My first Duck call

[leehljp]

Here is my first duck call - made from Zebrawood. It is for my 9 year old grandson in Arkansas.

I didn't have a good picture to go by and the reed unit was not what was pictured. I had to make it to fit a small hand.

I don't know whyat I am getting a double picture, - If you know let me know.



Double click on the second picture and you will see the shine of the finish - very glass like. I used CA (super glue) as the finish.

[Pappy]

Cool looking duck call, Hank!

[DUD]

I don't know why the double picture Hank, but the Grandson will be proud. It is beautiful. Bill

[DonHo]

The call looks great, nice work.
The real test though is how it'll sound to the ducks
DonHo

[LCHIEN]

I was gonna ask, who comes when you blow the thing?

[bmyers]

That's real nice Hank. I really like how you alternated the grain for the glue up.


For Loring:


I just love google..


Bill

[Black wallnut]

Here is my first duck call - made from Zebrawood. It is for my 9 year old grandson in Arkansas.

I didn't have a good picture to go by and the reed unit was not what was pictured. I had to make it to fit a small hand.

I don't know whyat I am getting a double picture, - If you know let me know.



Double click on the second picture and you will see the shine of the finish - very glass like. I used CA (super glue) as the finish.

Just playing trying to delete second picture. (delete the "attach")
Very nice looking call!

[leehljp]

I was gonna ask, who comes when you blow the thing?

So far, only my wife comes - with a threat if I don't stop it!

Being in Japan, our neighbor is fairly close as in 20 feet away. They have 5 maltese which start barking everytime I blow the call!


THANKS Mark, I should have experimented with it but didn't want to break anything.

[BasementDweller]

Looks GREAT! How do you apply super glue as a finish? I've never heard of that but it looks great. Oh, and how do you get your lips off the call! Guess it is pretty important to let it dry!


- BD

[leehljp]

Looks GREAT! How do you apply super glue as a finish? I've never heard of that but it looks great. Oh, and how do you get your lips off the call! Guess it is pretty important to let it dry!

- BD

BD,

CA (cyanoacrylate - Super Glue) has become the primary finish that pen turners use for pens. We usually buy the CA in 8 oz and larger bottles. There is some amazing chemistry effects with the stuff, so I will note them here.

First, it comes in different thicknesses -
1. Super thin that gets deep into grain and cracks
2. Thin for the same and for general finishes
3. Medium for filling small cracks and voids as well as quick build up for deeper finishes.
4. Thick like light syrup for similar usage as Medium but better filling of voids in wood.

The Finish procedure and some facts:

BLO:Some people use a CA and BLO (Boiled linseed oil). BLO pops the grain and adds character to some woods but has a tendency for me and some to keep the CA from sticking perfectly in all cases. I test wood and see if I like the color and character with BLO and without BLO before using it. I do have a few blotches on the ZebraWood Duck Call that would have been taken care of if I had used BLO on it before using CA.

Most sand the pens and in this case the duck call down to 600 - 800 grit or higher. Then fold a piece of paper towel until it is approx. one inch wide and 4 inches tall (several folds thick). Several drops of CA is put on the paper towell in one spot and applied to the pen or DC as it is turning at around 600 to 1000 RPM. Also, some people put a light coat of BLO on the paper towell before adding the drops of CA. This, to me, slows down the curing just a tad, which is desirable in some cases.

The Paper Towell acts as a catalyst, reacting to and heating the super glue. New people often have trouble with this and usually end up with grainy sand like globules or stuck paper towell.

Once applied, it is sanded to well over 1000 grit and polished while on the lathe. We use a kind of cloth reusable sandpaper called MicroMesh that goes up to 12000. That is what I used to get the glass effect.


One thing that "supposed experts" comment on - on occasion - is that paper towell is not a catalyst, - but it is. Another is that BLO is not a catalyst, but it is also.

If someone wants to experiment, they can try this: Apply CA and use a rubber glove, drop some CA on the turning pen and smooth it with a rubber glove, there is no heat and the curing time is several seconds to a minute or more. BUT if you drop some CA onto a paper towell and wait a few seconds, you can see heat coming from it. BLO also adds to this intensity that is not there with a rubber glove, the wood and CA. Drop some CA onto a paper towell and press it slightly hard to the turning wood and it will burn a blister on your fingers. It won't do this with a rubber glove only. (Caveat: Old CA and some dollar store brands won't react this way.)

Another strange fact: hardened CA can be debonded by using acetone or fingernail polish remover; at the same time, there are several brands and kinds of "accelerators" but some of them also use acetone as a base as an excellerator too. . . so acetone is both a debonder and accellerator.

[thestinker]

Looks real sharp!!!

[chalkhappens]

Nice work. Plans/Inspiration?

[mater]

That looks good. I have never tried a duck call.

[BasementDweller]

BD,

CA (cyanoacrylate - Super Glue) has become the primary finish that pen turners use for pens. We usually buy the CA in 8 oz and larger bottles. There is some amazing chemistry effects with the stuff, so I will note them here.

Great post! Thanks a ton for that information!

[leehljp]

Nice work. Plans/Inspiration?

Inspiration, but more guessing than anything. The zebrawood choice was my grandson's. I didn't have a large enough piece to make it from a single board. Drilling the hole exacty centered was easy on the lathe.

I am not pleased with the shape. I made the long part first and it looked good while on the lathe, so I finished it. Then I turned the end part to fit. I hate to take something off the lathe and put it back on. Alignment probems often occur, so I didn't know what it would look like until I finished and put it together.

Thanks fellow for you comments.