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Turkey Calls => Trumpets / Wingbones Forum => Topic started by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 12:58:04 PM

Title: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 12:58:04 PM
Finding exceptionally figured wood suitable for making trumpet yelpers is a constant, ongoing challenge....especially if you add affordable to the requirements.  During my recent searches through my wood loft, I found a couple of turning blanks I am going to soon turn......

I'll challenge anyone to guess what the woods are and be able to name them all.
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: RLAG on July 20, 2023, 01:26:07 PM
Ok I'll bite and play along. From L to R
1. Osage
2. Mac ebony
3. B/W ebony
4. Bastogne walnut
5. Spalted or ambrosia maple?
6. Olive wood
7. Desert ironwood

I'm sure I'm off on a couple though...

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Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: callmakerman on July 20, 2023, 01:53:30 PM
Quote from: RLAG on July 20, 2023, 01:26:07 PM
Ok I'll bite and play along. From L to R
1. Osage
2. Mac ebony
3. B/W ebony
4. Bastogne walnut
5. Spalted or ambrosia maple?
6. Olive wood
7. Desert ironwood

I'm sure I'm off on a couple though...

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Some really good guesses I would think.
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Spring Creek Calls on July 20, 2023, 02:23:14 PM
Osage
Maccasar
B/W Ebony
Walnut burl
Wormy persimmon
Black limba
Olivewood
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Greg Massey on July 20, 2023, 03:20:04 PM
I agree also with some of the guesses ....   Wood in my opinion makes a trumpet look pretty, but the person behind the internals makes the trumpets ....sound/tone ... IMO
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 07:01:45 PM
1. Osage
2. When I purchased this blank, it was represented to be gaboon ebony, but I agree it looks to be macassar.
3. Black/White ebony
4. Hawaiian Koa root burl.  I had to get it stabilized, and I should have sanded and wetted it.  Absolutely amazing colors that doesn't show in the picture, but it's there.
5. and 6.  Both are Hawaiian Koa, extremely curly with spalting.  The Hawaiian Koa root burl and these two pieces were purchased from a Hawaiian woodturner.  He had this wood submerged in a vat of water where he stored the wood he used for his work. 
7.  Figured cocuswood.  I purchased this blank of cocuswood in the early 2000s.   

Thank you all who participated with the guesses.  I appreciate your participation.
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 08:35:29 PM
Here is some more wood you don't see now very often...and when you do see it the cost is prohibitive:

Arizona Desert Ironwood Root Burl
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: RLAG on July 20, 2023, 09:17:58 PM
Man that right half was tough. I'd be very impressed if folks got those right. Always love looking at different wood species

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Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 10:37:31 PM
Quote from: RLAG on July 20, 2023, 09:17:58 PM
Man that right half was tough. I'd be very impressed if folks got those right. Always love looking at different wood species

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Yes, I myself could not have identified them if I were guessing what they were.  The Hawaiian woodturner that sold me those pieces sent me numerous pictures of Hawaiian Koa to show me how diverse the wood grain and color Hawaiian Koa can have.  He would only sell me his scraps.....LOL!!!
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: tal on July 20, 2023, 10:52:49 PM
 Good thread. You can send that awful piece of Osage to me and I'll get rid of it for you.  ;D
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 11:30:38 PM
Quote from: tal on July 20, 2023, 10:52:49 PM
Good thread. You can send that awful piece of Osage to me and I'll get rid of it for you.  ;D

That osage is awful....it's almost embarrassing to have to work with it. But someone has to do it; so I'll finish what I started. It builds character.  I posted the pictures of the osage in another thread, but I thought I'd add them to this one, too.  None of the osage is cross-cut.....
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Paulmyr on July 22, 2023, 05:33:12 PM
Nothing spectacular but I have these 2 Mulberry 2.5" planks drying. Ran em through the sawmill this winter. Hopefully they ready to go by next summer. This wood will be the 1st that I have harvested and milled myself with the hopes of making decent calls from.They've lightened up a bunch weight wise and the color has dramatically changed from a pale yellow to the brown you see here. You can see the lighter sticker bands where the UV light don't get.
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Tarheel on July 22, 2023, 08:20:56 PM
Quote from: Paulmyr on July 22, 2023, 05:33:12 PM
Nothing spectacular but I have these 2 Mulberry 2.5" planks drying. Ran em through the sawmill this winter. Hopefully they ready to go by next summer. This wood will be the 1st that I have harvested and milled myself with the hopes of making decent calls from.They've lightened up a bunch weight wise and the color has dramatically changed from a pale yellow to the brown you see here. You can see the lighter sticker bands where the UV light don't get.

To me, wood you have harvested and milled is spectacular.  The turkey calls you make from that wood mean more.  There's more investment in those turkey calls when you've finished with them.....therefore, there should be more pride in the finished product.  This is what custom callmakers do, and we should recognize this work is special.....not everyone can do that.  It is added value whether we are able to recognize any financial benefit from it or not.
Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: Sir-diealot on July 24, 2023, 05:01:42 PM
I have some wormy persimmon put away, hope to be able to learn to use a lathe and turn it myself,cid not I will send it on to a trusted builder though.

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Title: Re: Wood...and what we hoard for special calls......
Post by: fordhunt on July 24, 2023, 06:59:34 PM
Quote from: Tarheel on July 20, 2023, 08:35:29 PM
Here is some more wood you don't see now very often...and when you do see it the cost is prohibitive:

Arizona Desert Ironwood Root Burl
very nice