A few pot calls.

[Jack Mincey]

As spring rolls in I always start to turn out a few turkey calls. These are all made with a ceramic surface.
Jack
Rhododendron burl in purple heart pot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00470.jpg
Amboyna burl in walnut pot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00466.jpg
Oak Burl pot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00471.jpg
Maple Pot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00469.jpg
Unknown wood pot
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00472.jpg
Ceramic surface
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00467.jpg

[Jim Burr]

These calls are great Jack!! In California, I hunt pheasant and quail...no calls needed, but the work involved speaks for itself! Hope you have the market!

[Marty Eargle]

Very great looking pots, Jack. I especially like the Oak Burl...makes for a very unique call.

I'm planning to start on my first call sometime this week to make sure I can get a few good ones made by season. Any certain tutorials or tips you follow or just kind of wing it?

[jared herbert]

there was a good article in Woodturning Design a while back on how to make calls. It explains the process well. I have made several, more than 20, so far and the do work good. A lot of the sound comes from the design of the striker. Jared

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks guy's. Jared is referring to a article I wrote for Woodturning design last year. It is the Febuary issue last year. This is a link to where you can get an issue. Hope this dosn't break any rules. http://www.woodturningdesign.com/issues/2011/february.shtml
Jack

[Marty Eargle]

Thanks guys! I can't imagine that link would cause any problems. I will see about ordering that issue. I understand the basic mechanics of making the call, but I'm no pro hunter and I'd like to have it look and sound its best before showcasing it to my father and his hunting buddies. Thanks again!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great looking calls Jack. Beautiful pieces.

[John Keeton]

'Tis the season, Jack, and you do a great job with these! We have a bachelor group of toms running around, and it has been interesting watching them strut their stuff for the other toms. Soon, it will be for the ladies!

[Ted Calver]

Those are beauties Jack! Is ceramic the way to go these days?

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks again everyone. Ted, Ceramic is a great surface in that it plays easily, doesn't need to be conditioned much, and will almost play under water with a carbon fiber striker. I still prefer the sound I can obtain from slate, but on a damp morning slate just doesn't work well so ceramic is the ticket on those days. The big problem with ceramic has been that it is hard to come by. I haven't needed any this year so not sure if this problem has improved or not. John, I have watched 5 Tom's from large to small on my property this spring , but didn't see them last week. There was a forest fire that burned some 40 acres a few hundred yards from my house a couple weekends ago and I haven't seen any deer or turkey's since. I hope that when the black earth turns green that it will bring them all back again.
Jack

[Russell Eaton]

Jack that oak burl rocks. I too have a few turkeys around the house. My wife called me Saturday and said one was standing in the clearing for my shop. My dogs hate them. Thanks for showing the calls. Good luck finding them new homes.

[Carl Civitella]

They look great. Carl

[Richard Jones]

Nice, Jack. A good reminder for me to do a few this weekend. My "Pro Staff" guys are always hounding me for more. I'll do 6 or 8 and then let them pick their call/striker combo out of the bunch. Amazing how a different striker changes the sound so much. Rule of thumb for them is a very hard striker, either hickory, persimmon, or pecan. Of course, we all know how much fun those 3 are to turn.................

Thanks for sharing.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work on each of these pots Jack! I have never used one of these... mainly because I never lived anywhere where turkeys ran around - but I hear that the striker makes a big difference in the sound produced. Do you use a special tip or shape on your strikers to get the sound you want?

[Jack Mincey]

Thanks again everyone. Steve the striker needs to be made of a wood that is at least as hard as soft maple, but I prefer harder wood like purple heart, hickory or persimmon. I have had some luck with exotic wood like bocote, but sometimes find that the oil in this type of wood defeats the friction that makes the call work. I like for the tips of my strikers to be rounded off. Here is a picture that shows the tip of one of my striker.
Jack
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/flyrod444/DSC00240.jpg