Wormy Chestnut Set

[Bucko]

   I thought I'd take time to add some pictures of a Buck Grunt and Doe Bleat set that I worked on this past month.The wood was a pleasure to turn but seemed quite dry and I feel the tenons were a bit fragile to groove for an "O' Ring. I'll most likely tune in the call and seal the 2 pieces together at the tenon w/glue to keep from a future break.To compliment the age of the wood I thought a Retro type style of shapeing would be just along with a Satin sheen[Watco Teak Oil w/GelPoly].I tried to remember an old call I saw in an antique store to use that shape as a guide for the calls along with keeping the natural inclusions of the wood.I also used a piece of the wood for a stand while keeping the rough edges for effect.I feel I was able to portray a bit of a past era with this wood and the style and basic shaping of the calls.                          

[John_NY]

They look nice to me. I gotta try one someday or get one. All I have is a store bought plastic one.

John

[justannie]

Guess I'm a bit dense, but do them calls work the same as the ones with the accordion tubing?

[dogcatcher]

Looking good!!  If the wood is dry and brittle, try making the exhaust bore larger and making your O ring tenon bigger.  The O rings in the kit won't fit, I think you have to go up 1/16 in size on the O rings. 

I found out several years ago that if you make the call with just 2 pieces and step drill the reed holder and exhaust bore into a single piece you only have 1 tenon and 1 set of O rings to deal with.  Drill the exhaust bore 3/4" for at least 4" then center drill with a 1/2" extra long bit for 2".  This will give you the 1 piece reed holder and exhaust bore.  Then on the mouth piece drill it with 3/4" bit. 

Bonnie, in my opinion these calls sound a lot better.  If the exhaust tube is at least 4" long the sound is deeper and sounds more like a mature buck.  If you make the exhaust bore too short, they make good firewood, you also have to explain to the user that they are not using a horn and that they need to blow softly or it sounds like a muffled machine gun.

Marvin