# "Travis - Owl Hooter - Short Exhaust" design



## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Starting a new thread for the "Travis - Owl Hooter - Short Exhaust" design. I am attaching a pdf format drawing of the design and it can be copied and printed out on 8-1/2 x 11 or 11 x 17 paper.

You will see quite a few changes in this design but one of the main changes is that the Exhaust is turned with the "restrictor" as an integral part of the Exhaust. No internal restrictor is inserted into the opening. The Exhaust is bored ½ ID to a depth of 2-3/8" leaving a 1/4" portion (wall) not drilled through on the end. The way I made the Exhaust was to drill all the way through with a 1/4" bit and then re-bore the ½" ID to a depth of 2-3/8" in my Mill ( see the cut away of the Exhaust ).

I removed the Collet from the head stock and inserted the Drill Chuck ( see photo 1 ) and then inserted a short piece of 1/4" brass rod in the "outlet" end of the Blank which I then inserted into the Chuck. I used the Live Center on the tail stock to support the Blank for turning ( see photo 2 )

.

On the Barrel I first bored all the way through with a 5/8" Forester Bit and then installed it onto a 5/8" mandrel. Then I counter bored the 3/4" to the proper depth with a 3/4" Forester bit. After turning the Barrel in a standard manner, I then joined the two parts ( Barrel & Exhaust ) together. I inserted the 5/8" Mouth of the Barrel onto the 5/8" mandrel and the 1/4" Outlet of the Exhaust on the live center ( see photo 3 ) to do the final shaping and sanding. Note: in these photos the Hooter is actually not finished sanding, but just a rough shape. However you would do all final work now.

The last photo shows the "completed" (?) Hooter. The reason that I turned the Outlet End of the Exhaust down so small was to make it easier to wrap my thumb and finger around to hold, while using the other hand to form the "cup" / "sound chamber" to achieve ALL of the Owl Hooter sounds.

If anyone has any questions or suggestions please let me know. Again I do want to thank everyone for all the help and good advise.

Have one HOOT - HOOT - HOOT of a day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

Fantastic work. I love the detailed instructions. 
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Fantastic work. I love the detailed instructions.
> Ray




Hello Ray,

Thank you, this has been a lots of fun and frustration all at the same time but I am so pleased with this Hooter. I will try and make a short video so that you can hear the results. It is raining here now so I'm staying inside my nice warm shop until we get a break. Pretty sure that I will have to go outdoors to record the sound. I have tried it in the house but just too much feedback.

Boy I cannot wait to get some more good wood in so that I can turn this model in some Black Locus.

Thank you for sharing a lot of good advice with me on making a Hooter.

Have a Hoot of a day,
ThomasT

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## B Rogers

Thanks again Thomas... Did I miss the pdf? I didn't see it attached.

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## B Rogers

Also if you upload a sound file to YouTube again, please post on here. I'd love to hear the new version.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## ThomasT

B Rogers said:


> Thanks again Thomas... Did I miss the pdf? I didn't see it attached.




Oooooops,

Sorry about that!

Hey my head is hurting from all this thinking

Check all the dimensions before you cut any wood. If you find an error please let me know.

Hope this will help, and I am looking forward to seeing some of these made and posted here.

And you other post, yes I will post the video here when I can get it completed. Still raining here and getting a bit colder.

Have a Hoot of a day,
ThomasT

Reactions: Thank You! 2


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Here are a couple more photos of the Hooter, please do not look at the quality of the workmanship, remember this is scrap lumber and I was just testing the design.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

Awesome drawing. You have some serious skills .
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Awesome drawing. You have some serious skills .
> Ray




Hey again Ray,

Thank you, being an ole retired design engineer I used AutoCAD to do most of my designing and still enjoy drawing just about everything before I make it. Old habits type of thing. Hope you enjoy and making one.

I have tried everywhere in the house and the shop to make a video but just does not work with my Cannon camera, I think it is too loud

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## myingling

Looks good ,,, man be reading your threads i just may have try one of these LOL . I always got guys asking if i make them kind of goes hand in hand with turkey calls

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> Looks good ,,, man be reading your threads i just may have try one of these LOL . I always got guys asking if i make them kind of goes hand in hand with turkey calls




Hello Mike,

A matched pair of two different calls would look really good. If you do make one please post a photo here, would like to see it.

Thank you and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## rocky1

Will be interesting to see if tone changes with a harder wood. Was thinking about this riding down the road this afternoon, the softer pine wood may be partly responsible. A softer wood may not resonate like a harder wood, giving you a more mellow deeper tone. I don't think it will, but you may notice a little difference in it with a hardwood. 

Looking forward to the video, and like the others, to trying this to see if I can make one work like it's supposed to. Thanks for sharing your drawings!

Couple of thoughts... 

-- With the 1/4" hole on the exhaust end, you might consider investing in a Pen Mandrel. Since you have the metal lathe you could turn bushings necessary to fit, allowing you to mount that end and finish it fairly easily. Then you'd have an excuse to buy pen kits and turn ink pens too!! 

-- Sounds like this could be a challenge to sand the inside of the exhaust end as well. I turned sanding mandrels in assorted sizes to deal with the problem of sanding internally. Turn a piece of dowel just slightly smaller than the bore of your call, then using a coping saw, or scroll saw, cut a small slit across the end of the turned end of the dowel, so you can slide a piece of sand paper in it, wrap the sand paper around the dowel, and slide it in the bore to sand. Saves twisting your fingers into rotini noodles on smaller bores.

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> Will be interesting to see if tone changes with a harder wood. Was thinking about this riding down the road this afternoon, the softer pine wood may be partly responsible. A softer wood may not resonate like a harder wood, giving you a more mellow deeper tone. I don't think it will, but you may notice a little difference in it with a hardwood.
> 
> Looking forward to the video, and like the others, to trying this to see if I can make one work like it's supposed to. Thanks for sharing your drawings!
> 
> Couple of thoughts...
> 
> -- With the 1/4" hole on the exhaust end, you might consider investing in a Pen Mandrel. Since you have the metal lathe you could turn bushings necessary to fit, allowing you to mount that end and finish it fairly easily. Then you'd have an excuse to buy pen kits and turn ink pens too!!
> 
> -- Sounds like this could be a challenge to sand the inside of the exhaust end as well. I turned sanding mandrels in assorted sizes to deal with the problem of sanding internally. Turn a piece of dowel just slightly smaller than the bore of your call, then using a coping saw, or scroll saw, cut a small slit across the end of the turned end of the dowel, so you can slide a piece of sand paper in it, wrap the sand paper around the dowel, and slide it in the bore to sand. Saves twisting your fingers into rotini noodles on smaller bores.




Hello Rocky,

The wood sure might make a difference although it might only be by a small amount, that still could prevent the best sound. My original Hooter was made from Black Locus which is not real hard and it has a bit deeper sound than the Purple Heart. I have some more Black Locus on order and I will use that to make another of this new design.

While it was still raining I stood under my carport and was making some "hoots" with the new one and it brought the neighbors dogs over barking at me and they live almost 500 feet away. And it was raining so it has really good volume.

Hopefully several people will make some from various woods and share their results here.

Please don't get me hooked on Pen Making..........

I most likely will make another adapter but with a 1/4" on one end, very easy to do on the metal lathe.

The sanding suggestion sounds good and I will try that on the next Hooter. Probably cannot see it in the photo but the pine is splitting already so this call won't last too long.

Thanks for all you help Rocky and not only for the call making.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## rocky1

Yeah, I noticed the crack in the one piece Thomas. If you have any CA, Gorilla Glue, or Epoxy, you could attempt to glue it. May hold. Very likely to hold if you were to turn a decorative band to go around the outside of it, and slipped it over while the glue was setting. 

Forgot to mention... While the sanding mandrel does work by hand, I turned the other end of mine down to fit the chuck on my cordless drill. Want to say I did that on my first Turkey Call before finding the MT2 reamers. But that makes sanding the inside of a call very quick and easy. And, they can be turned longer than fingers can reach for odd, deep jobs. Picked up a Large Plano Tackle Pack, and store my expanding mandrels, sanding mandrels, and jam mandrels for call bodies according to size.

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> Yeah, I noticed the crack in the one piece Thomas. If you have any CA, Gorilla Glue, or Epoxy, you could attempt to glue it. May hold. Very likely to hold if you were to turn a decorative band to go around the outside of it, and slipped it over while the glue was setting.
> 
> Forgot to mention... While the sanding mandrel does work by hand, I turned the other end of mine down to fit the chuck on my cordless drill. Want to say I did that on my first Turkey Call before finding the MT2 reamers. But that makes sanding the inside of a call very quick and easy. And, they can be turned longer than fingers can reach for odd, deep jobs. Picked up a Large Plano Tackle Pack, and store my expanding mandrels, sanding mandrels, and jam mandrels for call bodies according to size.




Hello Rocky,

Good idea about the sanding mandrels.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## FLQuacker

Awesome..man I wish I had time to play with this, this year!

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## Ray D

FLQuacker said:


> Awesome..man I wish I had time to play with this, this year!


Your retired Wayne....I thought when we retire we have nothing but time on our hands. Lol.

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> Awesome..man I wish I had time to play with this, this year!




Hello Wayne,

Just takes a little bit of time and we all need more time spent in the shop. Thanks for your help.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

First off I want to apologize for the long length of this video but I did not want to cut anything out. Second this recorded audio is not the best actual sound of the Hooter due to the conditions which I explain a lot better below. It is very difficult to hear the responding Owl but if nothing else this will give you a fair idea of how the new Hooter itself sounds.

This video was made to try and record a responding Owl to my calls made with an "Owl Hooter" game call. It was around 5:am in the morning and it was raining so there is some background noise from the rain and traffic out on the highway which is about 5-miles away. I am using a small Cannon Camera model Power Shot ELPH190IS and I am recording on a small front porch (6' x 6') closed on two sides and the back. The actual audio of the "Owl Hooter" game call itself is much better in real time and is being distorted to some degree because of the simi-closed area and the fact that I am standing right next to the camera. However, the "Hooter" must be working pretty good because it did raise a response from an Owl pretty far away from my location.

I did add the text "Listen" on this video just prior to me actually hearing the responding Owl. If you have good hearing and listen closely, you might be able to hear the responding Owl.

Fellows I must admit that I am more than pleased with how this Hooter works, but this not to say that I am not going to continue to try and improve on the design. As soon as my order for more wood blanks comes in I will be making more of these with various slight alterations.

Thanks everyone and have a great day,

ThomasT

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## FLQuacker

NICE TONE..you'll get it. More hand chamber restriction on the "you all" so you don't squeal the reed

Compression really screws with tone on uploaded vids...but that hooter sounds good!

Not sure, well I guess there always is room for design improvement..but with what ya got your technique would get you close to where ya want to be I think

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> NICE TONE..you'll get it. More hand chamber restriction on the "you all" so you don't squeal the reed
> 
> Compression really screws with tone on uploaded vids...but that hooter sounds good!
> 
> Not sure, well I guess there always is room for design improvement..but with what ya got your technique would get you close to where ya want to be I think




Hello Wayne,

Thank you I really like the sound from this new Hooter. I have Turkey hunted for many years but never used or ever hunted with anyone who did use an Owl Hooter so I am still learning. We always used a box or mouth call.

Yes the recording audio on the camera is very badly distorted and then it is altered again with compression from the video. I actually record the video on the camera, and then transfer that into a "video" file, then that is converted into a format that is acceptable to use on YouTube, then that is uploaded to YouTube....he he . To me it is a wonder that anything is left after all of that

About the "you all" squeal, beings that I am so new to Owl Hooting (? is that a word ?) I actually am trying to copy one of the calls that Harrison does on his video. I understand that he does competition calling which maybe is not needed in real world Turkey calling, but I would like to know if my Hooter will do everything that his does. I cannot do that throat roll like he can, so I have to do a tongue roll instead and it's not as good. Thanks for all your help and input.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## FLQuacker

The traditional cadence for owl hooting..."Who cooks for you who cooks for you all"

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## Ray D

That “monkey call” is my favorite owl sound. When the traditional owl sound won’t get a turkey to respond the monkey call will often work. In my experience..lol

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> The traditional cadence for owl hooting..."Who cooks for you who cooks for you all"




Hello Wayne,

I heard that expression on several videos that I watched. I have a "regular" Owl that comes around my house a lot and it does sound like that. It has been several weeks since I have heard him, maybe I can get him on video next time he shows up.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> That “monkey call” is my favorite owl sound. When the traditional owl sound won’t get a turkey to respond the monkey call will often work. In my experience..lol




Hello Ray,

That is another call that I have heard on several videos, Harrison makes a really good monkey laugh sound. I think a hunter needs as many calls and sounds in his arsenal as possible when hunting Ole Mr Gobbler.

My best hunting buddy can get a Turkey when nobody else can. Where we hunt is thick deep in the piney woods and I have spent up to four hours in the woods with him and not say a single word, just hand signals. It's not to be quite, it's not to make a human sound.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I received the Harrison Hoot’n Stick in today and making a call comparison between my Hooter and his Hooter are very close. I have also listened to Mark Prodhomme’s videos, who is also a five time world champ, and his call also varies in tone some.

What I have learned now is that there is NO one set standard to meet but more like a range and maybe more precisely a marginal range for the tone. The ideal Hooter will have both the tone and volume.

With this stated, I am very pleased with the Short Exhaust Hooter, but I think it still has plenty of room to be tweaked a bit more and that I plan to do.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

I’m hoping to try your design out this weekend.

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> I’m hoping to try your design out this weekend.




Hello Ray,

Well I am anxious to see how it turns out and what materials you will use.

I was out on the front porch again a few minutes ago Hooting but heard no reply. Sure hope I can get one to reply a lot closer to me, have the camera at the ready just in case.

Have a great evening,
ThomasT


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## FLQuacker

Well I got em riled up tonight...with the only hooter I could find here in the woods place, a flextone rubber hooter..worst hooter made but it really don't matter. Cadence and rythym. Don't over analize it

Couple clunks first 7 seconds trying to set the cam down after I got em going





__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2294999550512608

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> Well I got em riled up tonight...with the only hooter I could find here in the woods place, a flextone rubber hooter..worst hooter made but it really don't matter. Cadence and rythym. Don't over analize it
> 
> Couple clunks first 7 seconds trying to set the cam down after I got em going
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2294999550512608




Hello Wayne,

How many Owls were out there? Your camera records audio much better than mine does, I hear very little background noise with your recording.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## Ray D

ThomasT said:


> Hello Ray,
> 
> Well I am anxious to see how it turns out and what materials you will use.
> 
> I was out on the front porch again a few minutes ago Hooting but heard no reply. Sure hope I can get one to reply a lot closer to me, have the camera at the ready just in case.
> 
> Have a great evening,
> ThomasT



Good morning Thomas.
I’ll probably just use some cherry due to the fact that it’s the same wood I used in my last attempt....just for sound comparison.

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## ThomasT

Good morning to you Ray,

Good idea to use the same material to achieve the best comparison. As time allows I will make several more keeping everything the same except for the wood just to see if there is any difference in the sound or volume. I have made Crow calls out of seven different woods and two out of aluminum, and not sure I can detect any real difference. I do understand that the two reeds are different, one is external and one internal, and that may make a difference with the material. Nevertheless I find this to be a fun challenge on these Owl Hooters. Looking forward to seeing your call.

Have a great day,
Thomas


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Had to make a run into town so I bought some 1-1/2x1-1/2 Poplar to make another Hooter, my good wood blanks still have not come in and I just had to make another Hooter. This one sounds a little bit better but I am sure that it is because there were some cracks in the old pine one.

I did flare the mouth opening, and I bored the 3/4" end about ½" deeper giving more room for the JC100 Reed Set, but as you can see in the photos all the other dimensions are the same.

Now we need one made out some hard wood to make a comparison for sound and volume.

Have a great day,

ThomasT the Hooter-man

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Just as I had suspected, there is always room for improvement. This morning I made another drawing for just the Exhaust end for the Hooter and made a number of changes. 1) I made it much longer, it is now 3-1/2" long with a ½" bore to a depth of 3-1/4". 2) Turned the length down smaller: now 1-5/32" o.d. on the inlet end (next to the Barrel) and 1-1/16 o.d. on the outlet end.

These changes made the resonate chamber 37% larger and lowered the tone. The reason ( not sure if this is valid or not ) that I turned all the outside down smaller was to reduce the "matter" / "mass" of wood that could absorb any of the sound and maybe by doing so creating a bit more "hollow" sound. I used the same Barrel to be as close to comparing apples to apples.

Anybody plan on making one from my original drawing, might consider this modification.

One NOTE: look at where I have placed the adjustable "o-ring" on the JC100 reed. I have tested it in just about every position along the Reed and for this call this is where I get the best sound. Hope this will help.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Gdurfey

y'all are having way too much fun, now cut it out..........as I sit here at work thinking about what I am going to turn this weekend and what wood I can use for this. I have a piece of hard maple, 3x3x 2 foot that will probably get cut just a bit. I know, will waste a lot, but gee, turning practice is turning practice......

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## Ray D

I haven’t had a chance to make your design yet but I will. I have moved that o-ring all over the place trying to improve the sound on my call. Mine sounds the best with the o-ring moved all the way back.

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## ThomasT

Gdurfey said:


> y'all are having way too much fun, now cut it out..........as I sit here at work thinking about what I am going to turn this weekend and what wood I can use for this. I have a piece of hard maple, 3x3x 2 foot that will probably get cut just a bit. I know, will waste a lot, but gee, turning practice is turning practice......




Hello Garry,

Well I really would like to apologize but I cannot, because I am having fun, however not too much. I'm out in the shop now turning another Hooter, pretty sure I have a serious case of Hooteritus . Hey we only get one run at life so why not make it as good as possible

Have a great rest of the work day and a better tomorrow.
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> I haven’t had a chance to make your design yet but I will. I have moved that o-ring all over the place trying to improve the sound on my call. Mine sounds the best with the o-ring moved all the way back.




Hello Ray,

The location is different on the Short Exhaust Model than it is on the Long Exhaust Model, but not by very much. Seems to be a bit touchy where that sweet spot is. I am working on another modification right now (letting some glue dry) and will post the results here some time this afternoon so don't cut any wood until I get this updated. That extension to the Exhaust has made a significant difference and I'm hoping to do it again.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

OK another 37% increase in the interior volume of the Exhaust Chamber. Cut another piece of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 Poplar 3-1/2" long and drilled a ½" hole all the way through. My new mandrels came in last night so I used the ½" mandrel in the collet to do all the turning; o.d. next to Barrel ( excluding the 3/4" od x 5/8" long offset to slide inside the Barrel) 1.3365" and the outlet end 1.225". Then I moved the Exhaust down the mandrel far enough so that I could counter-bore 2-1/2" deep by 3/4" id. Then I made a 3/4" plug by 1/4" thick and glued it into the outlet end, next I center drilled the plug with a 1/4" bit.

Results are a little deeper tone and it is just a little bit easier to blow. What I mean easier to blow, is a little less air to achieve the same volume and much easier to find that sweet spot "cupping" your hands to create the sound chamber.

I will create another drawing updating to this design and make a pdf format and get it uploaded today.

Hope this will help and have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

Looking good Thomas

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I have created a pdf format of the latest design "Owl Hooter - Long Exhaust" and have attached it here. The Barrel dimensions did not change, only the Exhaust dimensions and are so noted on the drawing.

If you build a Hooter from these plans, please look over all the dimensions before you cut any wood. If you find any errors please let me know so that I can make the required changes. Hope you enjoy making one. These plans can be printed out on 8-1/2 x 11 paper or 11 x 17 paper.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Looking good Thomas



Hello Ray,

Thank you, each little bit of changes have made a pretty good improvement to the original design. Like so many have stated, the choice of wood might make a little bit of change also, and I am thinking that Maple or Black Locus should sound better than this Poplar.

Oh and bye the way, I moved the O-ring back ( toward the Exhaust outlet ) about the thickness of the ring itself.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## FranklinWorkshops

Thomas, if you want to try some curly sugar maple, I have some that I trimmed off a gun stock blank this morning. I'll send you a couple of blanks for just the cost of postage if you want to try making one with it.

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## ThomasT

FranklinWorkshops said:


> Thomas, if you want to try some curly sugar maple, I have some that I trimmed off a gun stock blank this morning. I'll send you a couple of blanks for just the cost of postage if you want to try making one with it.




Hello Larry,

I would love to have some and will be glad to pay you, just PM how to do that. Send me enough to make two calls ( if you have that much )and I will make one for you. You can see the blank sizes needed to make one from my drawings. Thank you, I sure do appreciate this.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## FranklinWorkshops

I'll send you a PM to get the details. I also found a nice slab of northern catalpa this morning and will send you a blank from it. Understand it turns beautifully and is a tone wood sometimes used in guitars. I know it as a great carving wood that the native people used for canoe's, bowls, spoons, etc.

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## ThomasT

Hey again Larry,

Sounds great. I have a wood working friend who loves the Catalpa wood.

Again thanks and have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

FranklinWorkshops said:


> I'll send you a PM to get the details. I also found a nice slab of northern catalpa this morning and will send you a blank from it. Understand it turns beautifully and is a tone wood sometimes used in guitars. I know it as a great carving wood that the native people used for canoe's, bowls, spoons, etc.




Hey Larry,

Just sent you a PM.

Thanks so much and have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

SO uhmmm... I don't suppose you have told your wife you were out in the garage playing with hooters for the last week have you??

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> SO uhmmm... I don't suppose you have told your wife you were out in the garage playing with hooters for the last week have you??




Hello Rocky,



Have a pleasant evening,
*anonymous*

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

In the attached photo are shown eight (8) various Owl Hooters that I have made and experimented with over the last week and at the top is a factory made Harrison. I have used three (3) different Reed Sets (JC100, Shipleys Outdoors & Hut Products) and six (6) different end plugs (restrictors) including the drilled hole in the end of the integral Exhaust, five (5) different types of wood and various lengths in both the Barrel and Exhaust, and various internal bores (from1/2" to 7/8").

And I am not through experimenting, but at this stage the best sounding and ease of use is, as show in the photo, #4 Long (aka Long Exhaust) the last pdf drawing that I posted.

I need to point out when using the JC100 Reed Set, the position of the adjustable O-ring is very critical to the quality of the final sound. Another critical issue is the way you hold the Hooter and the way you form the "cavity / sound chamber" on the end of the Exhaust with your hands.

The RB-100 rubber grommet fits a ½" bore and accepts the JC100 Reed Set, but can also be used as a "restrictor" in the end of the Exhaust. Also I discovered when using either the Shipleys or the Hut Reed Set that the bore of the Barrel needs to be a minimum of 3/4" to allow proper clearance of the flexible "reed" itself.

I cannot state definitely one way or the other if the "hardness" or type of wood used in the construction of a Hooter does effect the sound either in a positive or negative manner. In time and as I make more Hooters that are exact in every way other than the wood, then I can get a good side by side comparison.

Hope in some way this will help you build a better Owl Hooter.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## FLQuacker

Can't wait to get time to attack one...THANKS ! ThomasT for your efforts and sharing!

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## ThomasT

FLQuacker said:


> Can't wait to get time to attack one...THANKS ! ThomasT for your efforts and sharing!




Hello Wayne,

It is my pleasure to give back in a small way to all you kind folks that has helped me so much in getting into this hobby. Not only in great advise but also your kind manner and kind words in my work.

I hope your Long Exhaust model turns out better than mine and you have to call Animal Control to get rid of all the Owls and Turkeys that show up at your place.  Looking forward to some photos from you.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

I got as far as cutting a couple blanks but between scouting for turkey and watching the grandkids I didn’t get to turn any.

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## Ray D

What reed assembly is in the one that you thought sounds the best? 
I had my best sounds using the Shipley’s reed ....although it was a distant second to Harrison’s hooter. Lol

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> What reed assembly is in the one that you thought sounds the best?
> I had my best sounds using the Shipley’s reed ....although it was a distant second to Harrison’s hooter. Lol




Hello Ray,

I used the JC100 in the Long Exhaust Owl Hooter ( in the photo it is #4 Long ) and is the Hooter that I posted the last set of plans. It compares in sound very close to Harrison and has real good volume. The #3 in the photo also use the JC100 and runs a very close second to the #4. If you look close at the outlet end of #3 you will see that I am using the RB100 plug as the restrictor. Good luck when you get started.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## myingling

looks good !! i got some shipleys in Now iam waiting on a 7/8 expanding mandrel to come in to start turning believe will make life easier lol ,,, i got say the shipleys seem like a no fail reed if u stick that reed inside your mouth and blow and use your hands make fine hooter that way also lol iam going to start out with thinner walls think thats the ticket to get the deeper sound

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## FLQuacker

ThomasT said:


> Hello Wayne,
> 
> It is my pleasure to give back in a small way to all you kind folks that has helped me so much in getting into this hobby. Not only in great advise but also your kind manner and kind words in my work.
> 
> I hope your Long Exhaust model turns out better than mine and you have to call Animal Control to get rid of all the Owls and Turkeys that show up at your place.  Looking forward to some photos from you.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT



For now I just use my wood duck calls...make excellent hawk screams during the day.

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> looks good !! i got some shipleys in Now iam waiting on a 7/8 expanding mandrel to come in to start turning believe will make life easier lol ,,, i got say the shipleys seem like a no fail reed if u stick that reed inside your mouth and blow and use your hands make fine hooter that way also lol iam going to start out with thinner walls think thats the ticket to get the deeper sound




Hello Mike,

I have wanted to try some thin wall with a 7/8" bore, but right now my biggest mandrel is 3/4". I think it will require some strong wood to turn that thin and hold up. Please let us know how your call turns out.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Yesterday received some absolutely beautiful wood from Larry @FranklinWorkshops and now I cannot decide which piece to start with first. I will make another Long Exhaust Owl Hooter for sure but maybe with a slight twist...

Larry I surely do appreciate this more than kind gesture on your part and I am so pleased with the quality of the wood. This is by far the best pieces of wood that I have had to work with so far.

OK made a decision to make another Long Exhaust Hooter from one of the Sugar Maple ( this will be the "Larry Hooter Special" ) and it will be made like the original "Long Exhaust" except both the Barrel and the Exhaust will be a little bit longer. This is to see if any more added length will make any changes.( See attached photos )

The overall length of the original is 6-3/16", the new Larry Special is 6-15/16" so the "chambers" are a little bit larger, other than this the interior is the same. I did turn the Exhaust end down a little more to allow your fingers to wrap around the end for a better seal when you are making the sound chamber with your hands.

The way I have designed the interior for the mounting of the Reed Set allows you to use either a JC100 or a Hut 3008 without any modifications.

OK here is the skinny on the performance of the Larry Special: 1) Looks great with this beautiful Sugar Maple, that is just one coat of my Paste applied ( just had to say that ), 2) The "tone" and "sound" (note-1) are almost identical, if there is any difference I cannot hear it, 3) The volume again is identical. Now "note-1", placement of the adjustable o-ring by a very slight amount brought the sound equal to the original. Boy this is really sensitive to achieve the correct placement.

The Sugar Maple is not a real hard wood but is a lot harder than the Poplar, so it appears that the type of wood does not effect the sound / volume by much if any.

Fellows I hope this information will help some.

Have a great day,
Thomas

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## FranklinWorkshops

I'm interested in how that Northern Catalpa sounds. It is a softer wood than maple but is considered a tonal wood that is occasionally used in guitars. Thanks for all the great information you're posting here.

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## Ray D

Looks really nice. How does the Hut reed sound? I purchased some of those a while back but it was through THO game calls. I could never come up with a combo that sounded anything like an owl. Lol.

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## ThomasT

FranklinWorkshops said:


> I'm interested in how that Northern Catalpa sounds. It is a softer wood than maple but is considered a tonal wood that is occasionally used in guitars. Thanks for all the great information you're posting here.




Hello Larry,

I will make another "Original" Hooter exactly to the drawing and will use the Catalpa, that way I can get a true comparison. I want to thank you again for this beautiful wood. The photos do not do justice to the actual Hooter, it is awesome.

I turned the "joint" that connects the two parts just a bit loose and that is why I added the single o-ring, but I actually like the feel of it better than the dry fit.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Looks really nice. How does the Hut reed sound? I purchased some of those a while back but it was through THO game calls. I could never come up with a combo that sounded anything like an owl. Lol.




Hello Ray,

Actually the Hut reed sounds pretty good. It is a bit higher in pitch but installed in this new Hooter is has a good Owl sound. Not all Owls have that deep sound and this reed favors that style of sound. I have one of the Hut reeds installed in the #1 Hooter ( the old pine Hooter see the photo posted #49 ) and even with that real short exhaust it sounds OK. The longer exhaust and 3/4" bore does a lot to help the sound.

Ray look at the photo of the Hut Reed and compare it to the THO reed, are they the same?

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Ray D

Not positive. Here is the one I purchased from THO

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> View attachment 161581 Not positive. Here is the one I purchased from THO




Hey again Ray,

Sure looks the same except the reed is black, but the shape of the reed is the same. Most likely made at the same factory. I like the slightly higher pitch sound that the reed produces. The Owl that comes around here a lot does not have a real deep tone. Sure wish he would show up so I could record him.

Thanks for the photo and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## Bigdrowdy1

Wow ! been trying to keep up but ya'll blew by me like a Harley passing a tricycle!! I was wanting to jump in but work and life plus my wanting to do something different (wood working wise) has had my interest. Keep on searching because your doing all the right foot work. That is what separates call makers from those who make calls. Learning and understanding what changes effect what. You will find your sweet spot that comes from enjoying your work. This will separate you from the rest. Best of luck in your endeavors as you are doing what it takes. Remember it is what works in the field not in your head. Hats off to you this is what makes great call makers!

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## ThomasT

Bigdrowdy1 said:


> Wow ! been trying to keep up but ya'll blew by me like a Harley passing a tricycle!! I was wanting to jump in but work and life plus my wanting to do something different (wood working wise) has had my interest. Keep on searching because your doing all the right foot work. That is what separates call makers from those who make calls. Learning and understanding what changes effect what. You will find your sweet spot that comes from enjoying your work. This will separate you from the rest. Best of luck in your endeavors as you are doing what it takes. Remember it is what works in the field not in your head. Hats off to you this is what makes great call makers!




Hello Rodney,

Thank you for the kind words, learning and sharing here with a bunch of nice folks. I hope everybody is having as much fun as I am.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I started Hooting around 2:30am this morning in perfect weather conditions, cool damp and a light fog with no wind. Made follow up calls about every 30 to 45 minutes and did not get any response. At 6:05am I got a response way far away, who - who - who, and it sounded like the Owl from several nights ago and about the same location. I had started with Hooter (by number to keep it simple) number 7 the newest Hooter. Talked to this guy for about five minutes or so and decided to try another Hooter. Went and got number 4 ( long exhaust ) and got a response on the first call but from a different Owl, "who-cooks-for-you".

Say Owl number 1 was at the noon position from me, then Owl number 2 was at about 1:o’clock. I responded back right away and heard Owl #1 and now a third Owl at about 3:o’clock (much closer to me), who - who - who was his response. I also tried Hooters #3 and #5 and would get a response from at least one of the Owls after every one of my Hoots.

By 6:35 I had Crows, Doves and Redbirds, some rooster down the road all chiming in making it very difficult to hear the Owls so I stopped. Hooters #3, #4 and #7 all sound fairly close to each other, but #5 is a tad bit higher pitch and not as loud and still got replies from the Owls.

I’m not sure what all can be extrapolated from this, but I am getting more convinced that volume is not a problem if the Hooter presents a reasonable amount. I know the conditions were near perfect this morning, but at least two of the Owls were at a considerable distance from me and they must have been able to hear me with no problem. Now I am going to look closer at "tone", the actual sound that the Hooter makes.

The last photo is simply showing how I am holding the Hooters ( OK @rocky1 ). I try to create as large of a cavity as possible with my hands and the only opening is toward my body, just below each thumb.

As always guys, I am looking for any and all input, suggestions, observations, whatever to guide me in the right direction.

Thanks for all you help and have a great day,

ThomasT

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## B Rogers

ThomasT said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I started Hooting around 2:30am this morning in perfect weather conditions, cool damp and a light fog with no wind. Made follow up calls about every 30 to 45 minutes and did not get any response. At 6:05am I got a response way far away, who - who - who, and it sounded like the Owl from several nights ago and about the same location. I had started with Hooter (by number to keep it simple) number 7 the newest Hooter. Talked to this guy for about five minutes or so and decided to try another Hooter. Went and got number 4 ( long exhaust ) and got a response on the first call but from a different Owl, "who-cooks-for-you".
> 
> Say Owl number 1 was at the noon position from me, then Owl number 2 was at about 1:o’clock. I responded back right away and heard Owl #1 and now a third Owl at about 3:o’clock (much closer to me), who - who - who was his response. I also tried Hooters #3 and #5 and would get a response from at least one of the Owls after every one of my Hoots.
> 
> By 6:35 I had Crows, Doves and Redbirds, some rooster down the road all chiming in making it very difficult to hear the Owls so I stopped. Hooters #3, #4 and #7 all sound fairly close to each other, but #5 is a tad bit higher pitch and not as loud and still got replies from the Owls.
> 
> I’m not sure what all can be extrapolated from this, but I am getting more convinced that volume is not a problem if the Hooter presents a reasonable amount. I know the conditions were near perfect this morning, but at least two of the Owls were at a considerable distance from me and they must have been able to hear me with no problem. Now I am going to look closer at "tone", the actual sound that the Hooter makes.
> 
> The last photo is simply showing how I am holding the Hooters ( OK @rocky1 ). I try to create as large of a cavity as possible with my hands and the only opening is toward my body, just below each thumb.
> 
> As always guys, I am looking for any and all input, suggestions, observations, whatever to guide me in the right direction.
> 
> Thanks for all you help and have a great day,
> 
> ThomasT
> 
> View attachment 161603
> 
> View attachment 161604
> 
> View attachment 161605


2:30 a.m.!!! Dedication right there buddy.

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## ThomasT

B Rogers said:


> 2:30 a.m.!!! Dedication right there buddy.



Good morning Bryson,

I am a true early bird, get up around 2:am every day, would love to sleep to 5 or so but I just cannot stay in bed once I wake up. Besides, this time of the day is the best.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

ThomasT said:


> The last photo is simply showing how I am holding the Hooters



Can't really say that there is a right and wrong way to hold Hooters, but your grip on that call looks like it'll work.

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## B Rogers

ThomasT said:


> Good morning Bryson,
> 
> I am a true early bird, get up around 2:am every day, would love to sleep to 5 or so but I just cannot stay in bed once I wake up. Besides, this time of the day is the best.
> 
> Have a great day,
> ThomasT


I'd have to go to sleep at like 6pm to get up at 2 every morning

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## rocky1

I'm just wondering how long it takes before the neighbors have those nice gentlemen with the fancy white coat with sleeves that tie in the back come to visit. Gotta know they're scratching their heads and talking about you, wandering around the yard talking to owls at 3 am.

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> Can't really say that there is a right and wrong way to hold Hooters, but your grip on that call looks like it'll work.
> 
> 
> View attachment 161606



Hello Rocky,

Ok that is too funny, and as usual I have no proper response..

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> I'm just wondering how long it takes before the neighbors have those nice gentlemen with the fancy white coat with sleeves that tie in the back come to visit. Gotta know they're scratching their heads and talking about you, wandering around the yard talking to owls at 3 am.




Hey again Rocky,

Well to be 100% truthful that does not worry me too much. Article 5 in our HOA states Owners are allowed to have pets but they are to be kept on the Owners property. Not one Owner that has a pet knows how to read except for me, so to be as nice as I possibly, #*^&%$^#$%^ to them.

You have a nice day now' you hear,

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Yesterday I stated that I would focus on "tone" for the Hooters and this morning I used just about every combination of Hooter parts that I have for various test. To skip all the details and make a long story short, I decided to build a new Short Exhaust model. More correctly a REALLY short exhaust. I am almost hesitant to even show this Hooter, but none the less here it is.

The barrel is 4-inches long with a bore of 7/8-inches and the Exhaust is 1-7/8-inches long including a 3/4-inch offset turned down to 7/8-inches od and has a bore of 1/2-inch. It sounds great with plenty of volume and I am using a JC100 reed ( the Hut reed also works ) and a rubber plug for the restrictor. The tone equals that of all the top Hooters that I have made in every respect.

So any theories of a larger id and longer Exhaust may not be valid.....yet to be proven however. Bye the way, I made this out of a piece of Osage Orange wood and it has one coat of my Paste on it.

Have a great day,

ThomasT


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## Ray D

Definitely interesting and I’m enjoying following this thread. Finish looks great.

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Definitely interesting and I’m enjoying following this thread. Finish looks great.




Hello Ray,

Glad you are enjoying following along, I sure am having fun and getting some schooling along the way. I went back to the "short" design because of some of the tones/sound that I was getting earlier designs. I decided to make this one as short as possible to find out the effect if any, and it turned out to be quite valuable information learned. I did the 7/8" bore on the Barrel to allow as much thickness as possible on the extension on the Exhaust. I used my metal lathe to turn two more adapters so that I could handle the 7/8" bore and that worked out real good. All of this has given me two new ideas to try, so stay tuned.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Gdurfey

okay, been dying to ask..................does Owl taste like chicken??? with all of this calling, someone..............never mind..........

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## ThomasT

Gdurfey said:


> okay, been dying to ask..................does Owl taste like chicken??? with all of this calling, someone..............never mind..........




Hello Garry,

Not sure what they taste like, but if I ever catch one I will surely let you know.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Had lots of other chores to do today but did turn another Hooter with some different dimensions. As you can see the Exhaust has been turned down a lot to achieve a "thin wall" style. The Exhaust is 3-1/2" long with a bore of 3/4" all the way through. It is turned down to 1-inch OD right passed the first burn line where it joins the inside to the Barrel. The end plug is wood and has a 7/32 center hole and two 7/64 holes on either side and the sound is real good. I am experimenting with various other plugs also.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Looks like just another Owl Hooter....right....well not so fast. Photo #2, shows that this is Big-Hoot; 8" long, 1.9" OD, with a bore 3" long by 1.4" ID for the Exhaust & 3/4" bore for the Barrel, and the End Plug has a ½" hole through the center. Photo #4 shows a JC100 Reed set, Photo#5 shows a Hut 3008 Reed set and look real close you will see that both Reeds are set in a adapter. The adapter can be removed and then a Shipleys Reed set can be installed. I designed it this way so that I can make a lot of alterations to just One Hooter and be able to try all three reeds.

With the JC100 installed and without having to use my hands at the Exhaust end, the sound is fairly close to an Owl. I feel like I am really close to having an Owl Call / Hooter that works without any special technique for holding it or blowing in it and with good volume. Lots of various test to still do with this Hooter and waiting for some more Shipleys reeds to give them a try.

That is it for now fellows, have a great day.

ThomasT

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## Ray D

Impressive work. Have you noticed a significant sound change with each modification you have implemented?
Ray

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## Ray D

At this point, what are you thinking about the Shipley’s reed in terms of “owl” sound. With everything the same, which reed system are you thinking sounds overall?

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Impressive work. Have you noticed a significant sound change with each modification you have implemented?
> Ray



Hello Ray,

A significant tone / sound would be from the very first one that I made to the "Long Exhaust" design, which is still the overall best sounding. However with that said, the Big-Hoot is a big change because of the "no hands" capability not so much in the sound. Big-Hoot does sound good and I think very close to getting that Owl Sound, but right now not quite as good as the Long Exhaust. I think a bit of tinkering and it will work. I hope to work on it more tomorrow.

Have a great day,
Thomas

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> At this point, what are you thinking about the Shipley’s reed in terms of “owl” sound. With everything the same, which reed system are you thinking sounds overall?




Hey again Ray,

Yes, I might be wrong but I think that the Shipleys will make a big difference in the sound. It might not be a good change but I have a good feeling about it because of the sound that it produced in Hooter that I have labeled #2 in the group photo posted earlier. ( it is not the second Hooter that I made ) The problem that I discovered was that the bore in the Barrel was not large enough ( it was 5/8") and it interfered with the reed itself. I trimmed the reed and messed it up and that is why I am waiting on more to come in. After I re-bored the Barrel on #2 and installed the Hut 3008 Reed set, it worked a lot better, so it makes sense that the Shipleys will also work better.

I Hooted over the phone with the Big-Hoot to my brother and he said it sounded good. I know what he heard was not as good as real life sound so I must be headed in the right direction.

After all of that I'm not sure I answered your above question ( duah), right now the best sound out of all my Hooters is The Long Exhaust with a JC100 Reed Set. I have not made a Long Exhaust Hooter with a Shipleys reed set so I cannot add that into the equation.

I appreciate all the interest and hope that I am making sense with some of my answers, if not let me know.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

I'm thinkin you maybe oughta call this one the Double D!!

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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> View attachment 161816 View attachment 161816
> 
> 
> I'm thinkin you maybe oughta call this one the Double D!!



Hello Rocky,

Say whut...

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## rocky1

Yeah, that's one BIG hooter there!!


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

While waiting on the other reeds I decided to make a scaled down version of the Big-Hoot. This Hooter (number 12) is 7" overall length by 1-3/8" od with a Barrel bore of 3/4" and an Exhaust bore of 1". I tried a Hut 3008 Reed and a JC100 Reed, with the best sound coming from the JC100, see photo for location of the o-ring. I turned a wood plug with a ½" hole center drilled to install in the end of the Exhaust. After experimenting with several different size smaller plugs to go into the ½" hole, I found that the rubber plug with 2-holes gave the best sound. When the Shipleys reeds come in I will give them a try with this Hooter. The sound is a bit lower than the Long Exhaust model and just as loud, so overall it sounds really good.

The saga continues in search for the Ultimate Hooter, have a great day.

ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

A bit of bad luck with my new Jet Lathe, the on/off switch broke this morning. I had started to turn another Hooter and after a couple times using the switch it would not turn back on again. The way it was designed/engineered requires the Lathe to be removed from the stand so that the "switch assembly" can drop down. Can you believe that????  Why not remove a couple of screws and slide it out the front!?  Oh well, Jet is supposed to send me a replacement today.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

OK I am back up and running, received the new Jet switch last night and I must say that is some very quick service.

This is just an observation on my part, I have raised Owls using the Long Exhaust Model and now the Number 12 model of the Hooters that I have made. The point being if it "fools" or "convinces" a real life Owl enough that he responds to a call, then it surely must be good enough to fool or convince an old Gobbler. This is not to say that I am retiring from the Hooter design program, in fact I am working on another new design now.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## rocky1

Yep... If the owls are talking back, I'm thinking the turkey will too.

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

Guess I will call this Hooter "Lucky-13", it is the 13th complete unit but not sure about the "lucky". This is a "no hands" required to form a chamber at the outlet end of the exhaust, just simply blow into the mouthpiece of the Barrel and keep you fingers clear of the 3 exhaust holes on top of the Exhaust. It must sound kind-of good because I raised an Owl early this morning way far away from me and it is the first time that I have used it.

This is the most complicated Hooter that I have designed and made and I am pretty sure with a bit more tweaking it can be improved. It is 7-3/16" over all length including the end Cap, Barrel is 3-19/32" long with a 3/4" bore, Exhaust is 4-1/32" long with a combinations bore: 3/4" x 1-1/8" long and the balance is 1" bore. The Exhaust has three 7/32" holes drilled into the chamber just pass the "stepped bore" into the 1" bore area. The Insert is 3/4" od x 2" long and has a combination bore: ½" bore x 1-3/4" long and the "outlet" bore is a size #13 (0.185"). The Insert will accept a JC100 or a Hut 3008 reed set and at this stage the Hut does have the best sound and volume. The volume is about (estimating) 75% to 85% of the Long Exhaust and the Model-12 Hooters but I feel is more than adequate. To be a bit more clear about the volume, a little over an hour after raising the Owl I made several more hoots and got a reply from a rooster. The rooster belongs to my good friend Paul who lives 1/2-mile (as the Crow flies) from my house. I can only guess that a Turkey can hear as good as a Rooster and if this is so, then I am good with the volume of L-13.

The End Cap seals off the Chamber and creates the required back pressure forcing the exhaust air to resonate backwards towards the three (3) exhaust holes. The indent in the center of the End Cap is not a hole but was used to complete the turning of the final shape.

Hope this is of interest to some of you Turkey hunters who would like to make their own Owl/Hooter/locator.

Have a great day,

ThomasT

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## Ray D

Very interesting design.

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Very interesting design.




Hello Ray,

I will create a pdf set of drawings to upload later on for anyone that is interested.

This thing works pretty good, after daylight this morning I had made a slight adjustment to the reed and made a call on my front porch and received a Owl response from the back side of the house. I went to the back porch and made another call and talked with this guy for several minutes before the %^$#*& neighbors dogs drowned out our conversation.

Lot of work in this unit but I am really pleased with the end results. Now it needs some tuning or tweaking.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## Wildthings

I'm filing away this info so when my lathe is running I can build one

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## ThomasT

Wildthings said:


> I'm filing away this info so when my lathe is running I can build one




Hello Barry,

That sounds good hope you enjoy making one of these as much as I have. This is very rewarding to me when I get a response from an Owl on one of these units. I will up load a pdf in just a minute of this new L-13 design.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I am attaching a pdf drawing of the L-13 Owl Hooter, please look it over to make sure I have all the dimensions correct before you cut any wood.

This drawing shows using a Hut #3008 Reed but will accept a JC100 without any modifications. A Shipleys can also be used but would require some modifications.

Note: do not shorten the "Insert" length, the "out" end must be passed the 3-exhaust holes to get the resonate feedback.

One more Note: in the drawing please note that where there is a combination bore ( two bores ) that the depth shown on the drawing is to the "shoulder " on the drill bit and not to the point. I drew these using a 30-degree bit, so the actual point is a bit deeper than the dimension drawn. Stay close to my drawings and it will work.

Good luck and have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I decided to experiment with the basic design of the Long Exhaust Model so I made Model-14 to try various End Plugs. This Hooter is made out of Yellowheart wood with a 3/4" bore on the Barrel and a 7/8" bore on the Exhaust and using a JC100 Reed. I made an End Plug and drilled two outlet holes instead of just one. I actually wound up making 3 different end plugs because of trying different size holes. The sensitivity of the hole size is hard to believe, on the second End Plug I had drilled two 13/64 and the sound was just not quite right so I re-drilled each hole to 7/32 and that was too much. The End Plug in the attached photo has one hole drilled 13/64 and the other 7/32 and it sounds pretty good, very close sound to Model-12 and good volume.

Hopefully the Shipleys reeds will come in this week and I can give them a try on some of the various Models already built.

Have a great day,

ThomasT


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## myingling

looking good thomas have been doing a bit experimenting my self but got shut down because cold lol did a lot of reading over on cco few guys was saying about haveing 2 plugs in the end barrel seemed to help with less hand movement also ,,, i messed with it seemed to help made good sound just had turn some plugs to snugly fit my end barrel and could place them in different locations inside hole was always bigger then end plug hole

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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> looking good thomas have been doing a bit experimenting my self but got shut down because cold lol did a lot of reading over on cco few guys was saying about haveing 2 plugs in the end barrel seemed to help with less hand movement also ,,, i messed with it seemed to help made good sound just had turn some plugs to snugly fit my end barrel and could place them in different locations inside hole was always bigger then end plug hole View attachment 162192



Hello Mike,

Thanks for this information, but I now have some questions.
1) What material did you use to make the plugs
2) How thick were the plugs
3) What size holes
4) How were they spaced from the outlet of the Reed
5) What Reed did you use

Messing around with these Hooters is a tricky business
In some way the L-13 is kind of like what you are saying, because the Insert has that .185 hole after the Reed and then there are the 3 Exhaust holes. However the sizing is in reverse, small hole first and then the large hole (s).

I have tried several foam inserts inside the Chamber with mixed results, but nothing encouraging to carry on experimenting.

Thanks again and have a great day,
ThomasT


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## rocky1

ThomasT said:


> Messing around with these Hooters is a tricky business






Yup... It was 9:30 Friday night, I was at a Drive-In movie, 16 years old, when I discovered that!

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## FranklinWorkshops

rocky1 said:


> Yup... It was 9:30 Friday night, I was at a Drive-In movie, 16 years old, when I discovered that!


I miss those days. A lot of discoveries made at drive-in movies.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## ThomasT

rocky1 said:


> Yup... It was 9:30 Friday night, I was at a Drive-In movie, 16 years old, when I discovered that!



Hello Rocky,

Man when I was 16 years old I wasn't messing around with a cell phone tweeting some dude, like you and most smart older folks I was at the Drive-in "messing around".

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## myingling

ThomasT said:


> Hello Mike,
> 
> Thanks for this information, but I now have some questions.
> 1) What material did you use to make the plugs
> 2) How thick were the plugs
> 3) What size holes
> 4) How were they spaced from the outlet of the Reed
> 5) What Reed did you use
> 
> Messing around with these Hooters is a tricky business
> In some way the L-13 is kind of like what you are saying, because the Insert has that .185 hole after the Reed and then there are the 3 Exhaust holes. However the sizing is in reverse, small hole first and then the large hole (s).
> 
> I have tried several foam inserts inside the Chamber with mixed results, but nothing encouraging to carry on experimenting.
> 
> Thanks again and have a great day,
> ThomasT



1 i had some 2 in Spanish cedar sitting around so used it 

2 was only 1/8 thick ,, i would believe using thinner plugs will help sound a bit more 

3 end was plug was 5/16 inside not sure kept making it bigger till it no longer had sound i liked i think this will depend on the wood useing 

4 1 1/4 in from end of reed end i to think this will depend on wood ,,,,, end plug i was keeping 3/4 in back from the end with belled end 

5 was using the shipleys reed 7/8 bore on each barrel and exhaust having the 7/8 bore made it easy to set the plugs and move them

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## ThomasT

OK fellows, that Rocky guy got me side-tracked and forgot why I was here

Experimenting more with dual holes in the End Cap and varying the sizes, there is definitely something there that works. There is a lot of difference in not just the sound but also the volume when the two holes are of different sizes but close in diameter. I need to receive the other reeds before I can design a new Model, but will do that and make a Hooter to test. Stand bye......we are really close now.

Have a great weekend,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

myingling said:


> 1 i had some 2 in Spanish cedar sitting around so used it
> 
> 2 was only 1/8 thick ,, i would believe using thinner plugs will help sound a bit more
> 
> 3 end was plug was 5/16 inside not sure kept making it bigger till it no longer had sound i liked i think this will depend on the wood useing
> 
> 4 1 1/4 in from end of reed end i to think this will depend on wood ,,,,, end plug i was keeping 3/4 in back from the end with belled end
> 
> 5 was using the shipleys reed 7/8 bore on each barrel and exhaust having the 7/8 bore made it easy to set the plugs and move them




Hello Mike,

This is good info, and you are correct about using the thinner wood for the plugs. The thicker the wood, then there is more restriction of air passing through the hole which will effect the sound. On couple of my end caps that were 1/2" thick, I actually "counter-bored" 1/4" oversize to prevent that restriction and the effect was substantial.

Also good to know that you were using the Shipleys reed, I hope to get mine this week. I have plenty of the Hut and JC100 and have "tested" them to death.

Thanks for all this help and have a great weekend,
ThomasT


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## ThomasT

Hello everyone,

I am really pleased with my latest Owl Hooter, so much so that I am considering this design to be the last one for a "conventional" style that I will make. By conventional style I am talking about where the user must use his hands at the outlet of the Exhaust to form a "sound chamber" to achieve the best Owl sound.

I made a prototype out of Poplar wood and used a Shipleys Outdoors Reed Set and it sounded great. I then made a second unit out of some Northern Catalpa that Larry, @FranklinWorkshops, had sent to me but did make several small changes. However it also sounded great and is too close in sound to the Prototype to be able to hear any difference. Comparing both Calls to the sound of the Harrison Hoot’n Stick they are very, very close, in fact so close that an Owl or Turkey should not be able to detect any difference.

I will make a new set of plans and convert to a pdf format and upload here on the Forum real soon. This new design use the "short exhaust" and the "dual exhaust holes of different sizes" and it was simply a matter of combining them together and incorporating them on this design.

Thanks everyone for you support and encouragement during this fun project.

Have a great day,

ThomasT


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## FranklinWorkshops

Was the Northern Catalpa easy to turn?

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## Ray D

That’s great Thomas. I’m glad you got the results you were looking for. If it sounds close to Harrison’s call then you have a winner. 
Ray

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## ThomasT

FranklinWorkshops said:


> Was the Northern Catalpa easy to turn?




Hello Larry,

Yes it turned very easy, however it is impossible to sand down smooth. As you can see in the photo it has two different layers, one is hard and the other soft and it is real soft. When you sand the soft goes away quickly leaving the hard layer, so in effect you wind up with little ripples. The photo does not do the color justice, it is really pretty wood, has a good feel and not real heavy. Made a GREAT Hooter and I am tickled to death, I have been saving it for the "right" call and after the Prototype turned out so good I knew what to use next. Thanks again Larry, really appreciate you.

Have a great day,
ThomasT

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> That’s great Thomas. I’m glad you got the results you were looking for. If it sounds close to Harrison’s call then you have a winner.
> Ray




Hello Ray,

This design is the ticket, the ole Gobblers are in a heap of trouble now. I knew (well I suspected) that the Short Exhaust was going in the right direction. It makes sense, less air required to go across the reed to create a sound, a controlled back pressure in a confined space acts quicker so the sound has a better chance to escape. The dual and different size holes also makes sense to cause a better resonate sound, like the whistle on a steam engine. They are almost never just one tube, normally two or more and always different lengths ( the resonate ) and they are always SHORT. Pipe Organs have monotone sound for each note and they are generally long.

Ray, I might ( don't tell anybody ) mess around with this design and try to adapt a Hut and or a JC100 reed to get this same sound. I see problems with both due to their design compared to the Shipleys, but it would be fun trying. 

Thanks for all your help and you have to make one of these.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## Ray D

Looking forward to building one.
On a side note, we make steam whistles where I work....for the Navy. We also make air whistles for locomotives and industry use....but that’s for another conversation. Lol
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> Looking forward to building one.
> On a side note, we make steam whistles where I work....for the Navy. We also make air whistles for locomotives and industry use....but that’s for another conversation. Lol
> Ray



Hey Ray,

That is cool, I would love to have a Locomotive Whistle. Guess one of those would require a lot of air pressure to operate.

Have a great day,
ThomasT


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## Ray D

Not really. We test em at 30 psi at a minimum. Volume is a must though. I work at Leslie Controls. We are one of the last remaining train horn manufacturers. Nathan/ Airchime is another

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## FranklinWorkshops

Ray D said:


> Not really. We test em at 30 psi at a minimum. Volume is a must though. I work at Leslie Controls. We are one of the last remaining train horn manufacturers. Nathan/ Airchime is another


However you guys make those horns, they work well. The closest train track to our house is over six miles away. At night, we can occasionally hear the train horns at a crossing. I guess the wind has to be coming from that direction but it always amazes us.

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## Ray D

FranklinWorkshops said:


> However you guys make those horns, they work well. The closest train track to our house is over six miles away. At night, we can occasionally hear the train horns at a crossing. I guess the wind has to be coming from that direction but it always amazes us.


They are definitely loud. Lol. We test em in a soundproof chamber and you can feel your insides vibrating when we blow our larger ones. 
Ray

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## ThomasT

Ray D said:


> They are definitely loud. Lol. We test em in a soundproof chamber and you can feel your insides vibrating when we blow our larger ones.
> Ray




Hello Ray,


"However you guys make those horns, they work well. The closest train track to our house is over six miles away. At night, we can occasionally hear the train horns at a crossing. I guess the wind has to be coming from that direction but it always amazes us."

Larry we need to get Ray to make some Owl Hooters that loud

Have a quite evening,
ThomasT

Reactions: Agree 1


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