First pot call

[woodwzrd]

Here are some pics of my very first pot. Western red cedar over glass with a CA finish. I have been playing around with different methods and just haven't been happy with the results and yesterday I made a mandrel like in BigB's tutorial and got a good one. I got impatient and 3 hours after I glued the sound board I glued the slate in (at 1:30 this morning). It looks better than it sounds In my opinion. It has lower tones and it is tough to get a decent pitch out of it. I need some advice. I have about 1/10 between slate and glass and my sound board pedestal is about 1 1/8 in diameter. I am thinking I need to tighten up that gap but not sure. I wouldn't say it is dead because it has fairly good rasp just real low tones. The best sound I could get out of it was with the carbon striker in the pic.

[sharpshooter]

  I like it.
I'm not a profesional by any means but I would suggest going a little thinner on your striker pegs and maybe a little smaller on the striker heads, they look a little thick to me. I never give up on a pot cause it sounds off, I've made a couple that I didn't like the sound of so I just set them aside and when I make a new striker I try it out on the not so good sounding pots, a couple of the pots have found a new home in somebodys turkey vest with that special striker.

[Braz]

I don't know about the sound, but she sure is a looking. I love that Ceder! 

[Straight-N-Arrow]

Wish my first call looked that good! I agree on the striker comments from sharpshooter though!

[JThomas]

Looks nice.I would use a denice wood to start such as walnut , cherry or something like that if I was just starting. I like to keep pedestal at 1 inch and use a 3/4 forstner inside that. sound board 1/6 to a 1/8 off playing surface just depends what you are using for surface. Thickness on the side wall are roughly 3/8, bottom around 1/8 or so. playing surface sits on 1/8 ledge. Sound board needs clearance of a toothpick from side wall that is what I gauge mine with...Take your time and enjoy that is the fun of it and make up what you like.
 Hope this is of some help...Jeff

[Doss]

Good looking call!!

[M. Yingling]

 

[woodwzrd]

I turned a different striker out of maple today with just under a 5/16 diameter and a smaller tip and it made a big difference. It still has a little lowere tone than I would like but I am pretty sure I could sweet talk a Tom with it. Tomorrow I am going to try some cherry and shorten up the distance between the slate and glass.

[JLCcalls]

You done good!