# Not so easy



## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Well after my first two duck calls I was thinking I was going to be knocking these out left and right in no time. After a long wait for pre-drilled wood I jumped on the next two and found out maybe I was going to have to pay my dues like everyone else after all. I discovered that the outside diameter of a call must be larger the inside diameter. Sound simple enough but I got carred away with a curve and all of a sudden I'm looking at the mandrel where I should be looking at wood. Toss that blank !
Anyway went after the second one a bit more carefully. I'm definitely going to have to invest in the drill bits to do my own drilling sooner or later. Maybe Santa will bring me some ? Here is what I ended up with on the second try today, my third call so far. I added a brass band this time. I took some other pictures, but they were fuzzy so I went ahead and posted this one.


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

I like that one.


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## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Nice one. Looks like someone is waiting for you to pick it up and head to the duck blind. 
Take a look at Woodcraft -- they have a 170 piece drill bit set for around $30 that has multiples of about 20 sizes (for those of us who break/lose a lot of bits).


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Dang, ET...I'd be right proud of that call.. Looks great to me too...

Rerills...it seems like every kit in the world uses a different size just to skrew us up..LOL...I got drawers full of all the 'standard' sizes now...like 15/32, 35/64, 27/64...lawdy, it's an expensive and aggravating (sp) bind they get us in..but you WILL find out that 'pretty close' won't cut it with these danged toys we're grinding out...

REALLY like that duck call....betcha them mallards won't be able to resist it.:wink:


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

Nice.


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## Surf Hunter (Sep 28, 2006)

Very nice ET. Love the lines on that call! Schweeeeet.


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Thanks guys. The lines are not quite what I was going for but I think it will still call a duck. It's got a set of double reed guts from Greg Keats. Yep, it took a while to find a 31/64 & a 3/4 brad point bit for these but I did find them in High Speed Steel so I sent all the info to Santa. Now all I need to do is be on the nice list. I know I need to find a good jig for the vertical drilling. I also may need to upgrade my drill press but I'll wait and see how hard it is to do the drilling with only 2.5 of depth on my press before I do that. With a good jig I should be able to turn it over and drill from both sides. If not I can just raise the table perhaps. Anyway, wish I had a stack of blanks to fuss with right now. Might have to see if the stuff on epay is worth it. Some pretty good looking deals on maple out there. Or I could look into pouring my own acrylic ?


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

LOL That's the vortex


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## Surf Hunter (Sep 28, 2006)

Hey ET,
I just use the jig for drilling out pen blanks. i have not had issues with lumber up to 1.5". May work for ya. I also have a drill press vise that would work once you line up center with the drill bit and the vice itself, you just put in the piece of stock and drill away.

This is the one for the pen blanks, it works killer. I bought the ne from Penn State and it seems to handle a little bigger stock then this one.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Surf's got the right idea, ET.. With the vise in the pix above, if the drill press travel isn't far enough, you can jack up the table, leaving the drill in the wood and get another two inches or so... As far as the turning the piece over and drilling from the other end...I can tell you from experience, that the odds of you lining it up perfectly and meeting the already drilled hole going north are prolly about a million to one.. Bad Idea..I KNOW... Just go ahead and get the vise pixed above and get a medium sized spring hand clamp to hold it to the drill press table and it is very ease to jiggle around until you hit dead center...and that vise will surely handle blanks up to prolly about two inches square...Good luck


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

What I have done, if I have a piece I need to drill...is start it out, drill as far as I can...usually half way or better, then take it out and using a hand drill, finish the piece.....with it being over half done, the drill bit will still go straight...well so far it has for me.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

What I did was to buy a large drill press that has 6.75" stroke - problem solved


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## Bobby (May 21, 2004)

speckle-catcher said:


> What I did was to buy a large drill press that has 6.75" stroke - problem solved


But you live too far from anyone for us to borrow it.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

My solution costs...Zero


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

speckle-catcher said:


> What I did was to buy a large drill press that has 6.75" stroke - problem solved


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LOL, Spec...you don't call that a 'drill press'...it's called a 'drilling rig' in the oil bidness....and yours probably weighs as much as a rig..


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Pulled the trigger on this one today. A few bucks cheaper than the others and opens over 2". 
After I figured out what to call it, I found 3 or 4 out there, some are pretty high dollar. I liked the way this one is made. It's from LeeVally. Now for some 6/4 stock. Other than Houston Hardwoods (very close to the office) where would a person look for stock in this neck of the woods.

Bill, you mentioned a vortex, sounds like something I might need. Where do you guys all get yours ?


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

speckle-catcher said:


> What I did was to buy a large drill press that has 6.75" stroke - problem solved


I looked, but very quickly decided I'd try a few other options first. $$$$$WOW.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

I got a deal on one - otherwise, I was doing what bill and tortuga were doing.


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Now ya talkin'...that's exactly the same drill press jig I'm using and it's a dandy.Below is a brief description of the 'vortex' that has grabbed us all. Sucks the dollar bills right out of your pocket....

"*Vortex*...noun..If you ever get sucked into the Vortex you need to remember to not trust the Vortexans too much. I think it must be the three suns or maybe it's the Aroma Borealis. That really stinks! Its like I can smell it now&#8230;wait&#8230;no, that's just my antler blanks drilling and turning.."

Dunno who wrote it...but it's pretty close....


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## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

*Pikie Lure Sighting !*

I had the opportunity to fondle one of Surfhunters Pikie lures the other day.
Holly cow! I had no idea how big those were until I saw one. I don't know how big Pike get, but the lures look like the kind we would troll for billfish with in the Gulf Of Mexico ! After further examination I was even more impressed with the finish and details. Really a super nice piece of work. Thanks for taking the time to show us the step-by-step.


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

and as soon as I heal up, I will be giving a fishing report on it....might be May 2008 LOL I hate the cold


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## Surf Hunter (Sep 28, 2006)

EndTuition said:


> I had the opportunity to fondle one of Surfhunters Pikie lures the other day.
> Holly cow! I had no idea how big those were until I saw one. I don't know how big Pike get, but the lures look like the kind we would troll for billfish with in the Gulf Of Mexico ! After further examination I was even more impressed with the finish and details. Really a super nice piece of work. Thanks for taking the time to show us the step-by-step.


Wow, thanks guys I am glad you like em and it was my pleasure to do the tutorial, hopefully, more of ya'll will get into making lures.  ..., I hate to tell you though, but those are mini pikies. the ones I make to fish out here on the West Coast for Striped bass are 7"-10" and 3-5oz. I sized those just for you guys as I thought that was about the size of the finger mullet I used to catch in my cast nets and fish for big specks. 
I am working on some now for my summer vacation. Shannon and I are taking my son to La Paz for his 13th B-day to go after billfish offshore and roosters inshore.......I'm gitty already.LOL


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