So I made one of these...

[Scott Hackler]

A friend at work is a duck hunter and has been hounding me to make him a duck call or two. He bought the "guts" and brought them out. This is the first one (with no finish yet)> It was kind of fun and I may make some more as he showed the finished products to a couple hunters and they thought they were better than the $50-60 call they had bought. So maybe some $75 duck calls might be in my future!

Sadly I was in a hurry and didn't take a photo of the two that I finished.

duck call 1.jpg

[Tim Rinehart]

Nice work Scott. I like the concept of small projects like that.

[thomas prusak]

Looks great! Do you know where he purchased the guts?

[Steve bellinger]

Thomas there's a bunch of places to get them. The place I've been getting them from is "THO game call store". This was recommended by a bunch of really good call makers.
Scott watch out man them things are addictive.
Not to steal Scotts post, but here's some I'm working on.001 (800x491).jpg

[Marty Tippin]

I've got a friend who's an avid goose hunter and thought about making a call for him but don't know enough about them to know if I'd be making it "correctly" or not - no point in making him something if he can't actually use it while hunting.

So does the shape and size of the turned portion have a significant impact on the quality of sound produced by the call? Or can I just buy a set of goose call "innards" and stuff them in an attractively-turned body?

[Scott Hackler]

He got the "guts" at Echo game calls. They have a couple versions and all are only $6 each. The brass of aluminum rings are like 80 cents.

For the size and shape, I had him bring me his store bought calls and I inspected their shape. All were about 3" long (the wood part) and the main differences were the "bell" and exterior shape. I just did my deal and he seemed very pleased and said some of his friends want some. So... I ordered a box of Spectraply (Colorwood) blanks and will be ordering a dozen internals and rings.

For finishing I tried something different. I used Polycrylic water based finish and dipped them. I had to sling off the extra and monitor them for runs down the ring. Just used a paper towel to wipe the ring off until the Poly didn't run anymore. The next day I lightly scuffed with some 600 and buffed them out. They looked good to me! I did have to tweak the inside hole after finishing to make the hole large enough ...again... to allow the guts to fit! But some 180 grit worked pretty good.

[charlie knighton]

looks good, Scott

$75 is a great price...espically compared to bowls price

[Tim Browne]

That's a nice looking call Scott. They look like a fun project. I'll have to find an excuse to make one - or maybe the fact that they're fun to make is excuse enough.

[Wally Dickerman]

Nice looking call Scott.....As a former long time duck hunter and duck caller I'll offer some suggestions to making calls. The shape is important. When using a call the hand is cupped at the end to help control the sound. A groove near the mouthpiece is needed for the cord that hangs around the callers neck. Bare metal and bright colors aren't good. A duck hunter is trying to be concealed, usually in a duck blind.

[John King]

There's a mountain of information - turning instructions, game call shapes, videos, etc. - on the Craft Supplies USA web site. They stock Echo, Yellerdog, Winglock Pioneer and JC kits. All you need is the wood bland. Check it out at http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/Sales/28/Game-Calls. - John

[Marvin Hasenak]

I have been making game calls fro over 50 years, as Wally Dickerman stated you need to add a lanyard groove at the band. The choice of finishes varies but poly acrylic is not one of them. I prefer an oil finish, a few coats of teak or tung oil, but I make mine only out of wood. Some use the CA finish, but I am not a fan of that one, lately a few have experimented with the Massey bow finish, I have not tried that one. I finish the calls so that if the hunter wants to refinish they can, hunters are do-it-your-selfers, so that needs to be considered. Also as mentioned the mouth end is very important, it has to be a comfortable fit.

Did you pin the brass band on or glue it? Really needs to be pinned if a plain band, with weather and humidity changes the bands will come loose. If using a fancy band, the choice is a tenon on tenon force fit or a force fit with grooves on the inside of the band and the wood using JB Weld as adhesive.

Sales prices, if using Echo and other branded, the real going prices are in the $25 to $40 range. If you get more than that it's because the person doesn't know better, or it's the "friendship" thing, they sell on eBay all day long for even less. If you make and tune your own inserts, then the price rises based on reputation, then better the reputation you have for quality sounds, the higher the price you can command. Fancy carved calls can be in the $300 to the $700. http://www.ccaacalls.org/auction_2014.php

Questions? Feel free to ask.

[Scott Hackler]

Thanks for the extra comments and suggestions. I suppose $75 is too much, but the folks asking are NOT my friends and thought that is what they said they expected $60-75 each ....I dunno. I based that on the $35-40 for the assembly line all plastic calls in the stores and figured if 1/2 the call was hand made is should command a premium. I ordered enough wood and inserts to make 14 more calls and will likely make them, but if I can only sell them for $35 each.... I might not be making them after this batch! Materials alone will be costing me about $11.50 (finish, electricity and such not included). I don't fancy getting super serious about these as it is time away from making what I really want to and I don't think a pierced call is going to work very well!

BTW there is a lanyard grove right behind the metal ring, it's likely not deep enough though.

Marvin, I asked my friend what type of finish he wanted and showed examples of all and he wanted a semi to high gloss finish. I wanted to use tung oil!

Ah well, I guess it's al about getting as much as you can out of your products. Some fellas are going to craft shows selling 10" bowls for $35-40, but I would sell mine for $100+ or I would take it back home! I don't try very hard to sell my stuff, but need to. It is building up all over!