How I make Turkey Call Pots

[Heirloom]

Someone asked awhile ago about how to make a pot for a turkey call. I figured i would show you how I do it. this is certainly not the only way to do it but it works well for me. We're using a piece of rough cut red cherry. This peice is 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 1".


Once we have a basic piece of wood, we need to cut the blank. I use a 4" hole saw to do this. You can use a band or scroll saw but I prefer the hole saw because, when I cn, I use the left over to make a case for the call.


Cut ALMOST all the way through, then flip the peice over and using the hole made by the pilot dril, finish the cut from the other side. This will make it easier to get the blank out of the hole saw.


After I have the blank cut out, I mount the peice in the barracuda chuck with the large jaws. Then take a 3 1/4 forstner bit and with the lathe on it SLOWEST setting (500 RPM for mine) I drill out the center of the pot to the depth I want.  


Use the pilot hole left by the hole saw to judge the thickness of the pot bottom. If you want a shoulder or step in the bottom to hold your sound board, ONLY bore to the TOP of that shoulder. Remove any material past that point with your chisels and shape your shoulder. I do not use a shoulder so this pot is bored to the thickness i want the bottom to be.


After I have the pot basically hollowed out the way I want with the 3 1/4 forstner bit, I switch to a 3 1/2" forstner and cut a shoulder for the slate or glass to sit on. I just approximate this depth. I like it a little deep so I can trim up the pot to the right depth and have room for sanding.


Here is the blank pot ready to be turned.


I use a nova chuck with 75 mm jaws and put the pot on it to turn the outside and bottom. I use a couple spacers of 1/8 ply to give the bottom of the pot some support against the face of the jaws. Then since i have a large sound hole in my calls, I use the live center as sort of a "safety", probably not a reuirement but not a bad idea. This keeps everything centered on the around the calling surface. Just shape and finish the way you like.


I hope this helps you out with your pot call projects. If ican help you in any other way in doing these, just give me a hollar, I'll be glad to.
Brian

[VECtor Calls]

   Nice work Brian!  I like the looks of that method!

How many blanks do you think you get out of each hole saw bit?  I've never tried one, cause I always thought they looked a little too flimsy for the job.  You've obviously showed me different.   

Parker

[West Augusta]

Thanks for showing your method.
You make it look easier than it really is I'm sure.
Show one of your calls with the case.  I like the idea of a case.

[Heirloom]

Parker, the hole saw lasts a long time if you take your time with it and go easy. I run the drill press in th slower end of medium, maybe about 500 RPM or less and try not to let the saw get too hot. The one i use now is about a year old and has maybe 150 or more call blanks under it. The same with the lathe, I run it as slow as I can (500) when boring the pot out and at 1800 when turning the pot.

West Augusta, I might make a case with the one i used for the demo. I just have to put it in my list of stuff to do.

[West Augusta]

Yep, I have one of those lists also.
Thanks

[Heirloom]

Not too diffucult though, just put a bottom and a top of plexiglass or wood and away you go....lol

[JThomas]

That's kewl Brian, .... ..... Jeff

[Gobbleking57]

Thanks for the info JT. I may have to get some of those Forstner bits. I'm gonna be using the gouges and such to start with. Diving into my first pot tomorrow.

[Heirloom]

GK, you can use your hole saws to help when you turn out your pots too. just use a 3 1/2 to cut a ledge for the surface then a 3 1/4 to cut the outside edge of the chamber to the depth you want. a little measuring and you cn mark the side of the hole saw for the depth you want. Then, let the pilot drill follow the hole made when you cut the blank out. You can find these hole saws at Lowers and home depot for about $25 for the kit of arbor and saw cup. extra cups are less and you only need one arbor. After you cut your blank and the ledge and chamber edges, you can then go in woth the gouges and have a guide for your chisels to follow for size and depth. Clear as mud right?

[West Augusta]

I used a Plunge router to make the few pots that I have made.  Had a machinest mill a template and use a brass bushing to cut the shelf.  It works alright for me since I am not making calls for sale.  Just for personal use.

[Heirloom]

That's what counts, as long as it works for you and you come back with the same number of healthy fingers and toes as you left with...

[Prairie Game Calls]

 

Larry

[S Jones]

Great idea to use the scrap piece as a holder for the finished call   

[C . Smith]

 Do you add a pedestal for a sound board later or no sound board at all?

[Ron Hendrix]

Do you add a pedestal for a sound board later or no sound board at all?

Was this ever answered? I didn't see a reply regarding the pedestal and when I looked at your method, that was my first question I had too.