stabilized box elder duck call

[Aaron Wingert]

Here's yet another duck call I've made. This one is black and yellow stabilized box elder burl, and it seems to have quite a bit of green in it too. The band is gold anodized aluminum and the insert is clear yellow acrylic. This is the first insert I've done with my new tapered reamer that makes the hole through the middle neatly tapered as opposed to a step drill bit, which has been my method until now. Sanding and polishing the inside of a 5/16" hole 3" deep presents a very interesting set of challenges, but I managed to get it free of sanding marks and polished up nicely.

I just can't get enough of turning stabilized wood! Starting to feel it in the wallet though!

[John W Dixon]

Aaron this is another great piece! Looks fantastic. Does the stabilized wood just turn better or does it make any difference at all in the sound of the call?

John

[Aaron Wingert]

Thanks John. The stabilized wood turns about like acrylic. Gotta take small bites and use scrapers. It sounds a little more mellow than my all-acrylic calls but a little sharper than an all-wood call. The advantage to stabilized wood is that it pretty much turns the wood into plastic and makes it tougher and more resilient to the elements. It also allows you to use woods that otherwise wouldn't be solid or stable enough for such projects. Plus it just looks crazy!

[Curt Fuller]

Wow, that's a beauty! Way too nice slog out in the swamp with!

[John Keeton]

Aaron, that certainly made up into a beautiful call! I have yet to try the stabilized wood, but it sure looks good. I did try to turn some acrylic once, and had trouble with chipping - obviously, my method was bad.

[Steve Schlumpf]

WOW - what a beauty! Great job on the clear acrylic! The wood is amazing! Has a finish on it that looks like you can see into it about 3" deep! Great effect!

[Kevin J Lalonde]

Awesome looking call. I bet that would fetch a pretty penny.

[Aaron Wingert]

I did try to turn some acrylic once, and had trouble with chipping - obviously, my method was bad.

Scrapers are the key John. Gouges will cause some chipping so I never use gouges for my finishing cuts. I grind a negative bevel on the top of my scrapers so the burr isn't as aggressive (like you'd want for wood) and it works slick. I can usually start sanding at 400 grit with that method.

Thanks for all the compliments guys.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow that is a beauty. Way to pretty to take out in the field.

[Aaron Wingert]

Thanks Bernie. But, it'll go in the field! I don't build them to sit on shelves, that's for certain. A few nicks and dings are just a badge of honor!

[Will Scott]

Aaron, how do you mount the blank in the lathe to turn a duck call?

[Aaron Wingert]

Aaron, how do you mount the blank in the lathe to turn a duck call?

Will, the drilled barrel is mounted on a blind expanding mandrel held in a collet chuck. Some guys use pin lock mandrels but I've found they're not as precise when you have to remove and reverse a barrel during turning. My expanding mandrel is from Flint Hills Duck Works. I turn the barrel to shape with my cone-shaped live center engaged in the mouth end of the blank and remove the live center and the tailstock when I'm shaping the mouth and hollowing the mouth end.

The insert (the acrylic part on this one) is more complicated on an arkansas style duck call. There are a lot of ways to skin that cat. I make friction fit inserts that have a slight taper. Some guys use o-rings, some guys use kits for their inserts, some guys don't even make their inserts and just buy them pre-made. Personally I turn mine between centers, sand/polish the shaft of it, then chuck it up in my pin jaws and bore the hole to the correct depth on the lathe, then ream it, then finish and sand/polish the inside and the exhaust end. Then it goes in my toneboard jig so the cork notch and the toneboard shaping is done last. Then I tune it.

[David E Keller]

That looks great, Aaron. If you really like the stabilized stuff, you should check into having it stabilized for you rather than buying it retail. I'd imagine it's still expensive, but it's got to be cheaper than buying it already done. I don't have any personal experience, but I do know of several reputable places that provide the service.

[brian watts]

WOW very nice.....really like this one..