Thought I would do a box call tutorial for all those interested. This is not the only way to make one. Its what works for me for this style of box. I hope it helps and i hope you enjoy it. Any questions just ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability.
FIRST AND FOREMOST ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES AND ANY PPE NEEDED
1. First we will select the pieces for the call. For the box you want to start with a piece 2"x2"x8". You want the grain to be running horizontal or quartering the blank. Stay away from grain that runs vertical or almost vertical. For the lid we want a piece that is 1 3/4"x10" x 3/8" thick. You want the grain running vertical on the lid. For this call I choose butternut for the box and purpleheart for the lid.
2. Set your table saw at a 7 degree angle. Then set your fence at about 1 1/4". Run your blank through and cut the side to the 7 degree angle. Flip the blank around and cut the other side to the same angle. When finished you want your base of the call to be about 1" - 1 1/16" wide.
3. While your table saw is still set at 7 degree , lower the blade so only about 1/16" to 3/32" is still up. Set your fence at 1/4". Now run your blank through bottom side against the fence. This will produce a small kerf at the bottom of the call for an inlay that gets put in later.
Next set your blade back to zero or vertical and cut your blank to the length you want. I make my calls 7 1/4" long. With this length you end up with a sound chamber of 5 1/4". That's just my preference. When I started I made them 6 1/2" long. I found that the added length I was able to produce a better sounding call. You will have to play with the lenght and see what works for you.
4. Now we will lay out the radius for the rails of the call and layout the checkering on the sides. The checkering is not required to make the call but it is sopposed to help in tuning later. I have made calls with and without and both have turned out sounding good. I choose to add the checkering for the look it gives the call. For the radius, you want the highest point in the center of the call to be about 1 5/8" high. At the ends you want it to be about 1 3/8". Now draw a curve connecting the three points. Once you find a radius that works for you I suggest making a template that way you can reproduce the same on everytime. With a templet mark on side A and the other B. on both sides mark which end is the front. When you mark your blank be sure to use A on one side and B on the other that way you have the same radius on each side.
On to the checkering. Now find the center of the call. For demonstration purposes I used a black sharpy to mark the call. But normally you want to use a pencil and just make enough that you can see it. Every mark that is not cut out with the chisel will have to be erased or sanded off, so the lighter the better. From the center mark every half inch to each side of the center line. Do this for 2 1/2" on both sides. Now mark 1/4" up from the bottom, then 3/8" from that mark, and then 3/8 from that mark. Use a straight edge and draw you a line running the length of the call at each mark. Make sure you keep them straight. The use a square and mark the blank at every 1/2" mark. I do a curved checkering on my calls but it is basically the same and you get the idea.
5. Now to the cutting of the checkering you will want to do this before you hollow the inside of the call out so you dont run the chisel through the wall of the call. Now get a 3/4" chisel and at every 1/2" mark, lightly tap it to cut into the blank. You want to go about 1/16" inch deep. Next use a straight edge and a exacto knife and cut the horizontal lines on the blank. Cut them about a 1/16" deep also. Next take your 3/4" chisel and at each mark start about 1/16" from the cut and angle the chisel to about 60 degrees. Light push on it till it cuts into the blank. You want to try and meet at the bottom of your initial cut. Repeat at every mark and on both side. I then use a 1/2" chisel to cut to cut the horizontal lines. After I cut all that needs to be, I lightly sand each checker to clean it up.
6. Not cut you an 1/8" piece of choosen wood for the inlay of the call. I choose padauk. Run a bead of glue in the groove of you blank and glue in the inlay, clamp and let dry. After glue has dried, remove clamps and sand smooth. After sanding you might have to remark you call for your radius.
7.Now drill out the inside of the call. I use a 3/4" fostner bit. Find the center of the call on the top of the call. Measure in from each end 1" and mark. Then use a straight edge an mark the opening of the call. I try to start the walls of my calls at about 1/4".
Now take it to the drill press and drill out the inside.
Once it is all drilled out you will have to chisel the rest out. I use a 1" chisel for this. Lightly cut away at the walls till you get them about 1/4"-3/16" thick.
8. With call remarked and drilled out take it to you bandsaw. Set table on the bandsaw to 7 degrees and cut away most of the excess. I try to cut all but 1/16" away.
After cutting, I then go to the belt sander and sand down to the mark leaving just a hair of the mark. Then I take a piece of sand paper and wrap it around a flat scrap piece of wood. I then sand the rest of the radius by hand. I try just to sand enough to remove the line the whole length of the call.
Then take your chisel and at each end chisel away a little wood so you cut away enough that your lid does not hit it when we put it on.
Next drill out the ho;e for the spring and screw. At the front of the call measure in 1/2" and mark, then find the center and mark. I use a 3/8" fostner bit and drill down about 1/4. Then use a small drill bit and drill down about and inch. This is a pilot hole for your screw that holds the lid and the 3/8" hole is for the spring.
9. Now we will make the lid for our call. I know i said you want a pice that is 3/8" thick by 1 3/4" wide by 10" long. But I like to cut my own on the tablesaw and then sand. As you can imagine useing a 3/8 thick piece to do this is kinda tricky and dangerous. So here is what I do and seems to work well. I start with a piece that is 10" long by 1 3/4" wide by anywhere from 1 1/2"-2" thick. I find the center of the of the blank and mark it the lenght of it. I then mark 5/16" from that line on each side the lenght of the call, then 5/16" from that line the lenght of the call. This gives you five lines the lenght of the call.
Then set your blade on the table saw to a 10 degree angle and set the fence to cut up to the first mark from center. Run the blank through, flip it end over end and run it though again.
Good thing about using a piece that is 1 1/2" - 2" thick is you can turn the blank around and cut the other side so when we are done you have two blanks for lids. Now set your fence to 20 degrees. You only want to cut off about 1/4" - 5/16" on it. Hopefully you can see in the pictures what I'm try to say.
Now take some chalk and Completly cover the blank where we cut. This helps to see when you have sanded it and have all the saw marks removed.
Take it to the belt sander and start sanding, rolling the blank on the sander till you have it rounded smooth.
Now that it is round. Take it back to the table saw, set your blade back to 0 and you fence to 3/8". Run the blank through cutting your blank for the lid off. If you rounded the second side do the same for it. Now run the blank through again and cut a piece 3/8" thick for the bottom of the call.
11.Now if you choose to put inlays in the lid, lower you blade to where only about a 1/16" inch is up. Set you fence to 1/4" and run the lid, top side down, and cut a small kerf for the inlay on each side.
Choose what material you want for the inlay and cut a 1/8" thick piece and glue and clamp it in on the lid. After the glue dries, unclamp it and sand it smooth. Decide what shape you want your lid to be. Make a templet for the shape and mark you piece for the lid.
Then sand it on the belt sander or a drum sander to to shape you like.
12. Now measure in from the front of the lid 9/16" and put a mark, find the center of the call and put a mark. This will be where you drill your hole for the screw that holds the lid to the box. I then use a 3/16" bit and drill through, then I counter sink the hole for the head of the screw. Now if you want to checker the lid, lay it out now. I then screw the lid down to my bench and chisel out the checkering.
13. Measure the base of you call. Mine usually runs about 1 1/16" wide. Write the measurement down, or just remember what it is. Now take the piece for you base, find the center, put a mark, then divide it so that your measurement for your call is centered on the piece. Use you table saw and cut a daddo in it so you call will fit on the daddo.
Use a chisel and clean out the daddo and then apply some glue and glue you call into the base, clamp, and let dry.
After the glue dries take it out tof the clamps and cut excess off and shape the call like you want it.
14. The springs I use are a .300 x .020 x 1 Music Wire Compression Spring. And the screw I use is a 1 1/2" long black sheet rock screw. put your spring in the whole you drilled for it, and screw you lid to the call.
Now you can start thinking the walls and tuning the call to you liking. Thicker walls will give you a higher pitch, thinner walls will give you a deeper raspier pitch. I use a pocket knife and lightly scrap the walls to thin them. Take a little at a time. Try your call, take a little more, try it again. Keep going until you get the sound you are looking for. This is the hard part. After you get it tuned, tape off the rails, the bottom of the call and apply your finish.
I hope this helps anyone wanting to make a box call. Thanks for looking and any comments, questions, or advice is welcome.
Waylon Thomson.
JWT Custom Game Calls
