Here's a batch of TT Cow Horn Tip calls in the works, that I started on the other night. I haven't done an 'online build' in a long time. It's quite taxing to do, so I figured I'd show a pictorial progress on these. Ya'll can watch them turn from horn to call. (What else is there better to do during the boring springtime? )

Here they are cut and rough drilled.



I'm off to sand these down on the belt sander and cut the toneboards on the sanding disk....


Tony

WooHoo! I love these posts. Thanks!

Tony

You use a bench belt sander correct? How wide is the belt?

Thanks Weasel.

Creasy, I use a belt sander for the rough sanding and shaping of the call, but I use the disk sander (on the side of the belt sander) for cutting the toneboard. The belt is 4" wide and the disk is 6". I finally bought a stationary sander a couple years ago. Prior to that, I built hundreds of calls on a little portable belt sander mounted upside down in a wood vice. I ruined 4 of them over the years.

I just got done with the next step. I took them to the band saw and cut where the toneboards will start. This gives me a positive spot for the sanding disk to start it's magic.

Note the pencil lines. That's where I mark where the bell hollow ends. I leave a 1/4 inch or so (I do this all by eye) to be drilled out later for the air channel and bell to meet.



Ok, off to toneboards and sanding.....

Tony

now this is interesting, i knew there was work involved but now i also get to see the magic. when most people talk about artists they arent thinking of anything like this; well i just wish i could explain it to them so they would understand. hey i'd be nuts then there would be that many more cleaning up all these beautiful calls.

I have the toneboards cut on the disk sander. I do all this by eye and feel, so some are not close to being right and will require a ton more work...some will turn out just right the first shot.



Off to cut air channels with the dremel....

Feel free to ask any questions, guys.

Stay tuned....Tony

I have been hoping you would do another build on line Thanks

Toney I see that some of the tips curves are longer than others does that determine the desgine of the sound board or do you go with what the curve gives you as far as the sound goes.

frshwtr, I'm glad you like watching this, because....

This one is your custom one. It's also the third one in the picture above. Notice that I sanded and buffed part of it to verify the requested color. How's the size?




Tony

if your hand is anything like mine it will give me a good ahndfull, the color looks good too; you know its your judgment that amazes me the most. you just seem to know ahead what someone wants. keep in mind i'm not disappointed in the first call i got from you size finish or anything. i justed wanted another call different color than what i got.

I'm taking a short break to let the dremel bit cool down. It's starting to scorch the horns. Ooooohh....that smell!

I have air channels cut on half of them. One of them actually through to the bell, without any drilling needed. I held a piece of mylar on it and tested it for sound. Here it is: Initial sounds

It don't sound like much, but bare in mind that it was just a piece of horn a few minutes ago. This one is going to require a bit of sanding on the toneboard, drill out the exhaust port for proper backpressure. When I dremel out the bells, the volume will greatly increase.

Tony

Cool post Tony

Is the the channel under the reed' width and depth determine how much the reed can take before it sticks or is it the lenght of the reed .

This is great! If you look at the first photo it takes a great deal of imagination to get to the finished call.