American Chestnut, I hope I've done it justice.

FLQuacker

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Half blasted crystal surface.

Red smoked acrylic soundboard.

Graphite with Chestnut top striker

Chestnut1_resized.jpg

Chestnut2_resized.jpg

Chestnut3_resized.jpg
 
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FLQuacker

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@Lou Currier...that is just an option for this type of surface. It can be 1/2 blasted or complete blasted. (or no blasted)

It eliminates the requirement to "scratch" up the surface with gritted paper or stone to function.

When I use an "artsy" type soundboard as with the smoked red acrylic and want that to show thru, I use 1/2 blasted.
 

Eric Rorabaugh

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Very nice Wayne! I cut some chestnut up the other night into pot call blanks. Was waiting for these pictures.... now I can start on mine.
 

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@Eric Rorabaugh

Be gentle with it. Not sure how you drill your soundholes but I use forstner bits and don't drill all the way thru..just let the point protrude then flip it over and drill back thru. This stuff will tear very easy on bit exit otherwise.
 
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Eric Rorabaugh

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Ok. Thanks. I use forstner bits too. We'll see how it goes. Luckily I have some extra of this.
 

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Getting that shot has proven more challenging than the actual construction :)

chestnut_top.jpg
 

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As a side note..personally, I don't like the sound of acrylic.

I'll eventually find a striker that I'll settle with. But the call just never ends up being a "go to"

Usually IF I'm looking for effect with a clear top, I use the camo glass or do something myself (I also have a vinyl cutter).

Yesterday, I sold 2 calls I made last year. I never used them. Had I owned the 3rd striker he played them with he would never have had the opportunity to buy them :)

LOL..I guess I got a weird marketing plan. But this isn't a business for me.

People call and ask what I got, bring a pocket full of strikers, and I don't think I remember anyone leaving without something.

They're happy and I make about $2 an hr...I'm happy too :)
 
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Eric Rorabaugh

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Wow! $2/hr. You're doing better than me! I haven't sold the first thing yet. I guess I'm paying about $8/hr. just to do this! :sick:
 

Ray D

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Great looking call. I have some American chestnut I purchased here a few months ago but haven’t made a call with it yet.
On a side note, try drilling the sound holes before you turn the pot...Work’s really well for me.
 

FranklinWorkshops

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Great looking call. I have some American chestnut I purchased here a few months ago but haven’t made a call with it yet.
On a side note, try drilling the sound holes before you turn the pot...Work’s really well for me.
I agree. Because many woods like to splinter around drill bits, I normally drill any holes before I do the final pass through the planer or sander. That cleans up lots of bit damage. I also may drill a very small pilot hole and then drill the final hole from both sides since I know exactly where the point of the drill is going.
 
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Bill Ragosta

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Awesome call. I have some American chestnut from a tree that grew and died on my own property. I milled it and had it made into a hoosier cabinet, dining room table, two blanket chests (one for each of my sons) and a coffee table that I built, along with a handful of picture frames for my wildlife photographs, but I still have a few precious scraps and would love to build some pot calls with it (I've previously done a few box calls in chestnut, but not the wood from my place). Really nice finish on yours, what is it, may I ask?
 

TimR

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Nice looking call, I’d say you did that chestnut superb justice!
 

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Awesome call. I have some American chestnut from a tree that grew and died on my own property. I milled it and had it made into a hoosier cabinet, dining room table, two blanket chests (one for each of my sons) and a coffee table that I built, along with a handful of picture frames for my wildlife photographs, but I still have a few precious scraps and would love to build some pot calls with it (I've previously done a few box calls in chestnut, but not the wood from my place). Really nice finish on yours, what is it, may I ask?

Think it was poly over some oil....

I'll say green cut chestnut is a different wood altogether for woodworking and calls. It's hard to get, but it's out there.

I have some left from a project, for a few pot calls.

No disrespect meant to those that sell the reclaimed at all. There's plenty of applications for it. This call was reclaimed.
 

Bill Ragosta

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Thanks. I'm almost out of the few scraps that I had from "my tree", but I've got my eyes on a few others. One's much smaller than mine was, but fine for this sort of thing and the other one is said to be larger than mine was, although I haven't seen it to confirm. Obviously I wouldn't touch them until and unless they succumb to the blight.
 
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