Tim
Sandford resides in Orlando Florida where he works as an Electronic
Test Technician Specialist. Happily married and a father to a teenage
son who is his part time hunting partner and callmaking assistant,
this Technician/hobby callmaker is starting to get some recognition
in the callmaking community. Tim's hunting experience in Florida
started in 1986 and ranges across a variety of wildlife from deer,
wild turkey and even wild hogs. In Tim's own words "I love
being in the woods and outdoors" and one couldn't agree more
with a statement like that.
Tim's
initial experience with woodworking began in junior high and continued
through high school. Since then, most of that knowledge had expired,
until 3 years ago Tim and his son began making 5 piece glued box
calls in between deer and turkey season. Limited to only a table
saw, some hand clamps and few hand tools, Tim determined this would
be a great activity for both him and his son to spend quality time
together and let his son cut his teeth on using some tools around
the shop. The result of this activity was a learning experience
for both of them. Overall the calls weren't hard to make, but getting
the turkey sound out of the call became the challenge. In the end
this duo was successful with building 30 - 40 calls, which they
then gave to friends and sold along the way. With the proceeds from
this effort Tim purchased a wood lathe and a set of wood turning
chisels. That same day Tim found himself in the shop turning a call
and he has been turning them ever since.
Over
the past three years Tim and his son's callmaking hobby has turned
into more of a business than just a hobby. Fortunately callmaking
came natural to Tim and has helped him encounter very few obstacles
along the way. But like any good callmaker he too struggles with
finding reasonably priced sources for materials like slate, glass,
copper and aluminum in the proper size and quality. Tim’s biggest
complaint is the ability to find high quality eye appealing wood.
It has taken Tim several years to master this, but over that period
of time he has become a master at determining which blocks of wood
will deliver unique characteristics and quality turkey sounds. Proof
of this comes from his loyal customer base that often comments on
the quality and looks of his calls.
Tim
uses a variety of wood types when he makes calls and there are not
many woods he won’t try his hand at. He prefers to use wood
that has some kind of unique characteristic (i.e. spalted, quilted,
burl, curly, wavy grain). His rational backed with a bit of humor
is, even when the hunt doesn’t go as planned you can always
look back at the calls uniqueness and there is something to talk
about at the cabin when the hunt is over. His favorite call to make
is a cocobolo double slate call. It is a very dense South American
Wood with great tonal quality and one that polishes well and feels
great when held in your hand. This call itself provides the truest
sound of a real turkey when properly operated.
Annual
production of calls for Tim is 100 a year and that number continues
to rise. This is evident by the positions he has placed in callmaking
contests. His first event to enter was the 5th Annual Midwest Wisconsin
Callmaking Contest. He finished in fourth place with an Honorable
Mention. From there he proceeded to the NWTF Nationals in Nashville
Tennessee. Although he didn’t place, 4 of his calls made it
to the final 10 in the Working Class Division. This was a major
feat considering there were a total of 165 calls entered. Tim’s
best showing to date was the results of the 6th Annual Midwest Wisconsin
NWTF Call Makers Contest. Tim placed 1st and 3rd in the Other Friction
category and followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the Slate
Call category along with an Honorable Mention in the Glass Call
category.
Although
Tim is new to the profession of callmaking his calls display the
quality of someone who has been turning them for a lifetime. He
makes both field grade and collector grade calls. Collector grade
calls are usually made out of a very special piece of wood and/or
inlaid on the side along with a carving on the bottom. Tim takes
pride in every call he makes and strives to produce a quality durable
call. His goal is to produce a call that will be around long enough
to be handed down to a son or grandson who ultimately will form
the next generation of turkey hunters.
Tim
Sandford resides in Orlando Florida where he works as an Electronic
Test Technician Specialist. Happily married and a father to a teenage
son who is his part time hunting partner and callmaking assistant,
this Technician/hobby callmaker is starting to get some recognition
in the callmaking community. Tim's hunting experience in Florida
started in 1986 and ranges across a variety of wildlife from deer,
wild turkey and even wild hogs. In Tim's own words "I love
being in the woods and outdoors" and one couldn't agree more
with a statement like that.
Tim's
initial experience with woodworking began in junior high and continued
through high school. Since then, most of that knowledge had expired,
until 3 years ago Tim and his son began making 5 piece glued box
calls in between deer and turkey season. Limited to only a table
saw, some hand clamps and few hand tools, Tim determined this would
be a great activity for both him and his son to spend quality time
together and let his son cut his teeth on using some tools around
the shop. The result of this activity was a learning experience
for both of them. Overall the calls weren't hard to make, but getting
the turkey sound out of the call became the challenge. In the end
this duo was successful with building 30 - 40 calls, which they
then gave to friends and sold along the way. With the proceeds from
this effort Tim purchased a wood lathe and a set of wood turning
chisels. That same day Tim found himself in the shop turning a call
and he has been turning them ever since.
Over
the past three years Tim and his son's callmaking hobby has turned
into more of a business than just a hobby. Fortunately callmaking
came natural to Tim and has helped him encounter very few obstacles
along the way. But like any good callmaker he too struggles with
finding reasonably priced sources for materials like slate, glass,
copper and aluminum in the proper size and quality. Tim’s biggest
complaint is the ability to find high quality eye appealing wood.
It has taken Tim several years to master this, but over that period
of time he has become a master at determining which blocks of wood
will deliver unique characteristics and quality turkey sounds. Proof
of this comes from his loyal customer base that often comments on
the quality and looks of his calls.
Tim
uses a variety of wood types when he makes calls and there are not
many woods he won’t try his hand at. He prefers to use wood
that has some kind of unique characteristic (i.e. spalted, quilted,
burl, curly, wavy grain). His rational backed with a bit of humor
is, even when the hunt doesn’t go as planned you can always
look back at the calls uniqueness and there is something to talk
about at the cabin when the hunt is over. His favorite call to make
is a cocobolo double slate call. It is a very dense South American
Wood with great tonal quality and one that polishes well and feels
great when held in your hand. This call itself provides the truest
sound of a real turkey when properly operated.
Annual
production of calls for Tim is 100 a year and that number continues
to rise. This is evident by the positions he has placed in callmaking
contests. His first event to enter was the 5th Annual Midwest Wisconsin
Callmaking Contest. He finished in fourth place with an Honorable
Mention. From there he proceeded to the NWTF Nationals in Nashville
Tennessee. Although he didn’t place, 4 of his calls made it
to the final 10 in the Working Class Division. This was a major
feat considering there were a total of 165 calls entered. Tim’s
best showing to date was the results of the 6th Annual Midwest Wisconsin
NWTF Call Makers Contest. Tim placed 1st and 3rd in the Other Friction
category and followed that up with a 3rd place finish in the Slate
Call category along with an Honorable Mention in the Glass Call
category.
Although
Tim is new to the profession of callmaking his calls display the
quality of someone who has been turning them for a lifetime. He
makes both field grade and collector grade calls. Collector grade
calls are usually made out of a very special piece of wood and/or
inlaid on the side along with a carving on the bottom. Tim takes
pride in every call he makes and strives to produce a quality durable
call. His goal is to produce a call that will be around long enough
to be handed down to a son or grandson who ultimately will form
the next generation of turkey hunters.