A few turkey calls.

[Jack Mincey]

Here are few pots I'm ready to mount the slate into. I tend to make more of these than bowls around turkey season. Selling Turkey and Crow calls have helped me buy most of the tools in my shop Including my lathe.
Jack
The first pic is of a pot turned from Rhododendron burl, very hard to come by this large.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1343.JPG
This pot is from a spalted maple burl
http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1345.JPG
This one is from a American Chestnut root. It is already taken.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1351.JPG

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Jack! Beautiful woods - all of them! Best of luck with your sales!

[Don Carter]

Jack:
Very good looking calls! I gots to make me some of those. These should sell very well. Where do you sell your calls?

All the best.

Don

[Aaron Wingert]

Nice calls Jack. I've made several myself, but haven't tried selling them. Still experimenting with the soundboard and calling surface combinations and internal dimensions.

If you're willing to share your method, I'm curious how you're mounting them in the lathe. Pictures? I'm using a faceplate with a wood face and a 5/16" bolt and nut/washer to mount them. After turning the pot I'm left with a post on the interior side that I have to remove on the drill press with a forstner bit, and that is ugly although it doesn't really show.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking calls Jack. Well done.

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting, is there some place on the web that shows how these are made and how they work?

jim

[Jerry Rhoads]

Those are beautiful Jack

Jerry

[Dewey Torres]

Get out the gun and the carving knife baby!

[Aaron Wingert]

Interesting, is there some place on the web that shows how these are made and how they work?

jim

Here's a tutorial on how the pots are made. The link is to a callmakers' forum. The internal dimensions and configurations/dimensions of the soundboards are closely guarded secrets that most callmakers will not share, considering a lot of these guys make their living at it. The fun of callmaking is first figuring out what to do to make them sound good, then worry about making them look pretty.



As for how they work, look up "slate turkey calls" or "glass turkey calls" on youtube. A wood striker is rubbed on the calling surface to make turkey noises....Takes a lot of practice!

[Bonnie Campbell]

Really beautiful calls Jack!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jack...those are beauties! Where can one find information on turning and making those? I have a couple of BILs that turkey hunt and I'd like to turn some for them.

[Terry Achey]

Very nice looking calls, Jack. That Rhododendron burl is a great find! Nice finishes and attractive designs! Hope they bring home the turkey bacon!:D

I've spent a lot of time experiementing with various methods and sound boards over the past year. The result is nice looking field calls that sound very good. At the request of another "Creeker", last winter I prepared a two page how-to-build WORD document and materials list that I'm more than happy to share if anyone would like to have learn a fairly simple method (more simple than the customcalls.com tutorial) and a proven field grade design. I don't think I can attahc a WORD doc on the forum so send a PM to me if your interested. Haven't had time to get on line much lately so it may take some time before I respond.

sample calls http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=94631

Happy hunting :)
Terry

[Dave Bureau]

Those are very nice. very unique. I have a turkey call of my own. As I was driving down my driveway to my shop yesterday there were 10 wild turkeys in the driveway. I had to blow the horn so they would get out of the way. They didnt care anything about me. They could tell I didnt have a gun. I saw them in the driveway two weeks ago also. They must be locals. About 2 years ago I hit one driving 75 mph down the highway. Blew out my windshield and buckled the roof of my truck. $1300. damage. when my wife asked what happened, I just said some turkey hit me. Anyway turkey calls are ok but I seem to have a turkey magnet planted in my truck.

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks everyone. The sites giving can help creekers figure out how to make these. I sell about half online at turkey hunting sites and the rest are people in my area. Around Christmas this year I had trouble keeping up with the demend. Here are a couple pic/s showing how I mount it to turn the inside. I have a brass washer under the screw head so that if I hit it with the tool it doesn't hurt anything. I turn down 1/2" deep or more right next to the screw head and then turn the wood out from under the screw. I then tighting the screw and finish turning the inside. Then take the screw out and turn the nub off that is left. The dowel in the middle keeps the call on enough to do this. I also have some old double sided tape on the block to help. The first time or two I use the tape it is very very hard to get the call off. It works for 20 or 30 calls before I replace it. I also start the screw by hand so to get in the same threads which prevents the screw from drilling them out after one or two uses. If the threads do strip out I can either replace the dowel or put some thick CA in and let it dry. After the inside is done I put it on my strong hold chuck carefully expanded it to hold the call to turn the outside of the call. I hope this helps some.
Jack

http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1353.JPG

http://usera.ImageCave.com/flyrod444/100_1352.JPG