THE THICKNESS OF THE SOUND BOARD ???

[K. RUGE]

IVE NOTICED THAT THE AVERAGE THICKNESS OF THE SOUND BOARDS ARE 1/8" THICK HAS ANYBODY EVER TRIED A DIFFERENT THICKNESS

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Pot call soundboards are usually a thickness of glass, slate aluminum or a similar thickness of wood.  In wood you might have a little flexibility there but I would say that you definitely don't want to go thicker with most of those materials.  The whole idea is for that board to resonate, and a thicker piece will not resonate as well as a thinner piece. 

[VECtor Calls]

Yep, if you want to play around, go thinner. Thicker will deaden the call for a couple reasons.

[Prairie Game Calls]

I have been playing with this lately. Using double sound boards and you can make a awesome sounding glass call using double thickness sound boards. There are a few things that have to be done to get it to work right and I plan to make a tutorial of it as time permits. Couple things. Deeper pot, more holes, bigger holes than I normally do, and the pedestal has to be just right. The distance under the call surface for the sound board has to remain the same as with a single thickness.

Larry

[David @ Mad Duck Game Calls]

Double sound boards as in two?? Or they're just twice as thick?

[Prairie Game Calls]

I glued 2 sound boards together. I tried different things. What worked the best for sound was a striking surface of 3 1/4" glass and glass sound boards 2 3/4" dia glued together. A inside pot depth of 1/2" from the bottom of the striking surface to the inside bottom of the pot. Pedestal diameter of 3/4" . Distance between the bottom of the striking surface to the top of the sound board was 3/32"s worked best. I tried doing a 2 1/2" glued to a 2 3/4" sound board and I don't like it. I tried a 2 3/4 glued to a 2 7/8" sound board didn't like it. The best sounding one which I have 2 of was the 2 3/4" glued to the 2 3/4" sound board. It came out perfect but you need to use the 3 1/4" striking surface.

Larry

[K. RUGE]

THANKS , IM THINKING ABOUT GETTING SOME GLASS THATS 1/16"  THICK I DIDNT THINK GOING THICK WOOD BE A GOOD THING , I WAS GOING TO GET A BUNCH TO MAKE IT WORTH THE SHIPPING SO , THATS WHY IM ASKING , DIDNT WANT TO HAVE A BIG WASTE , SOOOO DO YA THINK
1/16" WOOD BE OK , THANKS FOR THE GREAT HELP ....

[Prairie Game Calls]

Years ago I bought up a bunch of thin stuff and have used them up and could not tell them from the 1/8" stuff as far as the sound goes.

Larry

[Barry @ WildThings]

Larry how are you gluing the 2 soundboards together?

[Prairie Game Calls]

Goop and a spring clamp not much goop though.

Larry

[Barry @ WildThings]

10-4 Thanks

[K. RUGE]

IF THICKER IS LESS SOUND , HOW CAN TWO SOUND BOARDS PUT TOGETHER AS A DOUBLE AND SOUND OK , IM CONFUSED A LITTLE ON THIS . Thanks 

[Prairie Game Calls]

At some point in time you have to get the materials and make some calls and figure it out. I can only do so much for you. What I do is have a goal in place. My goal was to make a call with exceptional sound that had a double sound board. And that's what I did. I started making pots 3.5" and 3.25 and 3.0. The 3.25"'won. It's as easy as that. Make the pots different depths pedasts different dia. and distances from sound board to striking surface. Record every move you make. Yep it's gonna cost you some money as it has cost me but I saved you all some nonbelievers get your wallets out.

Larry

[D. VanHelden]

Larry nows his chit

If I could get another day in his shop I would, I obviously am a bad student because I can get close with my notes but Larry has turkey magic

[dogcatcher]

Think of it like a musical instrument.  None are made without a lot of thought and using well known factors.   The woods are carefully chosen, the thicknesses are a known factor on what quality of sound they produce.   For example African Blackwood for the best of the clarinets, not just any piece of ABW, but the best pieces are used.  Ever seen one made out of another wood?  Maple for violins, again only the best is used by the professionals.  They know the exact thickness to plane the wood to produce the "perfect" sound. 

The same applies to most callmaking.  The standards have been researched and researched over the years for how they are made, what are the best woods to use for what "instrument" you are working on.  There has been countless hours of research spent over the years, some documented, some not.  Many have tried to reinvent the "wheel", but it usually boils down to the same wheel is still the same old wheel just different treads....

Marvin