Call Makers News was developed by an avid sportsman and duck call maker with the intention of providing helpful information to all call making enthusiasts.    The information contained within this site reveals pictorial and video step by step instructions for making a duck call as well as listing various suppliers within the call industry, national events, game call forums and links to other call makers websites.

We also have a tool discussions section where we provide extensive product reviews on the various tools that are used in making a duck call or goose call.  They are graded on durability and practicality with the call maker in mind.  Our shop talk section contains “how to” information regarding the different steps of making a duck call or goose call.  This section also contains a step by step pictorial and video instructions on how to make a duck call.

We welcome any idea’s or suggestions for the content of this site.  Please feel free to contact us!

BANDSAW

My Powermatic bandsaw came with a 4” dust collection port built into the back of the unit.  While it catches a lot of the dust and debris from the materials that I use in making a duck call, it does not catch it all.  As you will notice in the pictures I added a Stay Put Hose Kit and Stay Put Hose Bracket so that I can now capture a lot more that comes from the blade area on the top of the table.  This works great and I am well pleased.  I have also seen pictures where the hose was installed on the back of the bandsaw and the Stay Put Hose was routed over the top and down beside the blade.  This will also work but be sure to purchase an extra Stay Put Hose Bracket.

DRILL PRESS

Like all drill presses, my Powermatic drill press did not come with any dust collection hook ups.  I added the same Stay Put Hose Kit and Stay Put Hose bracket that I used on my bandsaw.  This eliminates virtually 99% of the dust and debris that are generated while I am boring the holes into the body and insert of a duck call.

SANDERS

As you can tell, I really like having several sanders with various grit belts and pads when sanding the duck call.  I have the dust collection designed so that I can restrict or increase vacuum pressure to each machine.

DUST COLLECTOR

I have been making duck calls for many years and in the past was limited to a small dust collector that only had one port.  Therefore I would have to disconnect the hose from the unit every time I used a separate machine.  Once my new shop was built, I researched every dust collection system known and finally landed on the CV 1800 LH 1P Cyclone Bundle with Filters from Clear Vue Cyclones.  If I had it to do over again I would purchase the exact same system!  It is powered by a 5 HP Leeson motor and has a 6” inlet that reduces down to the standard 4” at the machine.  It definitely has more than enough suction!  The folks at Clear Vue are awesome to deal with and were available by email and phone anytime I needed assistance.  I highly recommend them!

Here are a couple of pictures of the duck call barrel positioned into place and ready for turning:

Here is a picture of two #2MT Alignment Tools that I have.  The one in the top of the picture is one that I cut short in order to use it for polishing the inside of the barrel.  This allows me to reach further into the barrel.  The one in the bottom of the picture is the standard #2MT Alignment Tool:

The final picture shows the acrylic duck call barrel mounted onto the #2MT Alignment Tool and ready for sanding and polishing:

]]> http://callmakersnews.com/tool-discussions/duck-call-making-too/feed/ 0 http://callmakersnews.com/shop-talk/make-duck-call/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-duck-call http://callmakersnews.com/shop-talk/make-duck-call/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:46:15 +0000 http://callmakersnews.com/?p=535 [continue reading...]]]> Learning how to make a duck call is something that is constantly gaining the interest of many wood turners, duck hunters and outdoor sportsmen.  This art has been around for many years and while a lot of the techniques still remain the same or similar, there are also a lot of options available when selecting the material or the tools that are used.  I have listed a lot of sources in our Suppliers Directory.

The most widely used material in the beginning was what I refer to as “common wood”.  This was wood that was readily available from the natural surroundings of the call makers such as Oak, Cherry, Cedar and Persimmon just to name a few.  Today there are a lot of exotic woods that are being used frequently for turning calls.  African Blackwood, Bocote, Cocobolo and Purple Heart are just a few of the many that are readily available.

Acrylic is being widely used today for a lot of the duck calls whether they are handmade by a callmaker or manufactured by a major call company.  They great thing about both acrylic and wood is that you are able to use the same tools for turning both of them.  In this video tutorial, I use acrylic along with a Sorby round nose scraper, skew chisel and parting tool.

While learning how to make a duck call does require practice,  this video tutorial will give you a great start!

• Your Name
• Website address if applicable
• Material(s) that you used in making your duck call or goose call

Please keep in mind that lower resolution (pixel) pictures load much faster.

As you will notice in the video below, I used The Little Torch by Smith and started on the end of the duck call barrel closest to the lathe headstock/4 jaw chuck.  I held the torch tip just close enough so that the blue tip of the flame touched the duck call barrel.  Once I started, I continued to the end of the barrel using a steady and constant speed.  I then barely touched the torch tip to the end of the barrel in order to polish it and then proceeded to polish the inside, again using a steady and constant speed.

I have also included a picture of an acrylic duck call barrel after it was flame polished.  Again, the video tutorial below shows the entire acrylic flame polishing process.  More information regarding The Little Torch by Smith can be viewed in our “Tool Discussions” section.

Duck hunting is and equipment intensive sport.  This book will tell you what you need in the way of shotguns and shells, decoys, duck calls, blinds, boats, clothing, accessories and even hunting dogs.  Then, it will thoroughly explain how to put this equipment to the best use.

The highlight of this book is the section on duck hunting techniques.  Unlike any other duck hunting book available, this one shows you exactly what to do in a wide variety of specific situations, from hunting puddle ducks on potholes to divers on big water.  It explains how to set your decoys and place your blind according the the wind and what guns and ammunition to use.  It also gives you some technique and equipment oriented tips that are sure to make your hunt more enjoyable and successful.

As long as we have an abundance of water and good nesting cover, duck populations should continue to flourish.  It doesn’t matter if you are a newcomer anxious to enjoy some exciting wing shooting, a veteran waterfowler who gave up the sport or a die hard who stuck with it, this book is designed to be used as your guide to the new world of duck hunting.

The Complete Hunter Duck Hunting

Guide-Tested Techniques for Taking All of the Important North American Duck Species

The history and evolution of the American duck call is a culmination of over twenty years of collecting and research on the subject.  Duck Calls-An Enduring American Folk Art presents photographs and advertisements on a scale never before undertaken of calls and their makers from past and present.  This book presents  this craft as a true American Folk Art form.

No one knows exactly who invented the first duck call or when and where it was constructed. Howard Harlan and W. Crew Anderson, coauthors of Duck Calls: An Enduring American Folk Art, discovered what may be the first evidence of their existence in an 1854 Nathaniel Currier art print, in which a dapper sportsman is depicted with a primitive tongue-pincher-style call tucked in his breast pocket. In 1863, Fred Allen of Monmouth, Illinois, is believed to have fashioned the first modern-appearing duck call, consisting of a barrel, stopper, and internal reed assembly. A few decades later, another early master, Victor Glodo, developed a more effective design, which he put to good use as a market hunter on Tennessee’s Reelfoot Lake. Over time, many individuals experimented with and improved upon these early prototypes. Another major innovation occurred in 1957, when Texans Jim Fernandez and George Yentzen patented the first double-reed duck call.

The evolution of the modern duck call continues today, as call making has grown into a multimillion-dollar industry. While many call makers now mass produce their wares in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, others continue to painstakingly fashion calls by hand, upholding the grand traditions of their craft. Visit your local sporting goods retailer and you are likely to find a plethora of duck calls made of almost every conceivable material, from traditional woods to space-age acrylics.

The Arkansas Duck Hunter’s Almanac is the ultimate book on mid-south duck hunting, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Arkansas Duck Hunter’s Almanac has received rave reviews since it was first published in soft cover in 1998. Few books have so well-described and preserved the past while bringing the reader abreast of what is happening today, said Guns and Gear magazine.

There is enough information in the Arkansas Duck Hunter’s Almanac to keep any duck hunter entertained for weeks. In addition to hundreds of anecdotes, tips and profiles of hunters, the book gives detailed information on public waterfowling areas in Arkansas.

The hardcover version of the Arkansas Duck Hunter’s Almanac, published in 2000, includes an extra 16-page section of old photographs not contained in the original soft cover book. The Arkansas Duck Hunter’s Almanac was written by Steve Bowman and Steve Wright and published by Ozark Delta Press.

The Little Torch by Smith Equipment is an excellent choice for flame polishing your acrylic duck call or goose call barrels.  Below you will find more information regarding this torch.  However, please also visit our “Shop Talk” section for picture and video tutorials on using this setup for flame polishing your duck call barrel.

When you pick up The Little Torch^(TM), you know immediately that you are holding a magnificent instrument which will enable you to extend your skills far beyond all previous limits. Whether you are in the first stages of learning your craft or have mastered it completely with more limited tools, The Little Torch will open a new world of possibilities for you.  It has a great feel in your hand and is just a fraction wider and longer than your middle finger.

This superbly balanced torch with a rugged aluminum alloy body weighs only 1.5 ounces. The Little Torch features a thin, extremely lightweight hose which provides added maneuverability. In short, The Little Torch is designed to meet the most exacting industrial standards for a small, multi-purpose torch.

The Little Torch has unmatched flexibility — it can be used with several fuels including acetylene, hydrogen, propane, propylene, MAPP®, or natural gas. It produces a perfectly controlled, completely stable flame hot enough to melt commercially weldable metals, glass and even ceramics. It may also be used with special heating tips to melt up to 3 oz. of metal.

The Little Torch has twenty-one tips available to provide a wide range of flame lengths and heat output for various metals and thicknesses.  However, the number 5 tip works best for me for flame polishing your acrylic duck call barrels.  The operator can vary the flame length to his/her exact requirements by adjusting the oxygen and fuel gas valves on the torch body.

The Little Torch has many engineered-in safety features.  Color coded hoses and valves help prevent errors in setup and operation.  Over 80 years of Smith experience in the manufacturing of welding equipment gives you assurance of quality and satisfaction.  Listed below are a few more features of this awesome little torch:

• Infinite Control
  Weighing only 1.5 ounces, The Little Torch^(TM) is easily maneuvered in areas impossible to reach with conventional torches.
• Variety of Flame Settings and Sizes
  Produces a perfectly controlled, stable flame hot enough to melt commercially weldable metals, glass and ceramics with thread-thin flames up to 6000° F.
• Unmatched Flexibility
  Works with any commercially used fuel gas, and strong, flexible hoses connect to any standard pressure regulator.
• Optional Compressed Air/LP Tips
  Provide softer flames and eliminate the need for compressed oxygen.
• Exclusive Heating Tips
  Multi-orifice tips for heating or melting up to 3 oz. of metal.

For more information and Frequently Asked Questions, visit the following websites:

Little Torch

Lacy West

Smith Equipment

The Little Torch is manufactured in the in the U.S.A. by:

Smith Equipment

2601 Lockheed Avenue

Watertown, SD  57201-5636

I purchased the following set up at Welding Supply.Com for flame polishing my duck calls:

23-1014 kit which includes a 249-99 pre-set oxygen regulator, 249-500 pre-set propane regulator, two cylinder holder rack, 11-1101C torch, number 5 tip, 8ft. hoses and complete instruction manual.

2327-3 3” extension in order to reach inside of the duck call barrels

14014 Magnetic torch stand and tip organizer. It is a solid metal stand that comes with holes drilled and numbered for tip sizes 2-7. Just a twist of the wrist easily removes the torch from the magnet. The magnetic clip mounts easily on the torch body.

Be sure to visit our “Shop Talk” section for picture and video tutorials on using this setup for flame polishing your duck call or goose call barrel.