so.  This creates a small sound chamber inside the exhaust (past the end of the gut-sert) that aids in getting the back pressure for the flute to run good.



Remove from the lathe and glue in the gut-sert.  I use a .625 bore gut-sert that fits Webfoots flute guts.  Let it cure overnight.



Now the fun part.  :stuart: :bigup:
Assemble the barrel and exhaust, line up the grain, put it back on the mandrel and crank it down tight  (I used a new sacrificial piece on the end of the exhaust and put some CA glue on a void that needed some strengthening).   Pull up the tailstock and get it ready for turning.


Now turn the entire call, don't worry about shaping the mouthpiece and exhaust end quite yet.



Now for the sanding.  THIS IS CRITICAL.  Don't get in a hurry or skip steps, the sanding is what makes the finish pop and is worth every bit of time to do it right all the way through.  I can't stress this enough (SO I USED GREAT BIG LETTERS)..  :stuart:


I usually start with 150 grit.  Turn on the lathe, sand the call smooth, turn off the lathe and go back hand sanding the entire blank WITH THE GRAIN.  Don't miss any spots or the next higher grit of sandpaper might not take off the rough part.
Then turn the lathe back on and repeat with 220 grit.  Turn it off and hand sand again.
Then 320 grit, 400 grit, 600 grit, 800 grit, stopping each time to hand sand with the grain.
Once I get it to 800 grit, it's time to burn some lines in the call.  I use a piece of guitar string tied to some wood blocks.  I like to hide the joint between the barrel and exhaust with a burn line.  It makes it really hard to see where the call comes apart...


After the lines are burned, I go over the call once again with 800 grit to sand away any excess burned wood and contuinue sanding using 1200 and finally 1500 grit.  By then the wood is starting to take on a glass like shine and feel to it.


Now it's time to finish up both ends.  Take the call off the mandrel and take the mandrel out of the collet chuck.  Here are the two blind mandrels I use for flutes.  The little stubby one was made by Wade Carpenter and measures just a hair below 7/8 inch in diameter.  A 7/8 drilled blank just barely slides on it tightly.  The other is a .610 piece of steel rod.


For the barrel, I use a single layer (or two) of masking tape at the lathe end off the stubby mandrel.  It helps to hold the blank firmly once you slide in on.  Turn on the lathe, if the blank wobbles a bit, turn off the lathe and rotate the blank on the mandrel a litttle bit, usually you can find a spot where it runs pretty true.



Then I sand the bore and the mouthpiece, AGAIN BOTH ON THE LATHE AND THEN BY HAND WITH THE GRAIN. Same grits, 150 all the way up to 1500. I just roll up a piece of sandpaper to do the bore...




Now for the exhaust.  Put the steel rod in the collet chuck.  It should be long enough for it to go through the gut-sert, through the sound chamber, and then back into the 5/8 inch bore about halfway through the call.  Put a layer of masking tape around the rod next to the collet chuck and slide on the exhaust, over-running the masking tape to get a firm grip on the call.  Turn on the lathe  and check for wobble, and adjust it by turning off the lathe and turning the blank a bit.  Play with it a little and you can get it to run pretty true.



Turn the bell on the exhaust.  I like to get it opened up most of the way with a small scraper and then go back and open it up all the way with sandpaper.  Less chance of once of those oops moments where you catch a tool and destroy the whole exhaust this far along.  I'll use a very aggressive 80 or 120 grit to get it started and then shape it and refine the inside as I move through the grits.  Once again, stop each time to sand with the grain.





Guess What, your done making the flute and ready for the finish room.   :hammer:






So here you go folks........






I hope this helps you all.  I'm glad I can share back what I have learned here.   :up1: :bigup:
Thanks once again to all my mentors and friends who have helped me along the way.  :bow:
All The Best!
Doug Nelson
aka gooseforsupper

 
 


 


 
« Last Edit: April 04, 2012, 06:53:02 PM by gooseforsupper »

Offline jcz

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2012, 10:31:24 PM »
Very nice!! Thanks for sharing.
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Offline Braz

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2012, 12:49:14 AM »
Nice job Doug, nicely done for sure. Great pictures an great explanations. Very easy to follow.  :bigup:
Braz
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birddog1

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2012, 05:48:09 AM »
Is The bore on the barrel 5/8 all the way through

Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2012, 06:15:56 AM »
Thanks guys!

birddog1, the barrel is step drilled 7/8 to 3/4 to 5/8 at the mouthpiece.  General dimensions are 1 1/2 deep at 7/8, 1+ deeper at 3/4 and then 5/8 the rest of the way to the mouthpiece.  You have to play a bit with those dimensions to get the call to run the way you like it.  The barrel bore dimensions work differently depending upon the guts you use and the diimensions of the exhaust.  I hope that helps a bit....


Doug

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2012, 07:50:30 AM »
Doug this sure does help. Thanks for sharing.    :thanks:   I had just bought a couplegoose flute guts from Wade a nd was wondering length and bore dia   this was a big help.   Now I need more new tools   The madness  doesn't end    :wacko:
 


Offline Joe aka COLD @ J. A. Kolter Calls

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2012, 09:20:20 AM »
Thanks Doug for your interesting info.  Its been fun to watch how you go about your system of set-up steps.
Each of us do things in a different fashion, but all that matters is the end results.  In this case a fine looking flute.
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Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2012, 06:36:30 PM »
Thanks Doug for your interesting info.  Its been fun to watch how you go about your system of set-up steps.
Each of us do things in a different fashion, but all that matters is the end results.  In this case a fine looking flute.

Thanks Joe!  I consider you the master at making flutes so if you have a way to save me time and get the same result please feel free to lay it out.  :whistling: ::)
Honestly I couldn't make a flute that worked until you keyed me in to counterboring the exhaust sound chamber, that did the trick.  I owe you big for that tip.  :bow:
All The Best!
Doug

Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2012, 06:45:23 PM »
Doug this sure does help. Thanks for sharing.    :thanks:   I had just bought a couplegoose flute guts from Wade a nd was wondering length and bore dia   this was a big help.   Now I need more new tools   The madness  doesn't end    :wacko:
 

Tools, oh my the tools......  :eek: :stuart: :winkiss:  :wacko: :1eye:
Buying tools and wood are the true madness of this addiction.  Just today on my way home I swung by Woodcraft and just had to buy a piece of highly figured asian satinwood and a big ol stick of bloodwood.
Couldn't pass it up, the madness kicked in again.... LOL!   :surrender:

Offline jcz

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 08:02:45 PM »
I never have been able to go into woodcraft and NOT buy something.  Even though I know the wood is going to be wet and higher priced than if I got it online. Just can't help it.
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Offline Mark at dbroswoods and Honker Breaker Game Calls

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012, 08:15:42 PM »
 :thanks:  Great tutorial and a great looking flute!!!   Mark

birddog1

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2012, 08:56:58 PM »
that helps thanks for the detail

Offline HuntnCarve

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2012, 08:58:21 AM »
Wow!  A fantastic tutorial to say the least!  Thank you from all of us for the time and effort you put into it all.  If folks only realized the amount of work and time you committed to the project... Then to unselfishly post it for all of us.  :bigup: It's folks like you Doug that really help put this site over the top!  I for one am truly thankful. :thanks:

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Offline gooseforsupper

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2012, 08:20:22 PM »
Thanks Dave for the kind words.  It's a labor of love, that's why I took the time to document the entire process.  It was also really good for me to go over my notes and technique and get it all written down and photgraphed.  It was fun to do and I don't mind sharing it.  I see the same questions arise over and over so I figured I would help you all out getting a handle on it. 

Hopefully there will be some feedback and new ideas come from it.  I don't mind changing things up if it can make me a better call maker.   :2up:

I love the tutorial section of this website.  Some day I want to learn how to make different kinds of calls and expand my lineup, so I'll be reading and studying things others have posted up.  It's fun to learn new stuff.

All The Best!
Doug

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Re: Laminated Goose Flute Tutorial, Part 2, Turning the call....
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2012, 09:23:13 PM »
Great writeup Doug!  One heck of a sharp caller too!

You're going to make me go take a picture of something I use to help with sanding the insides of barrels. 

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