An old friend, non woodworker, has bought his teenage son a lathe to make duck calls. He is asking me for some scraps to use. Not having ever used one, much less turned one, I'm not sure what properties are best for this use. I would guess something even texture, or not coarse. Would E Redcedar be too soft? I've got plenty of Cherry, Walnut and Oak.
The friend mentioned Cocobolo, and Wenge, and I'm surprised he didn't ask for some Ebony. Yea, right,,,,,,, like I'm going to give him those scraps for a beginner.
Those I know who make calls like any hard wood but I think a beginner should start on softer wood. When I help people get started with turning cedar is my favorite.
I recall that one man's scrap is another man's treasure! I will give wood to almost anyone but I'm always surprised at what some people will ask for. One guy knows I have a farm and asked me once if I had a few extra rolls chicken wire he could have. Extra? Sure! Just like I have a few extra $50 bills in my pocket.
Maybe give the guy a couple of catalogs with the pages marked where he can order some cocobolo and ebony and tulipwood. Then mention you'll be glad to take his scraps.
I have made many duck calls and the best thing to do for a beginner is to use the cheapest wood that you can find, rip up a 2x4 or whatever to learn to drill the hole turn to a shape you like and do not worry about how smooth it comes out you are just learning to turn a shape and the length of the barrel that you like, most are 2-3/4 to 3 -1/4 but mostly in the 3" range. After you are satisfied with that then you can start on the stopper , just go the hardware store and buy some 5/8 dowel rod to use to make your tone board and do not worry that you cannot turn the exhaust end to the size you want it just work on the tone board itself and then after you get the board done get some larger stock that you can turn down to get the dia. size you would want on the exhaust end of the call.
All Ar. style calls use a 5/8 bore for the barrel and a 1/4 in. hole for the tone channel hole and the rear of the stopper reamed out to adjust the amount of air for the exhaust.
You probably know that you will need to measure the 5/8 dowel rods because most are not 5/8.
The Tho forum is probably the best for information for beginners so do a lot of reading.
Here's a link to an article that my dear departed friend Steve Blenk wrote for us back in '94. He used rosewood (and I was fortunate to have the finished product given to me), but I suspect that just about any wood will do. I don't think there's a lot to specific tonal qualities or resonance, but I'm not an expert. That forum that was mentioned above is probably a better source for the finer points of duck calls.
I'll pass this along to the young fellow, and just might try turning a few of my own. Since getting the new hunting lease, which is about 30% sloughs and breaks, I've been thinking about building a few duck-blinds. I'm not sure I'll be shooting them myself, other than with a camera, but it might be fun to see if I can call them in.
Although we have mostly Wood Ducks down there, so I'll have to start studying what works for them. I may have to see about calling some of those high flying Geese down too. Wednesday I drove up to NE AR, to deliver the corner cupboard to the Davidsonville State Park Museum. Along the way I spotted 2 flocks of several thousand Snow Geese which would totally obscure the background when they would rise then settle back down.
Seeing them flying in thick or dense flocks reminded me of a close encounter I had about a month ago. I was on a new tower stand that I had built last year to view over a pine plantation at a Bald Eagle nest, but then moved over onto a clear-cut on our lease. It is sitting on a small mound surrounded by a small grove of trees with several small ponds close by. I was sitting there looking West, when a big flock of Common Grackles flew in above, and started dropping down for a drink behind me to the East.
It had gotten down into the 20ies the night before, and there was a dense fog earlier, some of it freezing onto the small trees nearby giving everything a frosty glow toward the Sunrise. I had set my camera out to put into my pack, but then thrown a shirt over it, so didn't have it with me. So I wasn't paying much attention to the birds. All of a sudden something from the East startled them, and as they flew, they came right at me, some passing as close as a yard.
I'm sure you have all stopped to watch these huge flocks doing acrobatic moves late in the evening heading to roost. I've seen and heard them overhead a few hundred feet above hearing the distant roar of wings. However, I'm here to tell you, this was exhilarating to be within that flock at close range, hearing the individual wingbeats, if only for a few seconds. I was wishing I could just fly with them for a little ways.
Then, if that wasn't cool enough, the reason for their fright flight appeared. A female Merlin flew in then landed in the Cypress trees about 100' South of me for about a minute. For me, hunting is more about experiencing Nature than bringing home the game, although I'll take that too when the time is right.
I'm looking forward to building this next blind. It will be up in a ~500 year old Cypress out over the water. I have some Osage that Ill use for steps, winding around like the one I climb to go to bed here at the shop. I'll be working the deck into some branches, using other dead branches for the railings. Until I can build a catwalk out to it, and be leaving an old canoe out there to get out to it.
Besides hunting ducks, there is a deer / hog trail along the East shore through a thicket, but exposed from the water.
Actually the best sound for a duck call comes from the most dense wood and gives the best tonal sound. A wood with oils such as Cocobolo will take in very little moisture and the sound sounds more constant. Softer woods absorb moisture and moisture absorbs into softer woods easier and that changes the shape of the sound board which in turn changes the sound of the call, causes squealing and lock up of the reed.
Wood can be treated with BLO, tung oil and etc. to help this out with the non oily woods. One does not need to use an oil finish that is not pure oil on the tone board itself.
There is a tutorial on the Tho forum of how to make a woody call but most use a pre made insert that is sold through some venders that are listed in the same forum.
With a fiddleback figure that I've had for quite a while that might be a good option. It is the kind of wood that needs to be used for small objects which you hold in your hands.
I was an avid duck hunter for many years and was pretty good with a duck call. If the call is to be used it's going to be out in all kinds of bad weather plus just blowing into the call puts a lot of moisture into it. So yes, the kind of woods you use it important. It must be a very stable wood that doesn't absorb moisture easily. Mesquite would be an excellent wood for a call. Soft woods that absorb moisture and could possible crack from frequently going from dry to wet and back don't make good calls.
I've seen some made of plastic but in trying them I couldn't get the sound that I like.
It makes sense that impervious woods would maintain a more constant tone and be less affected by atmospheric moisture. So, Steve's choice of rosewood was a good one, though we never covered that in the article.
I have made a number of duck calls. The barrel can be made from most woods....there are a lot of Black Walnut calls out there. The tone board....something hard and impervious to moisture.....something like Osage Orange. Hard, machines well and moisture does not bother it. I soak my calls in BLO. Just leave them in there for a week and then dry them until you get all the extra oil mopped up. I soak all the parts.
