Sunday, December 5, 2010

Christmas Give Away

Be the first to post a comment answer this question and get a free call.
It once roamed the hill sides of Europe in numbers vast but its kind didn't last. It barks and growls but it's not a dog-wolf-fox.

Special News and Special Thanks

I'll Start with a special thanks To the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for having us at there Sundance Wyoming benefit. We raised some good money for this honorable foundation with our calls. We hope to do more for the R.E.M.F in the future. Another special thanks to my right hand man and Head Field Rep Joel for taking the time to keep the west alive with our Shine Box calls! A big part of our future lies in the WEST.
We will be participating in this years Minnesota NWTF call championships in January. Also we will have a booth at this years Blackhills Sports Show in Rapid City SD. We hope to see you there!

New happenings

It's been a while since I posted any shine box news so here I go! I can use my arm and bicep again. I just started burning calls and making calls about 2 weeks ago. I have a couple new woods in the line up. Tennessee Cedar looks amassing and sounds wicked true and a Figured White Ash from North Dakota (haven't made a call out of this yet) Working on it. I have several new images out there all under the HD Edition. Tom and Hen, Tom with Whitetail Shed, and Roosted Tom. I'll have pictures up asap.
Some of our merchandise is almost done and our web site is underway. We will have a facebook page and move this blog site into it. Customers will be able to buy and order calls, upload pictures for a testimonial page, video page, and much more. I'll keep it posted.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

New Zebra Wood complete


Zebra Wood. The wood of Microberlinia, also known as Zebrano, is imported from Central Africa, (Gabon, Cameroon, and Congo). The heartwood is a pale golden yellow, distinct from the very pale colour of the sapwood and features narrow streaks of dark brown to black. Zebrawood can also be a pale brown with regular or irregular marks of dark brown in varying widths. It is almost always quartersawn to get the exciting alternating colour pattern.
It is a decorative exotic wood, used in a limited way for veneer, wall paneling, custom furniture, furniture trim, inlay bandings, marquetry, specialty items and turnery. It is also sometimes seen as stocks of handguns or in exotic guitars. It is used in Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz,and Shine Box Turkey Calls! For a limited time only!!!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Birthday Give Away Post

Good Day to all! I'm going to start a bi-monthly give away for a free Shine Box Call. Give away#1 All you have to do is be a follower to our blog site and be the first one to awnser the question posted and WIN!! Give away#2 send us a picture of your harvest bird with a shine box in the picture maybe a small testimony and get a free call. I really want to put some harvest time pictures on our blog site which will be transfered to our website soon.
Also Thanks to my lovely wife Shelly for working so hard on our company's logo. She took my thoughts and made it look great.
Happy Birthday to me!!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Shine Box Slow Going

Having had surgery to reattach my bicep to my forearm has really slowed me down. I'm still making calls with the help of my father fast EDDY. I still can't use the wood burning tool so any orders for that are out at this point maybe soon!
We do have some new stuff going on we are working on a zebra wood call for the fall season, and some new bocote wood. The bocote Shine Box was a hot item this off season so I ordered an exquisite piece! I did finish the moon ebony or green ebony call and it sounds really nice. They're available I have 3 left. I may miss the Minnesota NWTF calling contest this year due to the bicep injury but that's ok I will however be at the Black Hills Sportsman Show in SD in Feb of 2011.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

HD Gobbler on Black Walnut


HD Gobblers on Black Walnut with the triple design. I chose a lighter piece of black walnut to burn this image, it turned out really good. Black Walnut has to be one of the best turkey call woods out there it sounds great every time!! This call is slightly deeper in dimention to try some new sound options. Should still ship for just under $2.00

Limited Sporting Edition releasing 5th image


HOT OFF THE BURNER!! Releasing the 5th Sporting image Drake Wood Duck in water. The call is burned on cherry and is the triple design. This was a tough image to burn due to the amount of shading but an image that I've already duplicated. I've burned 2 of these so far and don't know if I will do more due to the long burn time. No price yet on these but feel free to inquire.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

New Shine Box Customers

When your new Shine Box arrives it may smell strong of oil when first opened. All Shine boxes receive a moisture treatment inside and out, packaging can concentrate the oil smell if the call has just been made. Don't worry the oil used needs a couple days of open air to harden in the wood and so the smell can dissipte. At Shine Box Turkey Calls we don't use any lacqure, stain, or poly coating finish. We only use a natural wood oil product that brings out the beauty of the grain, seals out moisture, and preserves natural wood color!

HD High Detail Gobbler Edition?


I was asked if I could burn a gobbler image with more detail buy an ebay customer last week. I don't think he visited the blog site so I said sure can! I burned this image of two full strut gobblers with high detail and thought it looked sweet! I'll be burning more of these HD gobblers!!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

King's Wood Complete



The King is complete! Sorry for the wait. After many questions about when I was going to complete this Special Edition Call I decided to work on it. Another great looking wood with rich deep purple and brown tones this one is gonna be a true special edition. The wood was easily tuned to produce true hen turkey tones. This wood is from the same genus as cocobolo, rose wood, and tulip wood. It comes from smallish trees and harvested for its beautiful grain and color. It ranks around 1700 on the hardness scale making it a great acoustical wood. I have a very small quantity of this wood, so it will be around for a short time.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010



Twin Strutters will be in the shine box lineup for some time. I get many request to burn 2 gobblers on a call so I decided to make them a part of the image line-up. Available in just about any back drop. if interested please give me advanced notic due to longer burn time.

Gobbler Trio




Gobbler trio burned on a figured maple triple Shine Box. I will making these with different backdrops for a short time only. please e-mail ahead these take a bit more time to draw and burn.

New Gobbler Images are done


We have 2 new gobbler images a trio of old long beards and a pair of big strutters. both images are available on cherry or figured maple. I could also do them on black walnut by request. we also have a new back drop calls rolling hills. I will be donating these gobbler images to NWTF banquets throughout Minnesota & Wisconsin the rest of the year. If interested in these images please contact me at erice@shineboxturkeycall.com

Friday, July 16, 2010


Desert Birds Limited Edition. I was asked for a different backdrop to go with our turkey image, so i came up with the desert backdrop. Goulds and Rios are both desert birds and I've hunted Goulds in Arizona among the cactus and rocky foot hills. It has been a good seller off our blog site so I'm going to keep it around for a while.


Osage Orange Special Edition Shine Box. A true American super hard wood ranking around 2300 on the Janka hardness scale, thats almost 2 times harder than oak! This wood is named after the Osage tribe of native American Indians that inhabited the red river valley where the unusual wood grows. The wood is all flame orange in color and has a sweet smell to it. After polishing and oil it has the feel of metal, and it burns well. This wood should take an image if custom burning is what you may want. Properly tuned this call is hard to be hands down. Availble for a short time.


Special Edition calls expand. We have 3 new special edition woods to choose from. Zircote an extreemly dense wood from central Mexico with an extrodinary grain pattern that produces sweet hen turkey tones. This wood is very costly and hard to get in large boards. Next is a figured Black Walnut. The grain looks like 3D black flames and is amazing to look at. Black walnut has to be one of the best turkey call woods out there, it sounds great every time I make a call out of it. Be sure to see these calls for sale on ebay and if interested contact me at erice@shineboxturkeycall.com

Saturday, July 10, 2010

4th Image released for Sporting Edition


The 3rd Image released the Pintail Shine Box titled "Just look'n" sold out in record time 1 day. So I couldn't wait to burn the next image. I was out of Cherry wood so It was burned Black Walnut for this image only! It features a monster Whitetail buck with a food plot backdrop. It's titled "Food Plot Giant". I will have 4 available on this site and one will go to ebay.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

3rd Image released for Sporting Edition



3rd Image for the Sporting Limited Edition "Just Look'n" features a Drake Pintail with a wetland backdrop. Again 5 were made and 1 will go to Ebay for sale. Sadly four of the "Just Look'n" images were sold before I released them I kept 1 for Ebay. This Image was very difficult to burn due to the amount of shading. I included a picture of the pencil sketch.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

New Special Edition Calls Going Great!


The Burmese Black Wood is just about sold out, I would love to carry this beautiful wood but it is very hard to get, and I really dont know how this wood will hold up in more humid climates? This piece of wood came with a half inch of wax coating its outside. Pain in the rear removing it to. The Canary Wood is also going great and people really love the sound that comes from this wood. I am going to make an attempt to stock Canary Wood in the Shine Box line up. It burns good and looks great with a turkey image on it!! I'll get some pictures of the Canary wood with a burned image soon. I have 2 new woods coming soon to the Special Edition line up, Moon Ebony and Zircote both are amazing in color and grain. Pictures will come soon!!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Burmese Black Wood Special Edition Call Complete


Burmese Black Wood Shine Box also complete. A very dense oily wood from southern Burma in China with a rich dark black and chocolate grain, also a perfume aroma! Looks are wonderful, sounds great with a good low, medium, and high tone. This wood is very hard to find and work with. the selected piece only yielded 6 calls and I broke one.oops. asking price is $30.00 please contact us if interested.

Canary Wood Special EditionShine Box


Canary Wood Special Edition Shine Box is complete. Its sounds great producing true hen turkey sounds! This selected piece of wood produced 6 calls. Selling price here is $30.00 please contact us if interested.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Just some news

The new wood species should be arriving any day. I cant wait to begin working with them. Kings Wood not(king Billys Pine) Canary Wood, and Burmese Black wood. They will be available in very small quantities. Also the Unique Grained Bocote Wood Shine Box is almost gone just a few left. Be sure to check in again to see the new Special Edition Wood Shine Boxes.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Premium Shine Box



The Premium Shine Boxes are made of the highest quality booked matched maple veneer. We have a beautiful Quilted Birds Eye and Jaw Dropping Angel Step Maple veneer. These Veneers are applied over a piece of solid Rock Maple Stock with the best acoustical wood glue Available! That means that the glue does not impede on sound or function just like a violin, cello, or guitar! I use canary wood for the sound board for great looks. These are available upon request and look awesome. Asking price is $25.00.. I know I spelled angel wrong on the call??! That one is half price :)

Second Sporting Edition Image Released


Here it is! The second Released Image "Dueling Green Heads." Two Drake Mallards positioning for their landing in a wetland back drop. Again 5 will be made and one will go to auction on Ebay. The first image "The Ring Neck" sold quickly and the last one is currently at auction. Don't miss out on this one. If interested PLEASE e-mail ASAP. Please feel free to leave a comment on these images!!.. Or if there's something your may be interested in contact us..

Thursday, June 10, 2010

New Happenings

Limited Sporting Edition "The Ring Neck" is just about gone! the last one is on Ebay!! Next Image will be done soon. I have successfully tuned the Blood wood and will offer them soon. These will be a Special Edition Shine Box and will be made in very low numbers. This wood is so dense and hard it feels like stone, and wears my woodworking tools like I'm working with stone!! It looks and sounds great but it wiped out one saw blade and 2 fostner bits like they were made of rubber! not to mention my hand carving tools. I'm holding back on the Purple Heart wood to work on some new Canary, Burma Black Wood, and Kings Wood. These will also be Special Edition low number Calls. Pictures will come soon. Thanks for checking in!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

First release of the Limited Sporting Edition


Here's the first of the Limited Sporting Edition. "The Ring Neck". This image will be available only on a Maple or Cherry Shine Box. The Shine Box in the picture is on Cherry and an Original style call. I do not copy other artists work; each image is a complete original. Please keep in mind that I hand sketch and then burn each image one at a time, and they may vary when I replicate them. NO calls are alike when it comes to beauty in grain or image. I will have 4 of "The Ring Neck" available on my blog site the other 1 will go to auction. That means if you are interested in "The Ring Neck" call you must contact me here on the blog page. Each Limited Sporting Edition call will have the production number burnt on the bottom. The one in the Picture is 1 of 5. The asking price for the Limited Sporting Edition is $50.00 Be sure to visit us again here at Shine Box to see what's coming next!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

New Wood Coming to Shine Box Line


We have secured a Very small amount of the Coveted King Wood. Once desired by the kings of European Countries to use for their Furniture and private Quarters. "Perfect for the Shine Box Line-up." These days it's highly used by woodturners for high-end pens, chess pieces and items like salt and pepper shakers. This rare wood has a Beautiful grain and color pattern as seen in the photo. The coloration can vary from a deep purple to yellowish color in the grain. I will begin working with it as soon as it arrives. Please visit again to see the finished product.

Friday, May 28, 2010

The release of the Sporting Limited Edition

Seeing the turkey season just wrapped up here in Minnesota & Wisconsin, I have some extra time to create some new images for the Shine Box line-up. In the month of June I'm going to release a small amount of Shine Boxes that will have wildlife images burned on them. I'm calling it the Sporting limited edition. The images will include Elk, Whitetail Deer, Pheasant, Mallard & Pintail ducks ,Crappie, and Bass. I'm currently selecting various photographs to choose which will look best on a Shine Box.
I have been creating images like these for customers off and on and decided it's time to include them in the shine Box Line up.
Combining the passions of sportsmen & sportswomen on a Shine Box turkey call has always been challenging and fun. If you have a sporting passion and would like it burned on a Shine Box please contact us. These images will be burned on Maple and Cherry wood. These woods burn Very well and show great contrast against the lighter color of wood. Look for them soon!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Very Limited Edition




I received an email from a customer asking if I could create a turkey call with an image other than a turkey for her husbands birthday. I asked her what he likes to do and where they lived. She replied "We live in Wyoming and he likes to Elk & Turkey Hunt." So this is what I created for her, an Imperial Elk with Devils Tower backdrop on a cherry wood Shine Box. I sent her the pencil sketch (picture on the bottom) via text, and she called me right away. She could not believe what she was seeing, and loved how I combined her husbands love for hunting Turkeys & Elk with a Wyoming land mark. Her last comment was SOLD! The picture above is the finished burned image. I shared this nice story because I want customers of Shine Box to know we can do more that just make turkey calls.

Black Hills Limited Edition





After many requests for the Black Hills limited edition, I will continue to make and burn this Beautiful Shine Box. This image was created in celebration of my 7th annual trip to Sundance Wyoming to hunt Merriam's wild turkeys with my best friend, brothers and father. I can only offer it it Maple, Cherry, Black Walnut and Padauk. These wood species of wood burn well, with Cherry and Maple being the best for burning images of the 4 woods offered due to their tighter grain pattern. The asking price is $30.00
This limited edition image continues to be a favorite of the Shine Boxes offered. If you know someone that lives or hunts Merriam's in this Beautiful part of the country this would make a wonderful gift. If you are interested please feel free to e-mail me riceeric@msn.com

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Shine Box sound bites

Due to the video size requirements for Googles blog spot the sound bites are brief. You will hear all the wood species that Shine Box uses to make their box calls. Please keep in mind that these sound bites are short and are only a sample of the sounds you can make with a Shine Box. The calls in these videos have been tuned to a medium and med/high pitch with medium rasp. Shine Boxes can tune calls to a lower pitch with more rasp if desired.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Here it is Bocote Wood Shine Box


I have 8 of these beauties available. They sound great and are tuned very well. Low pitch and high rasp or medium pitch medium rasp & sounds amazing. Hope you like'm.. If you are visiting my site and want to purchase any calls please contact me at riceeric@msn.com and I gladly accept a paypal.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Bocote Shine Box is complete!

I just finished burning the Shine Box logo on the first Bocote Call. Teak oil was applied and this Shine Box "Shines". I've sent out a picture of just the Bocote wood and already have 7 Bocote Shine Boxes ordered. Now I just have to get them to sign up as a follower to shineboxturkeycall.blogspot.com and they'll get them. Pictures will be taken tomorrow morning!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Bocote Shine Box!

I finished carving out the new Special Edition Bocote Wood Shine Box early this morning and after 45 mins of finely filing and coring to get is true tone, it came out! It sounds awesome a very good medium tone pure turkey call. The sound is very true and the beauty of this wood is almost 3 dimensional. It polishes nicely with the 400 grit wheel, when the thin coat of teak oil is applied this Box will really be an eye catcher! Please check in again to see the finished call. I will have pictures posted as soon as I can.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Special Edition 2010 Bocote Shine Box?


Friday was a special day for Shine Box, I found a VERY RARE piece of Birds Eyed Bocote at the lumber yard! In 25 years of woodworking I have never seen a piece of Bocote with this unique grain pattern! I snapped it up right away and headed to the local woodworking store to have it milled down. The local woodworking store asked if they could take a picture of it, and offered me 5 times what I bought it for! That's when I knew it was going to make shine boxes..... I'm pretty sure it will produce 9-10 of the most beautiful Shine Boxes EVER! I will start on one tonight to make sure it will tune out to make great turkey sound. I will only offer this Special Edition Bocote Shine Box for those who have signed up as a follower on this blog spot. Maybe one or two for Ebay?
All of the limited edition calls are calls that have unique wood burning done on them. All the Special edition calls are when I secure very unique or rare piece of wood. These special edition calls are produced in small numbers. My favorite to make!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Shine Box turkey call basic sounds

Basic Shine Box movements and sounds.

Shine Box Care and Use



When You first get your Shine Box it will come with no wax/oil High quality Box call chalk and 80-100 grit sand paper. The Shine Box is like all wooden box style turkey calls they need sanding and chalking to keep producing quality turkey sound. I personally hand tune each box before it is shipped to ensure that it sounds its best, but make sure you sand and apply a liberal amount of chalk before use.

Sand the striker across the radius and apply the chalk until you no longer can see the wood surface. The unique design of the striker will allow you to sand and apply chalk without getting messy hands. Next take the Box call and gently sand the striker wall across the lip, use a slight angle while doing so on the outside edge of the box. Apply a generous amount of chalk to the striker wall and you are ready to use.


To make your Box shine use these following steps and you will get the true sound you desire using your Shine Box.

Step 1. Place the striker in between your pointer or middle finger and the base of your thumb, squeeze firmly to avoid the striker from vibrating.

Step 2. in other hand hold the Shine Box by the corner like a car key, make contact with the striker at a slight angle with the box tilted away from you. Pull the Shine Box toward your thumb applying slight pressure. Now the Box Should pur and chirp. the more downward pressure you apply the louder the sound becomes.

By using the entire lip of the striker wall your pitch will get higher or lower. To produce a yelp use a combing motion on the striker making contact then lifting the Shine Box off the striker, downward pressure make a difference in you yelping sound and volume! To produce a cluck, with the shine box making contact with the striker simply snap the wrist in the motion of turning a key. Again the pressure and location on the striker wall changes the pitch.

That's it you should be on your way to making great turkey sound. This small instrument will produce sound that rivals if not exceeds traditional large wooden box calls at a fraction of the size. I tell many people that scratch boxes are not made to sound like Big Box calls they are made to sound like turkeys. It can really pay to be as versatile when in the field.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Just secured a small amount of purple heart wood yesterday, I expect to have a short supply of Special Edition calls available before the 2011 season. the blood wood continues to be a tough one to tune but I'm really close, this blood wood has to be the most dense wood I've ever worked with. It has the feel of stone!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

New calls for the coming 2011 Turkey season!

I'm currently looking at some new exotic woods to experiment with for the coming season. The woods of choice are Bloodwood, Purple Heart, and the classic Spanish Cedar. I experimented with Bloodwood this year but need more time to tune it, It's pitch was so high it sounded more like a bird call so I opted for the Padauk. I am very close to a true higher tone low rasp call with the "Blood". I made a special call for a Golf War combat wounded Vet 2 years ago out of Purple Heart wood and have had several request form him to make more. The tone and rasp is very true with this exotic wood and looks very appealing. I have made 2 calls of of white Cedar but the tone was very low with way to much rasp. I canned it right away and thought I would return to a different species of Cedar later. Spanish Cedar is more dense than other species of cedar so I will look into giving a fair shot for the 2011 season. Any thought you may have on other kinds of hard woods are always Wanted!!

Monday, May 17, 2010

An Exciting New Product From A Minnesota Artist

Eric Rice from Minneapolis has been making shine boxes and turkey calls for five years. Friends and family have been successful using his designs to call in "The Big One". Because of this, Eric has started to design products for the public. Yes this means you now have the opportunity to call in and shoot "The Big One"

The Shine Boxes are hand carved and burned. There are five different wood styles to choose from. Black Walnut, Limited Edition Maple, Cherry, Padauk, and Pau Ferro.

Black Walnut - is highly prized for dark-colored true hardwood. It is heavy and strong. Walnut wood has historically been used in gun stocks, furniture, flooring, paddles and a variety of other wood working products.

Maple - A valuable source of timber. Maple is considered a tone wood, or a wood that carries sound waves well, and is used in the making of many musical instruments. Electric guitar necks are commonly made from maple. Most drums and the bassoon are made using maple as well. Making this a wonderful wood for shine boxes and calls.

*Limited Edition calls are Shine Boxes that have custom burned images on the front.
*Special Edition calls are unique cuts of exotic woods, and are produced in limited numbers.

Cherry - A premium American hardwood. Known for its natural luster, grain and rich warm glow. Cherry is well used for flooring, and furniture. Very sturdy and strong.

Padauk - An exotic African hardwood. Padauk is hard, heavy, and strong with exceptional decay resistance. An excellent turning wood used in high end cabinet making, fancy knife and tool handles and carving.

Pau Ferro - An exotic wood found in Brazil and Bolivia. Pau Ferro is often used for making fingerboards for electric bases and guitars. A very hard wood that is light in color. Other uses include fancy furniture and handgun grips. A very exceptional wood for carving and sound.