I have been really busy lately and haven't had time to post any progress on my call making. But I hit it hard last week and took the plunge at trying my first cost style box. I decided to skip the inlays and checkering on this first box. I had ran through the motions of chiseling, and drilling and such. Practiced cutting shapes out with my band saw and such. It was just time to give it a go.
A callmaker that contacted me from my facebook group sent me a cedar call blank, walnut base, and walnut lid blank. He drew the pattern on there and showed me how he cut the holes out for the box as well. So I didn't technically start this 100% from scratch but the easy part was done for me. He showed me how to lay out the side patterns, and such as well.
I started chiseling the block out and got it pretty nice. I have been communicating with quite a few call makers, but Austy has gotten the most of my questions. He let me know that he could see was wasn't chiseling with the grain. Once he told me that it was a world of difference. I got the blank all chiseled out on Friday night. I put the top curve on with a little chiseling and my belt sander. I was too afraid to ruin the call by messing up with the bandsaw again.
So once I got the curve put on I went to my lid blank. The call maker who gave me the wood, drew the lid pattern on for me as well. I cut it out being really careful to give myself some wiggle room. One I had it cut out and sanded. I just put some thumb pressure on the top of the lid and tried to get it to make a sound. NOTHING, sanded a little and played with it for almost 2 hours.
I looked at one of the scratch boxes that was sent to me by a call maker in Mississippi and saw the chalk with it. I put chalk on the lid and on the sound board and gave it a whirl. YYYEEEEOOOKKK.
EUREKA!!!!
I sanded a little more on it and got it sounding decent. Boy was I pumped, all the practicing, learning, asking questions, had all paid off and I got a sound. I decided to stop on this call, and cut the blank for my next call. I am going to do a polar box, and thinking walnut lid and base.
So I set the saw up for the angle I needed, and ran it through. My father in law is letting me borrow his table saw since mine didn't have a fence. I got the call blank cut out perfect!! I was pumped. I look at the drawings I had made for a call and layed out the lid. I looked at my phone and it was 3:30 am. I was tired, and knew the kids would be getting up soon.
So 7:00 Corbin wakes up and I let momma sleep in. I hung out with the kiddos for a while, and decided to wait until Saturday night to do the work for my lid, and assembly.
I drove my wife nuts playing that thing with just thumb pressure. I couldn't believe I got sound out of it. And it sounded really good too.
So Saturday night, I decided that I wasn't going to work on the call and spend some time with my wife.
I had shot Austin Hornberger a message on facebook and got advice that I needed to put that lid on and see how much different it makes everything.
Sunday I set my alarm for 5:00 but snoozed until 6. OH NO!! I got up and jetted out to the shop. I drilled my counter sunk hole for the spring and the pilot hole for the screw. I didn't have the exact size of bit for the lid hole for the screw so I drilled it down, and the had to round it out, hoping I wasn't going to mess it up too bad. I got another bit and put the counter sunk hole for the top of the screw head.
I assembled the call, chalked it up, and played the right side. YEEEOOOKKK. NICE!! I went to do the left side and got nothing. I looked at the curve and when I was messing with it on Friday night for hours before I put the chalk on it I took too much of the arc out. I messed with it a little, but decided to just hang it up before I ruined the call.
So I put it together and played with the spring tension and such. It sounded really good, and I just had a little wood to get rid of on the side.
I was happy with its sound so decided once I put Corbin & the girls down for a nap I would finish the call. I took Corb and the girls out to go caterpillar hunting. We caught quite a few monarchs for his cousins that needed them for a science class. He had a blast!
I took him for a ride and they all fell asleep.
I got back and got my tung oil I used for finishing an old gun I had reconditioned and it looked great. Might not be the best choice but I didn't want a glossy finish at all. I let that dry and completed everything but the bottom.
I sat down and tried to come up with a name. I decided on Benscreek Turkey Calls. I drew about 1,000,000 turkey tracks but decided that logo is over used. I put two mountains with a stream running through it instead. It symbolizes the area I hunt and live.
So after this long winded post here are the pictures.
It was a pile of work and a lot of listening. I had help from a lot of great call makers to make this happen. Needless to say I am hopelessly addicted to gobblers even more now. THis is just flat out living my dream right now. It will be a long time before I master them, but for right now, I am super satisfied.
Thanks again for all of the insight and help. You guys made my day. I just hope to use it along with my gifted calls from the benefit auction. Look forward to seeing more pics of my learning process. I highly doubt I will ever get into selling these. I believe I will make them for myself, and gifts for all of those who helped me out a long the way. I figure get a few more down, figure out how to tune them the correct way. I am going to wait until I have a call maker who I can meet with and learn before I just go ruining calls by removing too much material. Once I get 3 or 4 down and all sounding good, I will try checkering and inlays. For now though it is just going to be plane Jane field grade calls.
Thanks for the long read!
