Wood finish or sealer?

[MG150]

Thinking of ordering some box call and pot call kits from Brookside Game Calls.Unemployed at this time just looking for something to do.Do you callmakers use some type of wood finish or sealer on the outside of box lids and pot calls?I have no knowledge of woodworking skills.Any help would be appeciated!Thanks,MG

[lightsoutcalls]

You can, and should, apply finish to the top of a box call paddle, but not the underside.  You also should apply finish to the inside and outside of a pot call, but not on the surfaces where you will glue a soundboard and the surface. 
I am currently using Deft liquid sanding sealer to seal the grain (first coat) and then Deft gloss spray lacquer for about 4 thin coats, drying between coats.  You will probably want to sand lightly between coats with 600 grit sandpaper or steel wool.  This is just to knock down any grit or rough spots between coats.  It is not a full sanding of the call.  You should be able to tell by the feel of the finish between coats.  Hit the "high spots". 

[SS Calls]

Yep, Wendell is spot on. 

[MG150]

Thanks,Wendell

[Cervinae]

Is there anything wrong with using minwax stains? Apply with a cloth or sponge brush?

[lightsoutcalls]

If I were to use the minwax stains, I would apply with a soft rag.  Old t-shirts are great, or good quality paper towels.  I use some colored stains that have a denatured alcohol base.  I actually prefer to dip my calls in this stain, but it is not oil based.  Aside from the colored stains, I prefer the natural wood.

[Cervinae]

So if I use deft product, I should apply as you have described above?  Is this a safe product to use or does it require added precaution? Lastly, what two strikers would you recommend I purchase for the Lights Out slate I have?

[pappy]

I use a multitude of finishes, depending on what I am working on. I use Shellawax out of Australia for my tubes and trumpets and the outside of my pot calls. The inside I use either clear lacquer or deft. On some trumpets i will use CA glue (thin) as a sealant then wet sand to 800 grit then apply another coat of Shellawax to finish off the sheen. On my boxes I use a spray lacquer most of the time three coats with sanding in between. You should be cautioned about using any finish, always read the precautionary instructions on the container.

[JELLYHEAD]

I use a multitude of finishes, depending on what I am working on. I use Shellawax out of Australia for my tubes and trumpets and the outside of my pot calls. The inside I use either clear lacquer or deft. On some trumpets i will use CA glue (thin) as a sealant then wet sand to 800 grit then apply another coat of Shellawax to finish off the sheen. On my boxes I use a spray lacquer most of the time three coats with sanding in between. You should be cautioned about using any finish, always read the precautionary instructions on the container.

Yes READ the PRECAUTIONARY INSTRUCTIONS...... AND OBEY!!! You could very well burn your shop,  house down. Spontaneous combustion ain't no joke. Any one using truoil or boiled linseed oil and many other finishes should dispose of rags in a metal bucket filled with water & a lid. SERIOUSLY DO NOT JUST THROW THEM IN GARBAGE OR A PILE THEY WILL FLAME UP!

[justturnin]

I may be way out of line here having never made, finished or used a hand made call but I like to use polymerizing oils on utility items.  Yes a call is a utility item.  I like to hand rub 100% pure Tung or Minwax Antique Oil (MAO).  You can add multiple coats and take it from a satin finish all the way to gloss.  It does take time a patience with the Tung because it takes a while to dry in between coats (could be days) so I lean more on the MAO.  The oil will actually soak into the wood and harden.  The great part is when the finish starts to wear you just rub on a few fresh coats.  Also with the oil finish water will just bead, Tung is actually a food safe finish ideal for cutting boards and such and a lot of folks strip their wooden stocks and hand rub Tung oil instead of an actual finish.

[lightsoutcalls]

justturnin - You bring up some good points about the durability of the tung oil.  If I were only making a handful of calls per season, that would probably be my preferred finish.

Since I run a one man shop and average turning about 20 calls every saturday and try to get them finished by midweek and ready to ship... I just don't have the kind of time to wait on finish to dry.  I'm working about 65 hours a week between 2 jobs besides trying to make all of the calls I get orders for. 

I bought some 100% tung oil and a citrus based thinner to cut the tung oil to 50% and used this on some cutting boards.  The seller of the tung oil I purchased said this oil would never produce a gloss finish, regardless of the number of coats.  Makes me wonder if branded tung oil products have other additives that allow them to finish to a gloss.  I also find that tung oil does not "like" the gel ink that I use to sign my calls.  This is another reason I prefer a spray finish. 

Definitely be sure to have good ventilation when using the deft, or any finish products.  I like to have a window open with a blower fan to force the air out the window.  I try to spray my pots within about 4' of the fan.  This keeps a lot of the direct spray from getting on the fan, which would eventually clog it (don't ask me how I know).  This does tend to pull a lot of the vapor from the room.  It is not unusual for me to go through a full can of spray lacquer in applying finish to 18-20 pots after a full day of turning.  Even with the fan, you can smell the lacquer on my clothes and hair after that kind of a lacquer spraying session. (Anyone ever hear Primus' song "lacquerhead"?  Yikes!) 

[Cervinae]

justturnin - You bring up some good points about the durability of the tung oil.  If I were only making a handful of calls per season, that would probably be my preferred finish.

Since I run a one man shop and average turning about 20 calls every saturday and try to get them finished by midweek and ready to ship... I just don't have the kind of time to wait on finish to dry.  I'm working about 65 hours a week between 2 jobs besides trying to make all of the calls I get orders for. 

I bought some 100% tung oil and a citrus based thinner to cut the tung oil to 50% and used this on some cutting boards.  The seller of the tung oil I purchased said this oil would never produce a gloss finish, regardless of the number of coats.  Makes me wonder if branded tung oil products have other additives that allow them to finish to a gloss.  I also find that tung oil does not "like" the gel ink that I use to sign my calls.  This is another reason I prefer a spray finish. 

Definitely be sure to have good ventilation when using the deft, or any finish products.  I like to have a window open with a blower fan to force the air out the window.  I try to spray my pots within about 4' of the fan.  This keeps a lot of the direct spray from getting on the fan, which would eventually clog it (don't ask me how I know).  This does tend to pull a lot of the vapor from the room.  It is not unusual for me to go through a full can of spray lacquer in applying finish to 18-20 pots after a full day of turning.  Even with the fan, you can smell the lacquer on my clothes and hair after that kind of a lacquer spraying session. (Anyone ever hear Primus' song "lacquerhead"?  Yikes!)

Can you add sealer of any kind to tung oil finish to give it shine?