Finally...

[msmith]

Got to spend some time in the garage playing on the lathe.

First is out of an Elm tree that I cut off of a power line in Pleasants County WV. The next two are Cherry that belonged to my late father-in-law. I got it out of my MIL's garage to make calls for both of her grandsons, The Big Dawg, and Darren, my nephew. Josh, aka Big Dawg stole the elm one from me, so I get to end up with one of the cherry ones. Finish on all three is a secret formula I got off of Als Calls.

First: Elm, slate over a glass tone board w/matching striker. The striker peg is purple heart for a higher pitch.

The next two: both cherry w/matching strikers, slate over glass tone boards.

[HaMeR]

Looks good Mike!! 

[alscalls]

 

[Bills Custom Calls]

  I like em Mike

[Yotehntr]

  Sharp calls!

[FinsnFur]

 

[Bills Custom Calls]

 

[pitw]

I do like that Mike  .  The purple heart wood changes the pitch, how? Great place for the wood to go.

[HaMeR]

 

[5 SHOTS]

 

sweet calls.

[msmith]

Thanks for the response guys!

I do like that Mike  .  The purple heart wood changes the pitch, how? Great place for the wood to go.

OK, I'm still trying to figure this out, but using different woods on the striker dowel and head produces different sounds. More dense woods on the head, as well as heavier heads produce lower pitches. Lighter heads or less dense woods on the head produce higher pitches. Same with the striker dowels. Since I tend to make the heads out of the same wood as the call, so it will match, I sometimes vary what the dowels are made of as well as length and thickness. Purple heart gives a higher pitch, walnut more of a medium pitch, and hickory a lower pitch. Like I said, I am still trying to figure this out and find what different woods will give. I am thinking that maple, as in tiger/bird's eye, is somewhere around what walnut is. Some of the calls that I have made for other people, I made two strikers, one with a hickory dowel and the other with a purple heart, that way they can cover a couple of bases.

I was thinking that the elm would be a bit dense, and wanted something to offset that a little bit. I also have a striker for the elm one made completely of elm that I didn't get a picture of.

[golfertrout]

those are sweettttt Mike

[markTNhunter]

 

[iahntr]

Them are some good lookin calls Mike.
Nice job !