Author Topic: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome  (Read 3041 times)

Offline Rpayne

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First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« on: February 21, 2019, 09:47:59 PM »
Just finished putting together my first attempt at a box call. Used a 6 piece construction. All pieces are red oak. I know that’s not the ideal wood but wanted to give it a shot before purchasing more expensive materials. The call functions but doesn’t have the desired tone. My wall thickness is 3/16 of an inch set to 7 degrees and the paddle is profiled from 3/8 in the center down to 1/8 on the edges. Any input on where to start tweaking the call to achieve better sound would be greatly appreciated

Offline Rpayne

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Re: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2019, 10:12:05 PM »
Pics of the call

Offline FDR

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Re: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2019, 01:35:44 PM »
https://www.shipleysoutdoors.com/Plans&%20Directions/bcdirections.pdf

I am not an expert but I suspect your sound boards (sides) are too thick. Poplar is available at the big box stores (Lowes and Home Depot) and might be a better choice for sides.

Fred
Fred Roe
Reelfoot, the original duck call. What's on your lanyard?

Offline Rpayne

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Re: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2019, 11:32:00 PM »
 :ban: that was my initial plan to use poplar for the sides but at our local Lowe’s I couldn’t find any boards with the proper grain orientation so I opted to use the red oak for the sides instead. All the poplar they had available would have put the grain pattern in the sides almost vertical. May attempt to make another one similar to this one but plane the sides down to 1/8 inch. I used a Dremel to thin the rear portion of the sides down and it was a drastic improvement but still not exactly where I would like it. Yelps are decent but a good cluck/cutt is hard to produce.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2019, 08:45:30 AM by Al_at_THO Game Calls »

Offline BigB

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Re: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2019, 09:16:29 PM »
Walls are too thick yet.
Brian
You won't get money rich in this hobby.  The richness is in the culture, the craft, the friends you meet along the way, and being able to call in a wary game animal with a call that you made with your own hands.

 

Offline Flydown Custom Calls

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Re: First attempt at a box call. Input welcome
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2019, 03:27:41 PM »
I make a similar style of box and have had great results. Here’s a few pointers. Keep in mind I’m not nearly as experienced as some of the guys on here. I’ve made a few hundred boxes and learned a lot in the process.

Side walls are too thick. Try making your grooves in your base 1/8” with a table saw blade set at 5/7 degrees and about 1/16” high. Plane your walls to 1/8”. Just make sure they fit easy cause glue will cause the wood to thicken and you may not be able to fit the side walls in place. Make sure your side walls are the same height cause if not you will only be able to achieve the sound you want out of one side of the box. Heavier wood seems to make a better paddle (bloodwood, Purpleheart, walnut, yellowheart, and ebony are my preferred). Less dense wood works well for the side walls (I prefer black limba, poplar, or cedar). Hope this helps get you in the right direction.

Josh
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