# Turning turkey calls



## thekctermite

I just got into turning and am trying my hand at making turkey calls. They're essentially a shallow hollowed wood pot with a slate, glass, or metal surface that you use a dowel rod-type striker on to make turkey sounds. Trust me, it is frustrating. 

I'm having some troubles, so let me describe how I'm doing it in hopes of getting some more experienced peoples' ideas of a better way...

1) Cut 5/4 material into an octagon about 4" across. 
2) Turn it to round between the pointed centers on the lathe
3) Part it off at the tailstock side as smooth and flat as possible
4) Remove the nub from the parted side with sandpaper
5) Using double-sided tape, adhere a dovetailed tenon on the flat parted side, chuck it in the chuck. 
6) Part the top rim nice and flat, and part a ridge to support the calling surface around the perimeter. 
7) Using a fingernail grind gouge, hollow the cylinder out leaving about 3/16" thick sides and bottom
8) Sand everywhere but beneath the tenon to at least 400 grit

Now here's the challenge...

I want to be able to finish the turning on the lathe with CA, wax, Huts, wipe-on poly, or other finishes. But, I can't do it with the tenon still installed. 

Anyone have any ideas on how to do this more efficiently? I tried a pen mandrel through the center hole I drilled but that failed miserably. I think that I might be overlooking something obvious, given my newbie turner status.


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## TexasTimbers

I've never made one and don't know anything about it, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express once or twice. 

I do have a whole bunch of call makers for customers. One guy makes a pot call that kee-kee's as good or better than any mouth call, and also gives a clacky jake yelp toward the center. I think that's the one where he uses a slate and glass combo on the same surface. Tricky eh. It makes another sound or two depending on the striker you use but I can't remember the lingo I am not a turkey hunter. Quail and duck are my bag of bones.

Pretty much pick any duck/turkey call forum and I have customers who post there so if you want I can hook you up with one or two that I know like to share info. Some of those call makers are very secretive but several come to mind that I know enjoy helping out newbies. If you're interested email me at [email protected] and I will hook you up.


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## firehawkmph

Ahhh Termite,
This is how the addiction slowly creeps......
You have to learn to think in terms of finishing one side at a time. Many projects I do this on. Go ahead and sand everything you can get to and apply your finish. I would recommend lacquer for this as it will dry very quickly and provide a more durable finish than Huts friction wax. Turn a scrap block with a tenon that will fit into the recess of your piece. Turn the other end of the scrap block so it will fit into your chuck. You can make the tenon fit fairly tight, thus creating a 'jamb chuck', which will hold your piece while you finish the other side. If it doesn't fit tight enough to hold, you can put a piece of blue painter's tape around the tenon to provide a snugger fit, or sometimes a piece of paper towel put over the tenon tightens it up enough. You could also put a piece of blue tape around the outside of the scrap block and the piece you are turning to make sure it doesn't come off. Whenever you are using a jambchuck, if you have more turning to do, take light cuts so you don't knock the piece off your jambchuck. Half the fun of turning is figuring out how to hold pieces from either side to finish them. 
The other thing you could use is a set of jaws made for holding the outside edge (largest diameter) of a bowl in order to finish the bottom. There are rubber bumpers that grab the edge of the bowl or anything round for that matter. They work well. Good luck, and hope you understand my rant here. Here's a link for the bowl jaws. You should get them from whomever manufactured your chuck.
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Mer...118156&Category_Code=lathes-acc-fourjaw-vm120
Mike Hawkins:smile:


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## AZ Termite

I don't know what kind of chuck you have, but I have this one http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CMG3C.html. They have a flat jaw that will attach to that chuck, http://www.pennstateind.com/store/CJAWFJ2.html. This will allow you to put the call on the flat jaw to finish either side. You put it in one way and apply the finish, then the other side. The pieces that hold the work piece are rubber and will not mar. I have used this on some bowls that I have done. Works well but can get a little pricey. The flat jaw bolts to the chuck to allow you to do this. The nice thing is that you will be able to do all sorts of things with that setup. This is another version of the link mike has, they also have a 5" version to that is a little cheaper.


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## thekctermite

Guys, thanks for the help. I found what I needed online! 
Here's the link to a how-to pictorial description of how it is done.
http://www.customcalls.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1211135908


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## thekctermite

Even though I have a turning solution now, the flat jaw idea for finishing the backside of the call pot is a great idea. Being a newbie turner I don't necessarily think of such things on my own! :smile:


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## AZ Termite

KC, looking at that link those jaws would probably be the easiest way to finish that call. Not only that but that middle piece that they showed being removed with a drill could be turned out of there on the lathe. You would end up will a better cut in the end, which would mean less sanding. Good luck


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## firehawkmph

Hey,
I just noticed something. This forum is infested with termites!!:laughing:
Mike Hawkins


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## thekctermite

firehawkmph said:


> Hey,
> I just noticed something. This forum is infested with termites!!:laughing:
> Mike Hawkins


I chew through a lot of wood. :yes:


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## AZ Termite

Mike, I chew through alot of wood to. People that know me well tell me all the time that I must have been a termite in a previous life.


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## thekctermite

Well, I'm starting to figure this out. I turned one tonight after doing a lot of learning online. This one's a prototype for sound quality so it is form following function. Didn't make it to look good, but will be making pretty ones very soon! 

It is a slate playing surface over a glass soundboard. The inside is ugly but you don't see the inside! 

These are going to look sweet in cocobola and other exotics!


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## AZ Termite

KC,
Glad to see you got it all worked out. How does it sound? You are right about the cocobola it will look nice. Padauk, or Wenge would also be some good options.


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## thekctermite

Thanks AZtermite, it sounds good. I wouldn't be disappointed if I'd paid for it, but it doesn't have quite as much volume potential as some calls I've used...It is better for softer and mid-range calling. I think I'll be able to tweak future ones to get a little more volume.

The only major challenge with this is creating the pedestal that you see in the middle. The part that supports the glass soundboard inside the call. I turned a cylinder, hollowed it, and then used a 5/16" forstner bit on the drill press to drill the cylinder into four separate wall segments. Doing that was pretty hairy, and I can see myself breaking those out when drilling them. I might use little pieces of wood cut to shape on the scrollsaw for future calls.

Since the call is turned on a piece of threaded rod, the wood that surrounds it has to be removed after turning. I used a small forstner bit for that as well, which is tricky. A big forstner bit would be easier but I couldn't hold it steady enough to get that to work without breaking the fragile pedestal that is in close proximity.

I'm kind of excited...My friends are lining up to get me to make them a call. Seems to me that the VAST majority of calls on the market look like they were made in Dogpatch USA! Most have names on them like _gobbler gitter, strut buster_, or _turkey tamer_, and have woodburned images of turkey feathers, turkeys, or turkey tracks on them. I'd rather have a call that has nice wood and no other crap on it...Something that looks classy and sounds good. Hopefully I'll be able to accomplish that in the coming days.


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## justin2009

If you ever get into turning duck calls, let me know!!! I would buy a couple!


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## thekctermite

All in good time...I'm a duck hunter and plan to eventually give it a shot.


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## firehawkmph

Termite,
Why don't you try turning that inside ridge. Hollow out but leave room to form the ridge. You could use a parting tool to define each side of the ridge, then use a scraper or small bowl gouge to remove the rest of the material. I would do this with the bottom chucked up and no threaded rod in the way. BTW, what happened to the hole in the center, looks like some tear out.
Mike Hawkins


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## thekctermite

Mike, since the pot is tapered, there's nothing for the chuck to grab onto. Here's what I'm up against:









The guy that posted these pics in another forum drills the center out like this but it isn't as easy as the picture makes it look!









Here's the design of the "chuck" I made:


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## thekctermite

As for the tearout, yeah, drilled the center hole from the top of the blank instead of the bottom. Just a mistake. This one is for function, not form! :laughing:


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## thekctermite

I guess I could use double stick tape to add a tenon and chuck it into my supernova II chuck. Hate to do that though!


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## AZ Termite

KC,
You might try getting wood that is cheap like poplar and experimenting with different methods. The more you can refine the process the better results you will end up with. I would not try this on expensive exotics, that could get expensive quick if experiments the fail. It will be easier if you could turn them without the threaded rod.


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## thekctermite

Success! I made one from cherry yesterday after much fooling around with various dimensions and soundboards and the sound is perfect. This thing sounds better than any call I've ever used. I'm tickled! Too bad it is just plain old cherry and nothing exotic because as a woodworker I'm not satisfied with how it looks...But the turkey caller in me is happy. 

Turned another pot from a few pieces of glued-up zebrawood today. Turned out pretty good. No idea how it sounds because I'm waiting on more slate to come in the mail.

Tried making a couple strikers as well. One from "tigerwood" (like Ipe) and one from honduras rosewood. They sound ok. I need to find a way to drill a centered hole in the large end of them to hollow out the bell a little bit. I can drill it on the lathe but can't mount it and turn it between centers after drilling it. I guess I need one of those cone-shaped live centers to be able to re-mount it in the lathe after drilling.


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## AZ Termite

KC, 
Looks like you are getting those pots down to a science. As far as your issue with drilling and then turning, check the Pro Live Center Set from Woodcraft. I bought a set a couple of months ago, it makes it nice because there is a number of different configurations you can use. Here's the link check it out. http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=142772&FamilyID=3727 You can get it in #1 or #2 Morse taper, just depends on the lathe you mave and the taper of you tailstock. Keep up the good work. Those things look awsome.


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## thekctermite

I went to Woodcraft and got the cone-shaped live center. Haven't tried it but it will work perfectly for turning the strikers with the holes pre-drilled in the big end. :thumbsup:

I also splurged and bought a set of 8" colby jaws for my Supernova II chuck. Man, those things are great for doing these calls' pots. It'll make flattening the faces of rough blanks easier and it sure as heck will make sanding and finishing easier. 

This woodturning is expensive. I think that once I sell a few calls I'll make about $3 for every $100 I spend on tools.


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## AZ Termite

Woodworking as a whole is expensive. Woodturning alone is expensive too. There are so many different tools and gagets you need to have to be able to do some things. It is so much fun though, IMO it is worth every penny.


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## thekctermite

Oh, I know! I've already got a pretty well-equipped shop but just decided to branch off into turning.

I've learned that I've been using the wrong tools to do the outside of these call pots. I've been using the roughing gouge to bring the bandsaw-cut blank to perfectly round. I've been using the spindle gouge to do most of the shaping of the outside, occasionally using the bowl gouge. I'm told that I should not use the roughing or spindle gouge at all when turning end grain. I've had some crazy ugly catches and gouges using the bowl gouge and I'm scared of the thing. It is definately inexperience shining through, but I've ruined as many pots as I've made. 

Should I be using just the 3/8" bowl gouge to form the outside of these things? Even when "roughing them out"? I've also been told that a scraper will work pretty well, but I don't have one just yet. 

I need to find somebody to teach me to do this the right way! :cursing:


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## AZ Termite

You know thr first three bowls I tried to turn were complete failures. The first on blew up on me,literally in a hundred pieces, the second gouged so bad I threw it away the third was a lamination that failed. I took a trip to Dallas last summer to my uncles house. We spent a week there. I spent about 10 hours in the shop with my uncle showing me what I was doing wrong. The table I built for my lathe was too tall, the tool rest I was putting too low, and used wrong tools for what I was trying to do. After I got home, all the things that were wrong I fixed. I cut the legs off the table about six inches, and started setting up my turnings differently. It is amazing the4 difference it made just to find all the things I was doing wrong and fix them. It makes turning that much more fun when you get the results you should have. Find a friend or take a class. you will have more fun with it when you do it right.


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## Sclafani"s

That looks great! I am starting to learn how to make slate calls. I love your design but I was wondering what your dimensions are? How thick is the glass/slate and also where can I get slate and glass? Like I said I am new at making calls but I would love to hunt with my own. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. My Email is [email protected]


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## thekctermite

Sclafani"s said:


> That looks great! I am starting to learn how to make slate calls. I love your design but I was wondering what your dimensions are? How thick is the glass/slate and also where can I get slate and glass? Like I said I am new at making calls but I would love to hunt with my own. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. My Email is [email protected]


I had totally forgotten about this post! I now have a booming turkey call making business...Kind of fun to look at how I was doing it back when I started a couple years ago, and it is amazing how different my calls are now. 

The very best guy to get glass and slate from is Chad Hutcheson. His email address is [email protected]. Other sources are Brookside game calls and Grassy Creek game calls. Both have websites but both charge considerably more than Chad. Many, many professional callmakers use Chad. 3-1/2" slate is the standard, with soundboards being 3" diameter (usually glass).


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## Sclafani"s

That is great that your business is doing well. Being in the military leaves me with little time with my family and even less time in the shop. Maybe in 10 years or so I might start a business but for now it’s just for fun.

I have a couple of questions that might speed up the trail and error. What are some things that you are doing different? And what is a good distance from the bottom that the sound board should sit?

I really don’t have a clue what I'm doing, but I know that I want to do it? I tried to look it up on line but all that I got was how to make a slate call using PVC pipe. I don’t know any measurements, glue to use, distances for sound boards, or finish's to use. 

Thank you for the reference on slate and glass and if you have any pics of your new calls I would love to see them. Also what is the name of your calls?


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## thekctermite

My website is wingertswoodworks.com. Tons of pics there and on my blog linked from my site. There are two callmaking forums worth checking out too. THO Game Calls and the Custom Callmaking Online forum. THO is very newbie-friendly...CCO, not so much. 

The only glue to use on soundboards and surfaces is Plumbers Goop. All turkey call makers use it...Nothing is better, everything else won't work as good. Use a very small bead all the way around the playing surface (using a syringe helps) and all the way around the pedestal that holds the soundboard. 

Start with 1/8" between the top of your soundboard and the underside of your playing surface. 1/8" will work on most calls pretty well. Most of my calls are just a hair over 3/4" thick. Aim for 3/16" thickness on the bottom. Set the playing surface on a 1/8" wide ledge, more or less. 

Finishes....
Don't use laquer of any kind. Aside from sucking as a finish for a game call, bug spray totally destroys it. I'd recommend spar urethane. Minwax Helmsman is slow drying but works ok...The Cabot brand from lowes is better IMHO. Polyurethane is mediocre as a call finish but it will work, it just isn't very tough.


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## Sclafani"s

Thank you so much. I have made two so far. The first one needed some work but it sounded good, the second one I think the soundboard is to close to the playing surface, so it sounds kind of like a sick turkey...lol. I'm glade that I did that (to know the difference in sound) but I'm upset that I used a piece of cherry lol. I made the strikers out of a 1” piece of scrap wood (walnut and cherry), it sounds ok? How do you make your strikers? I noticed that they are made from two different pieces of wood. Once again, thank you so much for your help. 

ps...The hardest thing about making these calls is waiting for turkey season!


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## brown down

i have made around 40 or so turkey calls. turning is an addiction. give this a try, don't add a tone board on the inside of the call. I used to do that until i forgot to put one in and the sound was so realistic, more so than if i had put a tone board on the inside. I haven't put them in since. getting the right depth has been a challenge but once you get it repetition then is easy


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## thekctermite

brown down said:


> i have made around 40 or so turkey calls. turning is an addiction. give this a try, don't add a tone board on the inside of the call. I used to do that until i forgot to put one in and the sound was so realistic, more so than if i had put a tone board on the inside. I haven't put them in since. getting the right depth has been a challenge but once you get it repetition then is easy


Glad to hear you're able to get good sound without a toneboard brown down, but that is the exception to the rule. Nearly all custom callmakers use a toneboard (glass, slate or wood) for darn good reason. I can get turkey sounds without a toneboard, but you'll never get the ideal rollover in the notes that every good caller wants without a toneboard. Starting out, I'd definitely recommend a toneboard....You can always experiment later on but I'd wait until the learning curve has flattened out. 

Sclafani's, strikers are made in a multitude of ways. Most guys do one-piece strikers turned between centers. I don't, but that's just me. I use two piece strikers just because I want my strikers to match my calls, and many of the exotic woods I use for calls don't make the best strikers. It is kind of a signature thing for my calls too.


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## thekctermite

As a followup to my original post here, here's an evolution pic of how my calls have changed.
Three cocobolo calls for a friend who is a Mossy Oak camo rep, and a curly claro walnut call that I made for the KS governor for the gov's annual turkey hunt.


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