Crafting a bird call requires a great deal of knowledge, talent and dexterity. The tailoring is certainly more difficult than one might expect.
• Read also: Designed to Chase Gobbles
Long-time craftsman Claude Piette of Conception CP offers a plethora of calls to charm, attract, reassure or provoke the various game. This designer was kind enough to receive us at his workshop located in Châteauguay to allow readers of the Log to learn more about the subject. Here is the gist of his remarks:
For more information, visit conceptioncp.com or call 514 704-7170.
Wooden calls
From a raw block of maple, zibrano or bubinga, the machinist rounds the piece of wood already pre-cut to the right length. He then pierces the sound chamber with wicks of precise dimensions according to the models. He glues the rings and fittings fitted to the call. Using wood knives and a lathe, we will proceed to the carving of the different shapes. Sanding, varnishing and assembly will follow. All that remains is to introduce the hip, better known as the tongue, inside the body. The final step is to adjust the tone.
Acrylic calls
Mr. Piette uses round bars made of synthetic textile fibers obtained by polymerization of acrylic nitrile, which he cuts to the desired size. The first step is to drill a 5/8 inch hole right through and he uses a metal lathe to shape the base diameters. Then he inserts a decorative ring under pressure. With wood chisels, it gives the desired relief. Everything is either hand polished or flame treated. The bottom end is precisely cut and a hole, which will become the sound chamber, is drilled. The craftsman then sculpts the final shape and profiles the hip directly on the piece with the router. The tongue is affixed and adjusted at the end of the assembly.
Exception calls
Proud to have developed a unique process that stands out, Claude uses striped maple wood, therefore in an advanced state of deterioration, to present a very interesting amalgam. The first operation consists of taking the piece of wood and stabilizing it under vacuum with a special product that restores its tone. The craftsman then uses colored epoxy to fill all the cavities under pressure. The body of the call then looks like a tube that will be passed on a metal lathe to form it and round it to the desired dimensions. The finishing steps to come are similar to the other two processes explained in this text.