I've hit a snag...

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Seems like the quality of the sound of my duck calls has plateaued, and it isn't where I want it to be.  I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice or things to change, so I'll describe what I'm getting and what I'm trying for.

Currently my calls pass pretty good for a timber call.  They're ducky and sound pretty good for low to moderate volume calling.  They take a lot of air to blow and I hate that.  They don't get hail call volume like I'd like to have.  I'm using a river mallard public jig.  I drill the tone channel to 5/16" and ream the exhaust end out to maybe 1/4".  I'm using .010" reeds.  I've screwed around with where to stop the tone channel in the curve of the soundboard, as well as what seems like a million reed lengths.

My benchmark for comparison has been Echo's inserts.  That's what I'd love to get my calls sounding like someday.  I have an RNT call that my calls sound better than, but I've never been impressed with it.  I'm looking for something that'll blow easier with less air, and will get some better volume.  It would be easy to copy one of those, but that seems unethical and it just isn't something I'd be proud of.

Maybe I'm just limited with the public jig and the only way to get the sound I want is to make my own shape of toneboard, but I don't know where to start. 

Would you guys have any suggestions, especially on the fact that my calls take too much air?  Smaller tone channel diameter?  Don't ream the exhaust end?  At this point I'd try about anything.  Dozens and dozens of inserts haven't got me there.

[BigB]

Show a pic of the toneboard, side view of it would be best.  And then show a pic of the exhaust end of the insert.


It could be a lot of things, so the pics will be the best place to start.


Brian

[dogcatcher]

How deep are you drilling the exhaust opening?

Marvin

[jcz]

KC, I have the exact same jig and have recently had some help with a few inserts from a fellow call maker (thanks again) I was having some of the same problems as well as a bad locking problem. Well long story short I had .008 reed some how and changing to .010 helped the lock ups. I also was not drilling my tone channel long enough. I added a little length to it and they are easier to blow now. I also use a dremel too to dig out the channel some to make it deeper and it seems to help also.
I do think they are harded to blow that some other calls I have but Im happy with them for now. If I stumble upon something else I will let you know.

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Thanks guys.  JCZ, I'm feeling better having read what you said.  I'll post some pics in a day or two.....I have to have hand surgery tomorrow so I'll be a bit preoccupied for a day or two! 

[dogcatcher]

Good luck on the surgery and follow the Doctor's orders to the letter.  What you mess up in your body while you are young will come back to haunt you when you get old.

Marvin

[Dunkler]

I use this same Jig. I had to drill the tone channel longer and open up the exhaust a bit more

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

 Really, the 5/16" tonechannel is a BIG reason it's not efficient, and probably why it has trouble with the hail as well. Run it at 1/4" and make your adjustments and you'll get back some of that top end and ya won't pass out doing a 6 note hail. I would run a straight exhaust until you get everything else figured out, then start opening it up bit by bit until you find what you're after. The biggest thing is to make changes 1 at a time until you have that piece of the puzzle figured, then move on to the next piece.

 You can do alot with a public jig if you try, I reground mine to a custom profile. I also routinely add a an 1/8" to my open water tonebards by cutting the profile and then moving the insert ahead in the jig and recutting the cork notch 1/8" deeper. you are only limited by your imagination, so get to making some chips and keep good notes!

 Good luck Bud, you can do this....

 Bob

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Surgery went well....Kinda still loopy though.  Looking forward to having the use of my hand back...It hasn't been right for months.

You know, now that I re-read my post I'm wondering if my drill bit is 5/16" or 1/4".  Gonna have to look at that.  5/16" seems awful big...I'm betting it is 1/4".

Bob I never thought about cutting the profile then advancing the insert to cut the cork notch.  Simple stuff like that often eludes me.   

[stumpjumper]

I got tired of trying to figure out the correct tc length myself so I drilled all the way thru. I then used jb weld and started filling in the tc. After a bit I figured out where I needed to be and made another insert. She was money.
If you go to far and shorten the to much use an exacto knife and remove some

Stump

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

I got tired of trying to figure out the correct tc length myself so I drilled all the way thru. I then used jb weld and started filling in the tc. After a bit I figured out where I needed to be and made another insert. She was money.
If you go to far and shorten the to much use an exacto knife and remove some

Stump

I've done the same thing with Bondo and it works pretty well Stump.  Haven't drilled all the way through though, but that ain't a bad idea.  That's probably the best idea compared to wasting perfectly good wood on dozens of failed inserts.

[dogcatcher]

I've done the same thing with Bondo and it works pretty well Stump.  Haven't drilled all the way through though, but that ain't a bad idea.  That's probably the best idea compared to wasting perfectly good wood on dozens of failed inserts.

Buy a handful of 5/8" dowels at the hardware store and start drilling multiple depths, then cut like they are inserts.  Cheap and fast way to find where all of the "magic" spots are.  And keep notes of what happens when you change things.  Failure to keep notes can be the downfall of a callmaker.  When I first came on the forums I mentioned keeping notes, a lot of people laughed and scoffed at the idea of taking notes.  Now I see a lot of references of callmakers telling the new guys to take notes so it must be catching.

Marvin

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

I've done the same thing with Bondo and it works pretty well Stump.  Haven't drilled all the way through though, but that ain't a bad idea.  That's probably the best idea compared to wasting perfectly good wood on dozens of failed inserts.

Buy a handful of 5/8" dowels at the hardware store and start drilling multiple depths, then cut like they are inserts.  Cheap and fast way to find where all of the "magic" spots are.  And keep notes of what happens when you change things.  Failure to keep notes can be the downfall of a callmaker.  When I first came on the forums I mentioned keeping notes, a lot of people laughed and scoffed at the idea of taking notes.  Now I see a lot of references of callmakers telling the new guys to take notes so it must be catching.

Marvin

That's cuz ya da man Marvin!!!

[Braz]

You hit that one dead center Jester. He sure is! 

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Dowels are a spectacular idea Marvin...Much cheaper, faster and easier than making actual inserts.