# Call Finish



## Bigdrowdy1

Recently got some Mylands friction polish for pens and seemed fairly easy to apply. Did a pot call today and accomplished good results. Buffed with white diamond and looks like glass. My question is has anybody used it and your opinions for wear and durability for calls. Started some CA finishes a couples weeks ago for pots and they look good but very labor intensive.

Thanks Rodney


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## BillsCustomCalls

I still use friction polish I also use ca for finish.I have seen some of my calls I done a few years ago and they still look good

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Sincere 1


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## fredito

Rodney- I personally think the finish on the calls you have posted is really good. I likewise use the mylands on pens and agree it's a good finish. I have thought about it on calls, but worry it may not hold up in the field. I should probably make a call finished with that and run it next season and see how it works. I have been using blo/ca and that has seem to work depending on the wood. You said your ca routine is labor intensive, I would be curious to know what you do.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## Chad85

I use it a lot it seems to hold up

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Bigdrowdy1

fredito said:


> Rodney- I personally think the finish on the calls you have posted is really good. I likewise use the mylands on pens and agree it's a good finish. I have thought about it on calls, but worry it may not hold up in the field. I should probably make a call finished with that and run it next season and see how it works. I have been using blo/ca and that has seem to work depending on the wood. You said your ca routine is labor intensive, I would be curious to know what you do.




Thank You. On most of my calls the CA finish is not bad but I have been trying to find another finish for my pot calls. @JR Custom Calls had mentioned he does the CA on his pots and I thought I would give it a shot. It does look great but very labor some. Lots of sanding and re-sanding to get all the pit and voids filled. I will try and post some pictures of some pot I did yesterday and the CA by far out shines the friction finish. I have guys that really don't want that high a finish on their field calls so I was looking towards the friction stuff. Very easy to apply and the results are like now. I have used BLO and ploy and spar urethane as well as Watco teak oil. I guess I am always looking for simple, fast, good working finishes that will last. The endless quest for the ultimate finish.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fredito

I have been sanding up to 600, coat of blo and then putting a spot of blo with ca on top of it on a paper towel and working it in. I will do a quick sand between coats if needed and it seems to work. I am by no means as good as a finisher as many on here, but maybe just another idea for you...there are a couple of YouTube videos on this process

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## JR Custom Calls

I've read a lot of things on the internet that indicate it's not a very long lasting finish... on pens anyways. I'd imagine it would act similarly on a call.

Wipe on poly holds up well in my experience and can give a very nice shine. Easier than ca, but does require a few coats with dry time in between

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## NYWoodturner

I have found it to not be a durable finish for a daily use pen. Sweat, perfumes and lotions eat it away pretty quickly. Hunting in the snow, rain and condensation of a soring morning makes me think it wouldn't hold up well on a pot call.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Bob Palmer

I like Tru Oil or Minwax Antique Oil for pot calls. At least 4 coats or so lightly sanded between coats gets a great and durable finish. My next choice is spar but the dry time is challenging in cold temps!! I hear good things about Velvit Oil but haven't tried it yet.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


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## BrentWin

I believe that you will find that fiction finishes are damaged by bug spray in particular. Personally, I use wiped on spar for gloss finishes and teak oil for a rubbed oil finish.

Reactions: Like 1


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## JR Custom Calls

BrentWin said:


> fiction finishes are damaged by bug spray


I've read that most finishes, aside from CA, spar, and poly, are affected by bug spray. One of these days, I'm going to have to try it myself and see. 

I guess the best thing would be to inform customers not to spray bug spray on their calls... I already tell them to avoid leaving them in a hot vehicle, dropping them in a toilet, and letting their wife find a place to store the call.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## fredito

If you google 'call finish durability' there is an interesting thread on another forum with pictures discussing different finishes and the impact water and deet has on them. I was just going to post a link, but I didn't know if linking another forum was allowed or not

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

Mylands is my favorite friction polish. I like it better than the _other stuff_ everyone seems to like better but that's just my own preference. As to durability I don't really know - I'd have to defer to Scott - it sounds like he has experience with daily use on a pen using Mylands. I sure do like how easy that stuff goes on though.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Final Strut

When I first started making calls I had asked a "seasoned" call maker on a call makers forum what a good finish was for a turkey pot. He told me the only thing he ever used was friction polish. I thanked him for the info and then questioned the durability of the finish. He never replied or answered my question. About 4 days later he posted a public rant about how new call makers need to do their own leg work and experimentation that he didn't get to where he is in the call making world on someone else's coat tails and on and on and on. I knew this was directly related to the questions I had asked him.

Luckily we are not like that around here. On my turkey pots I apply 4-5 coats of tru oil. It provide a good durable finish that can be freshened up very easily at any time. On any barrel type calls I make I use CA and I usually mop the inside down with either tung oil or BLO. I tried CA on my pots but could never get a finish that I was truly happy with.

The link that fredito is talking about was done by a member on THO and is a very comparison. It is worth checking out.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Kevin

Final Strut said:


> About 4 days later he posted a public rant about how new call makers need to do their own leg work and experimentation that he didn't get to where he is in the call making world on someone else's coat tails and on and on and on.




Soon as I read that someone came to mind lol. Right or wrong but we can't help what pops into our silly little heads. But your point is well taken we aren't like that around here we help each other. 

Tru oil seems like a logical choice I never thought about that. If it's durable enough for a gun stock it should be good enough for a call.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2


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## Bigdrowdy1

T hanks everyone for your input. I did some with the friction and they turned out real nice and clean. Now the third pot I really wanted to lay some polish on and well I did and it turned out like crap! Too much of a good thing is overkill. Sooooo I steel wooled it smooth took out all the lines and said now what? Well thought for a moment and decided to lay some CA to it. BOOM Baby !!! it looks like it is covered with 1/4 of glass!!!! OK I know what's next no picture no way. Well there is a slight problem. Seems it will be a week or so before I can post pics as I am in El Paso for a week with my work. But let me repeat. BOOM Baby!!! Stab FBE under 1/4inch of glass no joke. I will post some pics when I return. I managed to spin about 8 pots this pass weekend and was happy with the end results. Shame that big little Irish fella aint a ground buzzard hunter I think it would make his turkey stretch out and gooble!!!

Reactions: Like 1


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