THO Game Calls Forums

The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls => Casting Blanks => Topic started by: jcz on March 20, 2015, 08:22:10 PM

Title: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: jcz on March 20, 2015, 08:22:10 PM
Does anyone here cast blanks for turkey calls? I know at one time Spitfire did some. I was able to get one from him and it turned pretty good. Would like to get a few more if any one is pouring them.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: VECtor Calls on March 20, 2015, 08:41:04 PM
I would think Palmetto would be able to do it for you.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Brett@BBOGGC on May 28, 2015, 12:31:30 PM
I have done several upon request with all cast and some mixed with wood, acorns, corn, coffee beans, banksia pod, etc. I think the reason you do not see many is the cost since it takes a lot of resin to cast a turkey pot blank versus pen's or duck call blanks.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Joe Short on May 29, 2015, 01:32:29 PM
By volume, a standard 1.5x1.5x7 duck call blank is almost as much as a 4x4x1 pot call blank. 15.75 vs 16.... Shouldn't be too much more if costing by material requirements honestly.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: David @ Mad Duck Game Calls on May 29, 2015, 01:49:24 PM
Yep... Joe is right. If you cast them both as a "Cylinder" (dowel) the volume for a 4" dia x 1" thick pot blank would be 12.56, and the volume of a 1.5" dia x 7" duck call blank would be 12.36. Only .20 difference,which is not much......

Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: jcz on May 29, 2015, 06:36:10 PM
I got a couple leads on casting pot blanks but I'm lazy and haven't followed up on them.  :oops:
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Brett@BBOGGC on May 30, 2015, 09:18:47 AM
I cast my duck call blanks pre-bored and round so only using about 30% of volume you listed, I have also been casting pot call blanks for about 1.5 years now, mine are 4.25 dia x 1.5 thick and sell for $25 for straight cast and little extra when I add wood, beans, corn, pods,coffee, etc. But you are correct on volumes based on the sizes you listed, you can use the Alumilite volume calculator to get it exact.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Joe Short on May 30, 2015, 12:25:59 PM
If you reduced your blank sizes to a more approximately "finished" size and dropped your asking price accordingly, you'd likely have a better shot at offloading some blanks and more callmakers would have the opportunity to put them to use. As it stands, $25 for one blank places materials cost for a single call a lot closer to a reasonable selling price than I would be comfortable with, all but eliminating the profit margin. This is not to say we're all in this for the money but given a proper (to my mind) relative costing based on materials, I would need to sell that call for roughly $80 to make it worth my time. That's a hard road when there's no chance of a matching striker and there's an abundance of callmakers selling pot calls for $30-50.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Brett@BBOGGC on June 01, 2015, 11:51:39 AM
Can do, so what is the ideal blank size and reasonable cost from your perspective. I would like to make them 3.75" dia x .75" thick as that is the size I use, but maybe a 4" dia x 1" thick would work for most and get my selling price down to around $15 or so
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: David @ Mad Duck Game Calls on June 01, 2015, 11:58:55 AM
4" dia x 1" thick is what alot of guys use. Smaller from there, usually.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: jcz on June 01, 2015, 07:36:06 PM
Brett, I use 4 x 4 x 1 blanks. If you could do a 4" circle 1" thick  would be awesome.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Brett@BBOGGC on June 06, 2015, 11:43:59 AM
OK, thanks for feedback. I would like to offer you two a 4" round x 1" thick blank for $15 tyd for first trial run if you willing to try one. If interested, just PM me on Facebook, email me at info@biblebeltoutdoors.com or txt/call 256-483-7463.
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Chris @ Palmetto Pens & Calls on June 19, 2015, 04:01:27 PM
I would think Palmetto would be able to do it for you.
Yes we have made some before and they turned out quite well
Title: Re: cast turkey pot blanks?
Post by: Mann Lock @ Hollow Wing Calls on August 22, 2015, 01:17:19 PM
I know this thread went cold but I figured I would chime in.

We cast a lot of our pots. I like to make a deeper pot than most so ours are about an inch and a quarter to inch and a half thick because of the indention in the bottom around the holes and find a little deeper sounds better in a cast pot.  Takes a little trial and error not to get too high pitched or too hollow of a sound out of them, they are not as forgiving as wood.

(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l239/ucantcme420/1184939_221772177980472_1589102283_n_zpscxt3j7ep.jpg) (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/ucantcme420/media/1184939_221772177980472_1589102283_n_zpscxt3j7ep.jpg.html)

I really like the way that they turn out and sound.  They definitely have a different tone.

(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l239/ucantcme420/1234858_229262880564735_108192020_n_zps09c90bea.jpg) (http://s97.photobucket.com/user/ucantcme420/media/1234858_229262880564735_108192020_n_zps09c90bea.jpg.html)