Hey guys,
I want to try my hand at callmaking. My plan is to start out with short reed goose calls (slightly less complicated than duck calls) and possibly try at a duck call (thinking of turning a barrel and using an aftermarket insert for a starter and see how that goes). Does any one have any experience with call making? Ive never used a lathe, but I have decent wood working experience, and plenty of time
Read the manual for the lathe and the cutting tools!
Make sure you get a lathe with a chuck... it is easier to drill the center whole right on the lathe than to take it off and use a drill press... I have destroyed 90% of the calls I have made doing it with a press.
Practice on soft wood and then cheap hard wood (oak), before buying specialty hard woods.
I use brass pipe fittings from Menards for the metal ring (used to prevent swelling around the reed insert) they are cheap.
Other than that try different woods and shapes till you find the look and sound you like.
You can make your own insert, you will need more than a lathe. I would suggest buying them.
The Chuck.
It is the same thing that is on an automatic drill that holds a bit.
In this case the chuck holds the wood, and there is another pice of the lathe that holds the drill bit, which slides on rails, this allows you to drill a whole perfectly center. By the way the bit you need is a bit odd 19/32 if remember right (I will check on it and let you know), you will have to special order the bit.
You can buy a lathe that does not have a chuck and add it later.
You can get the lathe for around $300-500 new, used around $100.
The chuck is around $200-300 alone, but if you have a drill press you can use it, just be careful!
Thanks, those pics are kind of old, I do better work now! Lol.
Another option is a pen mandrel and some tapered bushings. I bought a setup from penn state industries. Don't buy the call inserts they sell as those suck horribly. I bought the mandrel saver setup. Then, get a 7mm brass tube used for the inside of turned pens and make some tapered bushings. The instructions for the bushings don't mention the brass tube, but I found the call to sit much more true. Its not as fancy as using jaw chucks, but its cheaper and gets you turning. I bought an insert from Rockler that I like. You turn both the barrel and stopper for that one. I think Echo calls sells the insert and stopper combo. I want to try one of those some time, but I'm too busy hunting right now.
Another option is a pen mandrel and some tapered bushings..... I bought the mandrel saver setup. Then, get a 7mm brass tube used for the inside of turned pens and make some tapered bushings. The instructions for the bushings don't mention the brass tube, but I found the call to sit much more true.... insert from Rockler that I like. You turn both the barrel and stopper for that one.
You can see the tapered bushings on the ends. But rather than buy theirs, you can just turn a set on your lathe like in the bottom right of the instructions. Instead of just drilling a 1/4in hole, I drilled a 7mm hole (the odd size drill bit is a standard for turned pen making kits) and inserted a brass tube for pens. This, IMHO, gave the bushing just a tad less play. You can't do everything with this set up that you can do with jaws or a pin chuck, but its inexpensive, especially if you plan on turning pens too. And, you can learn most of the turning techniques for you calls and let the wallet recover before getting a nicer setup. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I would be interested in other inserts on the market. I've never owned a nice duck call and am curious what other makers there are and how people think they compare.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Duck Hunting Forum
3.2M posts
63.3K members
Since 2000
A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tips, tricks, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more!