Duck call makers

[Brad Harshman]

My neighbor cut down his huge maple tree last fall and then dug up the trunk this last week. I kept a little bit of the main beams of the roots. Has anyone put this stuff on a lathe before? Thought I'd snag some just in case.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Hard or soft maple? Hard maple makes a fine call.

 

[kenmack]

Eric wants to know if your wood is hard.

 

[Brad Harshman]

Alright alright, I'll play along. I dont know. You'll have to tell me.
In seriousness I don't know. I don't know my maple trees. I'll take a picture of the same trees. Only two of the six were taken out.
So is the root worth trying to carve? Has anyone tried this? It doesnt appear to have as many defined rings...

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

UH - Like Beavis and Butt-Head duck calls..........Yea Yea. They would sell like hot cakes. "He said Wood."

 

[Chuck J]

Alright alright, I'll play along. I dont know. You'll have to tell me.
In seriousness I don't know. I don't know my maple trees. I'll take a picture of the same trees. Only two of the six were taken out.
So is the root worth trying to carve? Has anyone tried this? It doesnt appear to have as many defined rings...

Brad

Hard maple is from Sugar Maple or Black Maple (though dendrologists have argued for years whether or not one is actually a sub-species and not it's own species). Soft maples are Red, Silver and Norway (imported ornamental/escapee). If you don't know how to identify these, get a close up of a twig with leaf buds/petiole scars and I'll tell you what you got.

Best
Chuck

PS I don't want to know if your wood is hard, but will help you identify the scar on your wood....bwahahaha

 

[Jeff Smith]

Brad,

The two most common maples in Washington (state) are Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) and Big-leaf Maple (A. macrophylum). Both are relatively soft. Big-leaf Maple can exhibit highly figured wood. For a soft call I think it would be okay, probably not for a real long distance ringing hail call.