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The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls => Handcrafting Custom Turkey Calls => Turkey Call Making Tutorials => Topic started by: BigB on March 01, 2009, 06:35:14 PM

Title: How I make my pot calls
Post by: BigB on March 01, 2009, 06:35:14 PM

It's a little different than most techniques on how I secure the wood blank to the lathe, but I didn't want to buy another set of jaws for my chuck.  So I improvised a bit with what some stuff that I had laying around. 


For starters, I start with a 4" square blank.  I have some center points on a jig to mark the spots that I want to drill at.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040538.jpg)


A couple of quick taps on the block, and the blank is marked and ready to be drilled.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040540.jpg)

(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040541.jpg)


I use a 9/64" drill bit to drill through the blank at each one of the dimples.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040542.jpg)


Then I use a 1/2" forstner bit to drill down .25" into the blank at each location.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040543.jpg)


Then I flip over the blank and drill the center hole with a 7/8" forstner bit down to the 1/2" hole.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040544.jpg)


Next I trim off the corners on the band saw.  It's easier doing it this way than on the lathe.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040547.jpg)


Now is where my homemade mandrel comes in.  It's a 1/2" bolt with the head cut off.  I use it like a compression type mandrel.  It fits right into my collet chuck.  I also have a couple of custom made spacers made from some scraps that were laying around. :rofl:  The left spacer fits snugly against the collet to provide some room between the blank and the collet chuck.  The right spacer fits inside of the 7/8" hole made by the larger forstner bit.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040548.jpg)

(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040549.jpg)

(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040550.jpg)

(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040551.jpg)


Once everything is secured to the lathe, round off the blank and square up the front and back sides.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040552.jpg)

Then start marking out the dimensions for the outside of the pot call, shelf for the top surface, and you can also mark the pedestal diameter as well.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040553.jpg)

(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040554.jpg)


Start removing excess material where it is not needed.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040555.jpg)


Once you get down to where the bottome sound holes are exposed, stop removing material.  Clean up all of the cuts, cut the pedestal height to the dimension that you want, and start sanding.
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r104/byersba/turkey%20pot%20call/P1040557.jpg)


The only things left to do now are to put a finish on the blank, glue in a toneboard, and glue in the top surface. :bigup:


That's how I get it done.  Hope you enjoyed.

Brian

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: John_NY on March 01, 2009, 07:01:00 PM

That's pretty slick Brian.

John

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: knightmare831 on March 01, 2009, 07:17:11 PM

Very nice brian.  Thanks for sharing that.

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Skegman on March 01, 2009, 08:38:15 PM

Brian .... thanks for sharing, you have a good thing going there, now ya have me thinking.

..........Alvin      :bigup:

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: huey on March 01, 2009, 08:43:32 PM

 :clap: Thanks, I needed that , I think it will make my pot building, a lot faster and easier. :bigup:
                                                                 Huey

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Lonehowl on March 01, 2009, 11:47:22 PM

Very nice Brian! I have a similar setup, but yours is even simpler.
Gonna mod mine.

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: West Augusta on March 02, 2009, 07:42:22 AM

Pretty cool.
Thanks.

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Heirloom on March 02, 2009, 02:33:01 PM

Pretty cool Brian :bigup: I did something simular to that bt changed up to what I do now because of the style of my pot. I still like that meathod though and have th stuff to do it around here somewhere....GREAT TUTORIAL too :bigup: :bigup: Ain't cedar nice?

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Kuipdog on March 02, 2009, 04:22:08 PM

Very nice tutorial!! I was working on this same thing, and you solved some of my issues that I was thinking about this week.
Thanks
Kuipdog

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Jeff @ Mutt Calls on March 03, 2009, 09:17:22 AM

Just read this tutorial.  That is ingenious!  very nice work.  Look like alot of the guess work is taken away up front.  I do all this on the fly sometimes which bites me in the butt on occasion!  Nice work!

Jeff

Mutt Game Calls

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: Bucko on March 03, 2009, 04:17:42 PM

Nice,practical set-up.I'll make up the mandrel to give it a whirl.Another use for the Collet Chuck for sure.

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: daren99 on March 03, 2009, 04:58:07 PM

Great post BigB, I want to try a pot call sometime and that looks like a slick way to do it. :bigup: :bigup:

Daren

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: lazyMlazyK on March 12, 2011, 01:05:40 AM

 :bigup:

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: stone road turkey calls on March 18, 2012, 08:07:20 AM

 :bigup:

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: stone road turkey calls on February 23, 2013, 03:57:25 PM

 :bigup:

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: VECtor Calls on February 23, 2013, 05:18:14 PM

This is sure a great method!

Vince

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: SG Watkins on April 15, 2013, 09:07:36 PM

I like your set up. Since I am new to wood turning, I have lots of questions. What are the green spacers made of?

Title: Re: How I make my pot calls
Post by: VECtor Calls on April 15, 2013, 10:35:57 PM

Quote from: SG Watkins on April 15, 2013, 09:07:36 PM

I like your set up. Since I am new to wood turning, I have lots of questions. What are the green spacers made of?

They are hardwood scraps.  That is green dymalux.

Vince