TT - Cow Horn Tip Calls - Pictorial Progress on this batch

TonyTebbe

TonyTebbe

New member
Here's a batch of TT Cow Horn Tip calls in the works, that I started on the other night. I haven't done an 'online build' in a long time. It's quite taxing to do, so I figured I'd show a pictorial progress on these. Ya'll can watch them turn from horn to call. (What else is there better to do during the boring springtime? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

Here they are cut and rough drilled.

cowtipbuild1.jpg


I'm off to sand these down on the belt sander and cut the toneboards on the sanding disk....


Tony
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif WooHoo! I love these posts. Thanks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Thanks Weasel.

Creasy, I use a belt sander for the rough sanding and shaping of the call, but I use the disk sander (on the side of the belt sander) for cutting the toneboard. The belt is 4" wide and the disk is 6". I finally bought a stationary sander a couple years ago. Prior to that, I built hundreds of calls on a little portable belt sander mounted upside down in a wood vice. I ruined 4 of them over the years. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I just got done with the next step. I took them to the band saw and cut where the toneboards will start. This gives me a positive spot for the sanding disk to start it's magic.

Note the pencil lines. That's where I mark where the bell hollow ends. I leave a 1/4 inch or so (I do this all by eye) to be drilled out later for the air channel and bell to meet.

cowtipbuild2.jpg


Ok, off to toneboards and sanding.....

Tony
 
now this is interesting, i knew there was work involved but now i also get to see the magic. when most people talk about artists they arent thinking of anything like this; well i just wish i could explain it to them so they would understand. hey i'd be nuts then there would be that many more cleaning up all these beautiful calls.
 
I have the toneboards cut on the disk sander. I do all this by eye and feel, so some are not close to being right and will require a ton more work...some will turn out just right the first shot.

cowtipbuild3.jpg


Off to cut air channels with the dremel....

Feel free to ask any questions, guys.

Stay tuned....Tony
 
Toney I see that some of the tips curves are longer than others does that determine the desgine of the sound board or do you go with what the curve gives you as far as the sound goes.
 
frshwtr, I'm glad you like watching this, because....

This one is your custom one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif It's also the third one in the picture above. Notice that I sanded and buffed part of it to verify the requested color. How's the size?

cowtipbuild4.jpg



Tony
 
Quote:
Toney I see that some of the tips curves are longer than others does that determine the desgine of the sound board or do you go with what the curve gives you as far as the sound goes.



Good question.

This batch has a mixture of cottontail and jackrabbit calls. The longer toneboards will have a longer air channel on them, thus a deeper sound. I'll cut the air channel to the length that feels right, then shorten the toneboard up to it. I'll show a picture of what I mean, when I get to that stage.

Tony
 
if your hand is anything like mine it will give me a good ahndfull, the color looks good too; you know its your judgment that amazes me the most. you just seem to know ahead what someone wants. keep in mind i'm not disappointed in the first call i got from you size finish or anything. i justed wanted another call different color than what i got.
 
I'm taking a short break to let the dremel bit cool down. It's starting to scorch the horns. Ooooohh....that smell! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I have air channels cut on half of them. One of them actually through to the bell, without any drilling needed. I held a piece of mylar on it and tested it for sound. Here it is: Initial sounds

It don't sound like much, but bare in mind that it was just a piece of horn a few minutes ago. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif This one is going to require a bit of sanding on the toneboard, drill out the exhaust port for proper backpressure. When I dremel out the bells, the volume will greatly increase.

Tony
 
Is the the channel under the reed' width and depth determine how much the reed can take before it sticks or is it the lenght of the reed .
 
Quote:
if your hand is anything like mine it will give me a good ahndfull, the color looks good too; you know its your judgment that amazes me the most. you just seem to know ahead what someone wants. keep in mind i'm not disappointed in the first call i got from you size finish or anything. i justed wanted another call different color than what i got.



Your call will finish out at 3.5" long and 1.5" bell. It'll be a loud sucker, but will have the pitch to drive those grey fox in your lap.

I don't know about being psychic on what call a person wants. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif I think it's simple. Get to know your customer, understand their experience level, calling style, targetted predators, calling terrain, etc.....then design them a call specific to their needs. I've been fortunate (married the right woman) to be able to call in a bunch of states and terrain, so it isn't that tough.

This call will be a good match for your 'ultra high' fox call that I built you. It'll be a raspy cottontail with high pitches and squeals and will be able to lay out a grey fox distress that'll echo the woods.

Ok...break time is over. Back to air channels. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Tony
 
Quote:
Is the the channel under the reed' width and depth determine how much the reed can take before it sticks or is it the lenght of the reed .



Apparently you don't have one of my cow horn tip calls....they don't 'stick'. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's the curvature of the toneboard that determines if a reed sticks or performs. Too flat...it'll stick. I've blown alot of open reeds that'll stick at the tip, due to a flat spot at the very tip. Since I spend a majority of my time on the tip of a call with my calling style, that's where I spend a bunch of time tuning, to ensure consistent curvature. Sometimes, tuning and fine sanding of the toneboards takes as long as the entire process of building the calls. But with out it....it's just a pretty piece of horn....not a call.

Ok...back to work!

Tony
 
Sorry Mr T I didn't mean to anger you I am searching for knowlege I know your calls do not stick your turkey call I received has yet to stick. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
does the length of the tone board determing what sound it will be like a shorter tone board a higher pitch or louder pitch??

guess i should of read all the posts there you answerd my question a couple posts ago /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

whats the bell hallow?? is that where the air channel under the reed flow into the bell itself??
 
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This is great a guy that makes great calls is willing to share his gift and knowledge how with rest of us and to entertain us in the process of making a call.
 
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