# Just Shoot Me !



## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

I got a sympathy package from GalvBay a week or so ago after publicly drooling over the wood he sent Tortuga. It had the most awesome piece of Mesquite I have ever seen in it. I took great care to turn it just so, keeping up with the inclusions and voids so it would be a solid call. Then I did some research on stabilizing your own wood, so I put the rough turned call in some polyurethane under 25 inches of vacuum and man it looked good and felt good after it dried. I finish turned it and polished it for an hour. I put one of my own tone boards in it and it sounds good. I'm thinking quite possibly the best call barrel I have turned yet so I order the best reed insert you can buy for it knowing that will make it a great sounding call and as soon as the new insert arrives I stick it the barrel and I hear a very slight but unmistakable little 'tink' sound and is wasn't the insert that did it. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Still it's an awesome call, but no way it's leaving the shop with a crack in it. So I'm back to the lathe (that's not a bad thing actually) to try once again to make a call worthy of such a class act. Sorry GB ! I told you I was a rookie.

Bill, this is all your fault. (lets load it up with black powder and fire it off like a cannon !)

It's the one on the left, the one with the incredible figure in the grain, the one with the (*^*% crack in the top.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

my cannons are made from cedar LOL I can't paint good wood

It looks nice, how did you get the burn in the grooves?


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## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Sorry about the crack, but that think is beautiful. I love it.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

bill said:


> my cannons are made from cedar LOL I can't paint good wood
> 
> It looks nice, how did you get the burn in the grooves?


 Sorry about the crack but that happens. Beautiful calls too.

Use leader wire to burn the lines Bill. Works real good.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

Thanks Bobby, good idea


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Ouch. Sorry to hear about the crack. I don't turn but I can relate.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Good lookin' calls..as always, ET....."Shait happens" ..LOL

Bill...I been lightly scoring the pens with a parting tool point then burning the groove with a piece of braided picture hanging wire.. Works good...scoring first puts the 'burn' where ya want it.. Never thought about leader wire...God knows I've got miles of that around here somewheres left over from my last 'career'...LOL


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## Surf Hunter (Sep 28, 2006)

Ouch, that hurts ET, not to say anything, but I should take a pic of my box of "rejects". It will make anyone feel better about a hunk of wood cracking. 
they do look great! I am impressed by the lines!


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

I may try to put a small band on it and recover it ??
The lines were made with piano wire. Hut sells a set of 4 sizes for about 5 bucks. DO NOT hold the wire close to where it meets the wood, or you will have wire marks on your thumbs to match the ones on the wood. It happens real fast.


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## ccrocker1313 (Oct 23, 2005)

ET how are ya..


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Good looking calls ET. I have more mesquite if you need some. 8*)

*SAFETY TIP ON BURNING WITH WIRE*
Be *VERY* careful when burning with wire. Make sure you have each end of the wire attached to a dowel. If you are holding the wire with your hands *BAD* things will happen very quickly. I know from a former student's experience many years ago.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

galvbay said:


> Good looking calls ET. I have more mesquite if you need some. 8*)
> 
> *SAFETY TIP ON BURNING WITH WIRE*
> Be *VERY* careful when burning with wire. Make sure you have each end of the wire attached to a dowel. If you are holding the wire with your hands *BAD* things will happen very quickly. I know from a former student's experience many years ago.


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LOL (almost)..GB...ya can add a *recent* student's experience to your list of victims...Man...that wire gets *REAL* *HOT...REAL FAST !!!!...* lesson learned..the hard way...a few months ago...sad_smiles


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

ccrocker1313 said:


> ET how are ya..


PM sent !

Burning with wire.....bad things.... real fast......yep !

GB I havent ruined all of it yet, but the day ain't over yet either.

To be continued....


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

_"LOL (almost)..GB...ya can add a *recent* student's experience to your list of victims...Man...that wire gets *REAL* *HOT...REAL FAST !!!!...* lesson learned..the hard way...a few months ago...sad_smiles"_

And that's if you are lucky. I know all of you pen makers have had your polish cloth get caught and pulled out of your hand to start flopping and spinning around. Just think if that cloth was a thin wire and your fingers were were wrapped up in it at 5K RPM. Not trying to preach but please don't hold the wire by hand....attached a dowel or something to each end.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

galvbay said:


> _"LOL (almost)..GB...ya can add a *recent* student's experience to your list of victims...Man...that wire gets *REAL* *HOT...REAL FAST !!!!...* lesson learned..the hard way...a few months ago...sad_smiles"_
> 
> And that's if you are lucky. I know all of you pen makers have had your polish cloth get caught and pulled out of your hand to start flopping and spinning around. Just think if that cloth was a thin wire and your fingers were were wrapped up in it at 5K RPM. Not trying to preach but please don't hold the wire by hand....attached a dowel or something to each end.


Thats why I use paper towels and never hold the wire with my hands.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

galvbay said:


> _"LOL (almost)..GB...ya can add a *recent* student's experience to your list of victims...Man...that wire gets *REAL* *HOT...REAL FAST !!!!...* lesson learned..the hard way...a few months ago...sad_smiles"_
> 
> And that's if you are lucky. I know all of you pen makers have had your polish cloth get caught and pulled out of your hand to start flopping and spinning around. Just think if that cloth was a thin wire and your fingers were were wrapped up in it at 5K RPM. Not trying to preach but please don't hold the wire by hand....attached a dowel or something to each end.


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Thanks for the heads-up , Jim...Never thought about that..It's gonna be dowels all the way for me from here in... Already learned the paper towel thang from Bobby.. Ain't nuthin' in my shop except paper towels...for applying polish, for putting on final finish, for polishing.....and for cleaning myself up when something goes TERRIBLY wrong and scares the **** out of me..:tongue:


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

I never wrapped the wire around a finger, that would hurt like heck if it got caught on the lathe ! I wrapped it around my whole hand. 

So, use dowles,,,check. 
Use paper towles,,, check.
Use common sence,,,uh, working on it master.
Your humble grasshopper.
RE


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

I found that "Bounty" works best for me.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Bobby said:


> I found that "Bounty" works best for me.


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Yep, Bounty is the best.. Keep a little pile of 'em right next to the tailstock. Each square will make about six little 4x6 pads that are just the right size for everything...


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

so what are ya'll doing with paper towles?

I was using some steel wool and it got caught once LOL...scared the [email protected] out of me


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

bill said:


> so what are ya'll doing with paper towles?
> 
> I was using some steel wool and it got caught once LOL...scared the [email protected] out of me


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I use them for applying EEE cream for final sanding and polishing, Bill..then use them for applying final finish (usually Behrens Woodfinishing )..and polishing them to completion. Can fold 4x6s over to about 2x2 and it's easy to handle and manipulate into grooves...and it don't get so danged HOT as single thickness.


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## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

It may have been someone on this board that suggested using the cloth squares used for gun barrel cleaning. I think you can get tham at WallyWorld for next to nothing. The cloth squares are very soft and non-abrasive and should polish well. gb


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