Turkey season is just around the corner...

[stockew]

Hi folks, I've been a member for a while but never posted. I really enjoy reviewing all of the posts and seeing the creativity on display here.

I'm a hunter fanatic, as well as home project fanatic, so I thought I would break out the SS and make some box-style turkey calls. This is the fifth hardwood call I've built in the last two weeks. Before that I spent a week working on technique using white pine to determine a pattern and to develop my technique.

This one is purpleheart over maple. My others have been made from cherry or walnut paddles and hickory sound boxes.

Constructive comments welcomed. Thanks.

[boostfan]

I am stocked for gobbler hunting as well. The call looks great can you share were you got the plan?

[beeg]

Stockew, welcome to the forum. Good luck getting a turkey. THANK YOU for your service to our country.

[stockew]

Appreciate the comments. As for plans for the call, I actually just looked a number of calls on eBay and in the store and concocted my own idea for a design.
The wood is about 1 7/8" X 1 7/8" X 12" to begin. I pencil or gage the sides of the sound boards and the length of the sound chamber. Sound boards start out around 3/16" wide. The sound chamber is about 6 1/2" long. I use a 3/4" forstner bit to inlet the sound chamber to within 3/8" of the call bottom. Then I use a 1/2" router bit to even the inside walls of the sound boards. Then a wood chisel to clean the rest of the extra material in the chamber.

Once I have the blank inletted, I scribe the shape I want the call to take on a side and head to the band saw. After rough cut out, the sanding belt, disc and drum sanders are key to shaping. VERY SIMPLE STUFF HERE!

Then I make the paddle, drill/countersink and install. I hate to admit, but just about all of my work on theses calls has been just done by whim, not by a plan
as I've been shooting for my own design attributes based on my low level of wood working experience.

Now comes the time consuming part...tuning the call. It takes a couple of attempts to perfect shape of the paddle bottom and the top "knife edge" of the sound boards. I have to put on strong reading glasses to see the edge forming as I sand it to a fairly sharp edge. The top edge of the sound boards really need to be shaped to the maker's desired tone and amount of "raspiness".

Now a question for you experts. Do you think I will harm the sound or tone of the call by applying a sealer/stain/top finish after the call has been tuned?
I was concerned that the liquids might alter the sound if I applied a liquid finishing medium.

Thanks.

[stockew]

Power Point worked pretty well.

[Ed in Tampa]

I have a buddy that is doing a full court press to finish up all the Honey dos in time for opening of Turkey Season.

I never go the Turkey hunting sickness but he has. We would hunt deer and fish together but I never went Turkey hunting.

There is a guy in Pa that make Turkey Calls professionally and he and my buddy became friends. This guy from PA one year was trying to get a "Grand Slam", I don't know if I got it right but there are breds of turkeys living in certain areas and you need to shot one of each to get the grand slam. In any case he came down Forida to hunt with my buddy and in appreciation to my buddy he gave him some turkey calls.

Some of finest, prettiest wood I ever saw and I complement the guys craftsmanship. These calls were flawless and absolutely beautiful.

I wish I had pictures. Of course after seasons of use while they look nice they aren't as pretty as they once were.

I asked about the wood and he gave me names but I had never heard of them before like Brazilian Piranha wood, a red wood looking like maghogany. There was one that purple that would turn brown I think it was purple heart but he had a different name. In any case he said he usually made his calls two ways one way to look at, lots of pretty and colorful wood and the other to use, wood that was really nice but aged and deepened into woodsy type colors.

[ddvann79]

...Now a question for you experts. Do you think I will harm the sound or tone of the call by applying a sealer/stain/top finish after the call has been tuned?
I was concerned that the liquids might alter the sound if I applied a liquid finishing medium...

Stockew,

I'm no expert but I find this type of question fascinating. Here is a turkey hunting forum thread that discusses this very issue. Some say the finish will affect the sound but those that sound like they know what they are talking about (not me) say it's not an issue and will help with durability in the elements. Here's a brief quote:

[INDENT]As long as you do not get the stain or finish on the calling surface or sound board edge of a call it will have little or no affect on the sound that a call makes.[/INDENT]
Makes sense to me. Since you have calls made of different woods with differing densities, can you tell a difference in the pitch or sound of the calls? I guess to really know how much of a difference there was they would have to be the exact shape and size but it sounds like yours are custom, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Might want to brand or otherwise mark them as your handiwork and thanks for the great pattern!

[stockew]

Thanks Ed and ddvann for the replies. I have just plunged myself into the call building business. I am making some for my friends to use, as a few of them are either already or will be in the near future, in the hunting video production business. I agree wholeheartedly with the owner marking. On the bottom of each call, I write a short message about who the call was made for, the month & year, woods used, a "Good Hunting" statement, and my name.
As for the plans to make box turkey calls, you can GOOGLE the topic and obtain quite a number of design ideas. I also peruse the ads in eBay for ideas as well. I'm really working for something that a bit different than the usual. It's pretty easy and is addictively fun. My hopes are to make a name for myself in this kind of niche work, but that will take some time, patience, and practice.

Thanks again for your comments and interesting stories.

[stockew]

Well, spring gobbler season has come and gone.

My turkey call work has kind of exploded. Since March I have turned out a lot of calls. Many were gifts to my hunting buddies, but then others began to take notice and ask if I would sell them. So "Terminator Game Calls" has been born. Not selling in this post, only wanted to show a coule of other calls that i made for friends. Shop Smith was key in the process. Specifically table saw, band saw, drill press, disc sander, and belt sander.

The first call is made from osage orange, ambrosia maple, cherry, and walnut.
The second call is made of white ash, ambrosia maple, cherry, and walnut.

The last photo is the first field report from one of my call users. He drilled the turkey with a long bow.