Well, now you could always make your own calls.
Email all the major tool suppliers, Jet, Grizzly,Vic Marc,Powermatic, Nova ask them for catalogs. Start circling all the tools you will need, of course, cheap tools just wont do,they don't last and you will be replacing them, so start with Powermatic, Vic Marc, etc. You will need a Table saw, Thickness planer, Lathe (Maybe a couple of them) Bandsaw,Routers (Overhead pin router would be nice), Chop saw, Drum Sander, Belt sander, Thickness planer, Dust Collection system, Compressor, Drill Press,just for starters.
Next, you probably won't want to be making a mess out of the garage, after all, that is where she parks her car.
So you will have to begin the process of designing a shop, talking with an architect, getting estimates of materials and labor, site development, permit processes and fees, etc. Next you are going to need wood, exotics are best, so you will need a starting budget figured out for that, so email Gilmer woods, Bell Forest Products, etc, start circling all the wood you will need. You should be able to get all the tools you need for $30,000, building will be about $200 sq ft,depending on where you live, so for 20X30 shop you're only talking $120,000. It should be insulated, heated,storage racks,cabinets,ventilation and dust collection systems, bathroom would be nice too so you don't track dust into the house and she will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Wood should be bought about a year before you need it, so you need 2 years worth of wood to start, we can budget say $200 for each type of wood, you can do the math on that, but $30,000 should get you some wood to start.
So far you have a capital investment of $180,000, (make sure the wife knows these are conservative figures,there are always incidentals). Make sure at this point she is also aware that the call cabinet full of collectible calls cost only a small fraction of that amount.
It will be a year or so before every one in the country is asking you to make calls, so you will want to get ready. Spend every possible moment you can in the shop learning how to make calls, when you do get orders, people will want the best call money can buy. It should be so good they can just leave it in the woods, and when they come back, the game they are calling will be patiently waiting there for their return.
Some call makers may have obtained that status, I'm still working on it but getting closer.
This might not be a good suggestion for everyone, but I think you really can save money by buying calls as opposed to making them yourself! And, if she knows the alternative, she might agree.
