The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls > Handcrafting Custom Duck Calls
New guy with a question on tuning
Aaron@weatheredbranch:
So I’m new here, new to call making, shoot I haven’t even been turning very long honestly, so hi everybody! So for a short intro I’m Aaron, 30yo, a vet, and I just like making things and learning how to make new things. Except for some reading (we’ll actually a lot of reading) I know next to nothing about game calls but I am very fortunate to have Darrel from Gibson Custom Calls as my uncle and will be spending a few weekends learning from him this summer, but until I get up to him I wanted to try what I could, so onto my question.
I bought the p1 jig from pintail and have been trying to make a soundboard (I know I know, not the thing for noobs like me), first from a piece of walnut and now from a piece of Patagonia rosewood. I have been successful so far as they make sounds that are kinda ducky, really more like a duck playing a kazoo and no matter what I do to the reed it just doesn’t change the sound much, I’ve started sanding the radius of the tone board and that made it very slightly better. Right now I have .014 Mylar and rubberized cork, I have .010 Mylar on the way to try that as well. I think I maybe need to enlarge the exhaust port since it will lock up but I have to blow REALLY hard to do that. Any suggestions on what changes specifically should make? Btw the barrel is a piece of fiddleback maple if that makes a difference
Al_at_THO Game Calls:
welcome to the forum. I'm not a duck call maker but one will be along pretty soon. I hope.
Al @ THO
Aaron@weatheredbranch:
Thanks al, I’m sure I’ll be getting advice from you cause I’m going to be doing turkey calls (pot and yelper) and want to do deer calls as well
Well update, bought a step drill and opened the exhaust to the recommended size and taper and cut a new reed almost the size of the entire tone board and did a little more sanding. No more locking up and definitely deepened the tone but it still sounds “fake” to me and kinda hollow? I wish there was a way to upload sound clips....
B Hoover:
--- Quote from: Aaron@weatheredbranch on March 11, 2019, 12:20:42 PM ---I know next to nothing about game calls but I am very fortunate to have Darrel from Gibson Custom Calls as my uncle and will be spending a few weekends learning from him this summer, but until I get up to him I wanted to try what I could, so onto my question.
I bought the p1 jig from pintail and have been trying to make a soundboard (I know I know, not the thing for noobs like me), first from a piece of walnut and now from a piece of Patagonia rosewood. I have been successful so far as they make sounds that are kinda ducky, really more like a duck playing a kazoo and no matter what I do to the reed it just doesn’t change the sound much, I’ve started sanding the radius of the tone board and that made it very slightly better. Right now I have .014 Mylar and rubberized cork, I have .010 Mylar on the way to try that as well. I think I maybe need to enlarge the exhaust port since it will lock up but I have to blow REALLY hard to do that. Any suggestions on what changes specifically should make? Btw the barrel is a piece of fiddleback maple if that makes a difference
--- End quote ---
Aaron, first and foremost thank you for your service! Welcome to the forum!
Please take this in the matter in which it is intended. Do you know how to blow a duck call well? It will be extremely hard to make a duck call if you don't know how to operate one. You are essentially building a musical instrument. In comparison, if you don't know the proper methods and mechanics of blowing a clarinet, building one will be an uphill climb.
I have never used a P1 jig so I don't know much about them other than their timber style design. I believe they are a learning tool and not intended to produce a finished product. Someone else who has used one will hopefully chime in. The first-hand help you receive this summer will help the learning curve, but I would encourage you to experiment beforehand. The mistakes you make now will make things more clear when he is showing you the whys. One thing to remember with any hardened jig is that you can file all day long, but sandpaper will ruin the jig.
I would put the expensive woods aside while you are learning. Walnut, hedge and cedar are good woods to use while you are learning and they won't break the bank. I have several calls made from "fancy" blanks on the reject shelf I now wish I had on the stock shelf.
You will notice a difference between the 0.014" and the 0.010" mylar. All mylar has a natural bend from the roll. Place the reed between your finger and thumb and slightly squeeze. You will notice it bows one direction. Turn the reed 180 degrees and squeeze again. It will flex the other way. The bow needs to face down on your toneboard (a smile on the toneboard). I personally make a mark with a sharpie on the "up" side. There is nothing more frustrating than working and reworking a toneboard only to find out the reed is upside down in the beginning of your call making career.
In the beginning, change only one thing at a time on your toneboards. This will allow you to see what affects the sound. As you said, you noticed what happened when you bored out the exhaust. Make minor adjustments when working with the toneboard. Two swipes of the file will change the sound. Once you change one thing, it will change something else on the insert. The old phrase in call making is, "Everything changes everything". Beyond this, KEEP NOTES! I can't emphasize enough how important it is to KEEP NOTES. Your notebook will become your most valuable tool in the shop.
Below is a link to Brian Byer's tutorial. Brian did a fantastic job of explaining the process and how to evaluate your changes. I would recommend following this tutorial while you work on inserts.
http://thogamecallsforums.com/index.php/topic,15814.0.html
Aaron@weatheredbranch:
No offense taken, I completely understand what you meant. And I can somewhat use a duck call but not well. And the rosewood was just a scrap piece of board from another project, from now on I have some “economy turning stock” pieces of claro walnut stabilizing to practice with once stabilizing is done. And your thoughts are the same as mine about tinkering with them before and between the time I spend with my uncle
And I just want to say thank you all for what I’ve already learned just from reading on this site before I even registered and for all answers I will receive in the future, and can only hope to add some knowledge one day myself
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