Where can I get...
You may notice a recurring theme... the good ole search engine, Facebook pages, and call making forums. They can lead you to A TON of good information as well as sources and info we don't even know about. Its worth a look!
Obviously, we carry some stuff... but in the ever changing call making landscape - we have seen vendors just plain disappear... Some have passed away, some just "got out of the business", some sold out to another company that won't respond to us, and some maybe just plain forgot about us so we quit reminding them... But irrelevant of why, one thing holds true... things change. If we have it, its on our site. If we had it before, and its gone now, then we can't get it anymore or no longer carry it. If you have a new idea, need, or potential new supplier, run it by us! We don't object to adding new things, but we will likely be quite cautious in anything we add, to be sure that we can maintain it, offer the necessary customer service, and be able to routinely get replenished inventory.
That said... We'll be the first to admit that we are far from a one-stop-shop for any and everything call making. Some of it stems from lack of time to recruit new products or being so busy running machines that we know we can't adequately support more items and the customer service that goes along with them. Hopefully what we do carry is of benefit to you, but also remember there are lots of other places out there selling their wares... so don't give up looking for something if we don't have it. Somewhere else might!
Here are some places to check out in your search...
Acrylic: We recommend Deadshot Polymers for your cast acrylic needs. Some common vendors for Spartech cast acrylic are: Delvie's Plastics, Total Plastics, US Plastics, K-mac, Midland Plastics, and on and on... a quick search online for "cast acrylic rod" will get tons of places to check. Not to mention, the forums and FB again... :D Keep in mind - you DO NOT want extruded acrylic... its less than not fun.
Chucking Reamers: All sorts of machine supply places... If we don't have the size you want - it shouldn't take long to find the size you want! Keep in mind, over the years of using them, we have found in the call making environment (material, method, and equipment typically used) that reamers will usually end up going .001-.002" oversize - so you may wish to plan accordingly if you are using a reamer for accuracy over surface finish.
Collet Chucks: We started carrying then in Feb of 2012 - then in mid 2022 Beall Tool Company sold to another company. And despite being told we would be getting inventory from the new owner, we have not been able to get anything from them despite trying. At the moment, the best we can suggest is to search around... PSI seems to be the most popular out there and reports are that its a decent collet chuck despite not being made in the USA.
Custom Jigs: There are others, but from what we're told from our customers - we are "THE" place to go. May so, maybe not, but we certainly appreciate their confidence in us!
Delrin/Acetal: Some of the same sources for acrylic carry acetal/Delrin (Deadshot and Midland). Other sources are Onlinemetals.com, McMaster Carr, MSC, and likely many others. A quick search will yield many places to call for pricing.
Drill bits: Everywhere... you almost cant throw a rock on the internet and not hit some company that sells drill bits. We sell drill bits that are ground specifically for acrylic, but don't carry bits specifically for wood because they are so readily available.
Lathe Chucks (scroll type): Google and the various forums are the answer you seek here... We dont use any of the ones designed for wood lathes, and have no experience with them. But there are tons of posts about them on the various forums and Facebook pages such as THO Facebook Page and old forum (that at the time of typing this, is still up for review but not active for posting).
Mandrels: Did you happen to browse through our online store? Might wanna take a look, you might surprise yourself at what you find. :D
More info on call making: As forums become less popular, Facebook and YouTube seem to the new favorite. Tons of information and helpful people are out there! You just need to reach out. Also many wood working forums discuss call making as well. Internet searching is your friend!
Stabilized Wood: Again, a search engine is your friend, or Facebook... we dont use much in the way of stabilized material, so aren't familiar with all the places to get it. There is a lot of difference in opinion on what is good quality stabilizing. Do your homework - as we hear there is a big difference in what you get based on the process used.