Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs

Turkey Wing Bone Call - Build-a-long (added Soup Recipe)

<< < (2/5) > >>

ber643:
Yes, Pat, the cane ones do sound pretty good, I think. My wife makes outstanding Turkey soup (everyone says so) with wings, Pat, but i don't know if she uses an actual "recipe" or not. I'll ask her though -  :)

Thanks, guys, and I will be back on, this afternoon, to post (probably finish up) again.

DanaM:
Thanks for posting this bernie.

ber643:
My honest to Pete pleasure, Dana.

The next stage will be assembly (what some have been waiting for, I suppose), and then the final stage will be decoration - where you can go wild   >:D

For the Assembly Stage - you will need your cleaned three bones (or two bones and a alternative bell, or just the two top bones) and some tools for grinding, shaping, fitting i.e. Dremel Tool (what I use mostly), hack saw and files, etc. and super glue/gel, also plumbers putty or something like that.

... and we're off, like a "herd of Turkeys" - Yuk, yuk, yu-uck!

Stage two - Assembly:

 

As you can see in this (above) picture, you match up your left and right wing bones, as best you can. Not sure it is all that critical, but it does seem to help in the layout. I have the two sets from our Domestic wings we just worked up, and behind those, I have set up a two bone Wild Turkey set. In this case, it is unusual but this domestic was smaller and the wild ones I have are from larger birds. Also as you can see, sometimes you get lucky and some bones half-way fit together. Most times your not so lucky, and while they match up , they don't fit into each other. So, now you must attack them with your Dremmel Tool, with cut-off blades & grinders, and/or other types of saws, files, knives, whatever you have:

 

Squaring the ends (above), and grinding the membrain Honeycomb-like areas inside the larger ones (below). You also usually have to grind the outside edges to slip the bones into each other:

 

Once you have them pretty well fitting into each other (it is not an exact fit - it doesn't work that way - hardly ever) I resort to super glue to quickly hold them in place (I use the Gel type mostly - not quiet as quick, so you can adjust, and also fills in more). I usually try to wrap something around the joint(s) (temporarilly) to keep them from sucking air long enough to let me "tune" the call in case I didn't get it just "right". I'm not at all sure there is a real "right", because so much of the sound at any given time, depends on you (the caller), the day, the weather, etc. Experience will help with the sound you want.

Then I go to some kind of Putty to seal the joints permanently (you don't want to be sucking air at the joints). I started out (my first few) with Plumbers Putty - a kind of gray clay sort of stuff that works well. I then found this "Lumber" epoxy type in a stick that you nead into a slightly adhesive type of plastic wood (only better), and it comes out wood colored - a closer match to the bones, I think. Both products are soft sticks that come in plastic cylinders and are moldable until they dry, and then sandable. You usually find them in with adhesives and/or fillers in the stores. Any similar product that you like and like to use should do the trick for you.

 

Below you see a cut off end (from squaring up) and one set fitting and glued together (as well as the Two Bone call glued, which fit together with minimal grinding), and the other set ready to be glued:

 

Unglue yourself from any bones, paper towels, tools or counter tops you have inadvertantly become attached too (Acetone, or your wive's fingernail polish remover, will "set you free"), and then proceed to seal the joints with worked up putty products. You can also see (below) that I have placed an uncut "Bell" bone at the end of the two bone model to show the possible use of that type of end. you have to make a couple holes in it but it does tend to keep the overall air passage low, and thus a higher pitched call - if you don't get carried away with the holes:

 

Below you will see the putty product (it is wrapped in plastic for freshness, inside the tube), and a small bit of it I have neaded up and placed near a joint I will apply it to. I usually form and push it around and into the joints and then smooth it down with my fingers and fingernails - to make it neat - less sanding later - (I like that):

 


Here you see some joints sealed with the putty, some still to be done. You will also see I like to scallop the ends of the bells - sometimes. My friend Guru came up with that idea on his first one, and I thought it was neat, so I kind of adopted it:

 

Here are all three calls, (2 Domestic three bones, 1 Wild two bone) compleated, ready to use (I tried them and they all sound good to this tone-deaf ol' hoss), waiting for the putty to dry - and then sanding, if needed. You also see a piece of the left over putty :

 

Next is the 3rd and final Stage - Decorating. I'll give you a few ideas that I, and others, use but basically the sky is the limit, and your imagination is the only barbed-wire fence to hold you in -    :D

(Now let me see how many edits I must do - LOL) Ah - only 101 - in three increments - sheesh. I could edit 20 times, and still find (many) errors in my "stuff".)  ::)  ;D

ber643:
I thought that I would again take time for some "pre-info" That will start us off on Stage three. I'll give you some facts and ideas as they come to me, and pics of earlier calls I did just for ideas. Then (hopefully) I will start on the three we just assembled together, and cover those as I do them. One of those three will be the one Mike Miller picked for his Outdoor Core Aniversary Drawing call (on another forum).

Here are some early ones I did including my first two (remember some of these pics will be with my old camera):

 

The two on the left are my first two (wild bones) and one bell was shot up pretty bad so is short. Both of these calls are decorated with Scrimshaw. it takes time but is neat. One of them went to the Marine who got me the wings, and the other went into the first wing bone call trade I was in.

Scrimshaw is interesting and can be as pritive or as classic as you have the talent for. It is accomplished by putting India Drawing ink on the area you wish to decorate (by brush, rag, cotton ball, sponge - whatever). Then as you scratch your markings into the bone they will show up as white - so you can tell how/where you are marking and progressing. Then, when you are satisfied, you re-ink the whole area again, and then you buff it with 0000 steel wool. Thus removing ink from everywhere, except where it stays in the scratches. Viola! Your Scrimshaw picture/design appears in black. The more you do them the better you will get. It is , of course, an art all in itself. As I recall most of the others in this pic are decorated with indelible felt tip pens (a lot quicker/easier). I think you can see I drew Bows, feathers, a knapped arrow head , turkey tracks and lightening bolts for symbols and decorations - let your imagination be your guide.
The wrappings at the joints are primarily decorative but also hold the lanyards in place. The first two are with imitation sinew, the rest I believe are all flytieing thread (silk and rayon). The lanyards are what they call Round Rawhide ( in craft stores, WalMart, catalogs, etc.) I keep it on hand in black and also tan. As you will see I collect beads, trinkets, geegaws and any cording I think will make usable lanyards - either short hand lanyards (like these) or long ones (to hang around the neck).

I always spray the compleated calls with Krylon Crystal Clear, in Satin (as opposed to Gloss). It is a clear acrylic spray used to protect crafts and artwork, and I have been using it for many things, for many years. You can get it at WalMart in the paint area and sometimes in the craft section, or at art stores. One caution - don't get two close to the felt tip markings when spraying or it will dilute and blast them off the bone - *poof*. If that should happen to you, steel wool it clean and start over - it's better than throwing the call through the window. Also use two or three light sprayings, rather than one heavey one. You can do the succesive coats in quick order, as it dries quickly. The Crystal Clear will also protect the bones and it makes everything stand out and look better - especially when you look at it a couple or so hours later (I don't know why - it just brightens colors and improves contrasts - trust me.) More pictures, for you to get ideas from, follow:

 

 
 


Above and below are the two sides of ones I made for my twin Grandsons in Maine for their Birthday.



 

And above and below here is the one I did for their older sister for her Birthday - her folks had remodeled her room in blue and pink for her Birthday.

 


Hope these may help you with varied ideas and trigger your own creative juices - mostly I hope it wasn't boring.

ber643:
(The real start of ...) Stage Three - Decoration:

 

This is where what n' how I go about it (there are as many ways as there are roads to get to CA from NC). You see above my ol' metal tool/tackle box that I have dedicated to storing my WBC making gear (that I also use on other projects - LOL). You'll note the bodkin I mentioned earlier, a pair of fly tiers scissors, hemostates. Also a large collection of beads, jewelry parts and findings, trinkets, cords, shells, bones, you name it - it might be in there. Paper towels (I use a lot of those). Finally a bunch of adhesive coatings - super glue and gel, Hard As Hull (blue bottle) fly tiers coating to afix and bring out colors of materials as well as protect them, and Zap-A Gap (also a super gel/liquid). Some I'll use in this teut, some I may not but I do use them all (and other "stuff") from time to time - You will too, if you make more than one call 

You need some way to hook your Lanyard on (if you use one). You may just tie it on, or use a metal/wire hook of some kind. A hook keeper, like fish rod builders use is good too. I take a small wing bone (extra, short piece, damaged one, etc.) and make little slices off it, with my Dremel cutting blade, and store them in a little zip bag to use sometimes, as i will in the pics below. However, lately I have worried about the little bone rings breaking later - so, i have started just gluing the lanyard material under the top (or only) decorative joint winding.

So my first step this time is to glue the little lanyard keeper onto the call:



I usually at this stage (as you see) work on about 3 calls at a time (or less);

 

I am using sinew this time as opposed to colored threads (our more serious trad hunters seem to prefer the natural look). In my case it not only decorates but also helps hold the keeper in place, as I thread it through the hole in the keeper bone 2 or 3 times also - so I apply that wrap first by gluing the beginning down, and then wrapping around, and through, the keeper:

 

Then I glue the tip of another piece of sinew above the other joint, wrap it, glue down the end, and coat the wrap with glue, or one of the other adhesive coatings:

 

I continue untill all wraps are done and coated in place.
As I finish each one, I make sure it is leaning up to dry, where it won't stick to something else. That doesn't take long but I'd rather be safe than sorry:

 

Next I will either do the "drawing and lettering", or selecting and attatching of the lanyard. (Depending on how artsy-partsy I'm feeling .) It doesn't really matter which you move to next.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page