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Turkey Calls => Mouth Call Making Discussion => Topic started by: compton30 on May 03, 2021, 03:25:53 AM
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So I've been thinking about making calls a lot and realized how steep the learning curve seems to be to those looking to get into it. When I began my trip down the call making trail, there was seemingly unending frustration. I nearly filled a Maxwell House coffee container before I could finally make a call that would be good enough to take to the field. Back then all I wanted was a passable yelp, cluck, and a call that could handle cutting/cackling. As I said, it was probably hundreds of calls thrown away before I even reached that level. Now as I've grown as a call maker, tailoring the calls to my own calling style, while also becoming a better caller, I can make calls that will function through all the vocalizations I am trying to create. My calls aren't perfect, and I don't sell them. At the very least, I hope this will get someone new to the hobby into the right ballpark so they don't waste time, materials, and their sanity struggling to get a turkey sound out of latex.
Here is my step by step process:
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I use a Feather Ridge stretcher these days, but when I first got started I just used a jig I got off eBay for $10 bucks and a set of calipers. It worked well, and I only upgraded to the Feather Ridge because I could afford it and it's just faster and easier.
Now, as far as what I use, in the above photo you can see:
-Small scissors
-Small Pliers
-Larger needle nose pliers
-Corn Cob holder
-Feather Ridge jig
-Feather Ridge cutter
- Tape
- Small Crowned Adhesive Frames
-Bags for finished calls
In the following posts I'll show you how I use each. In this post, I'll also tag the different latex/proph I have on hand.
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These are my combinations of latex and proph, and the side tension that I stretch them with on the jig. Use these as a baseline for your own call making. Each of us are different, and maybe you like a little more or less tension. These work for me and should get you inside of the ballpark.
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For this step by step, I'm going to be using a Red .004 for my top reed and two Blue Proph .0025 pieces for my bottom reed. I think they'll be a little easier to see than if using the clear proph.
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Step 1:
I start with the heavier Red .004 as my first layer. For most of this process I build the call upside down, as in, not the way it will eventually end up when you place it in your mouth to play. Then, I lay on the the first layer of proph with a small amount of offset. Once I have it where I want it, I tack all four corners with my Corn Cob holder to get the layers to stick together.
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Step 2:
Repeat the process if making a 3 reed call.
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With our latex tacked together, we move to the step of stretching.
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Step 3:
With our latex tacked and in the jaws of the jig, we stretch to our desired tension.
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Step 4:
With our latex safely stretched, remove the tape from the back to expose the adhesive, bend 3/4 of the way closed, and slide over our stretched and stacked latex with the tab on the backside of our stack. Remember, we're building this upside down.
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Step 5:
With the frame over the latex stack, I then take my small pliers and crimp both sides of the frame to lock in the side tension.
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Step 6:
I then take the needle nose pliers in my right hand, and pull my desired amount of back tension. Some pull until they have the front of the call with a "Smile" or " ) " type shape. Some just pull enough to get the wrinkles out. Ultimately, it's up to you. Now, with my back tension pulled, I grab the frame with the pliers and remove the call from the jig. I then flip the tab on the bottom, sealing up the call.
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Step 7:
With the call sealed up, I slide the scissors between the top red reed and the first blue reed and make my cut progression
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This one is going to be a clipped V cut, a cut that works for me.
Remember to always cut your call before applying tape. If you screw up the cut, you will waste latex and a frame, but you won't waste a piece of tape.
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Step 8:
I apply the tape. I just like to square it up on the front side, press it down, flip it over and then just fold it up over the other side. Again, this is my method, choose whatever works the best and easiest for you
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Step 9:
Taped up and ready for the cutter. At this point, you could use a template from another call or pill bottle cap to get your call the size and shape you want it and cut it out with scissors. It works perfectly well. I am lazy and talked myself into needing the Feather Ridge cutter.
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And there we have it. A brand new diaphragm ready to call in your next gobbler. If I'm doing the math correctly, I can build a call for much less than a dollar per call, excluding the extravagant spending I did on the Feather Ridge products. All in all, it is a very fun hobby and I hope this LONG (my apologies) thread helps someone just getting into it. If anyone has any questions, comments, or critiques, feel free to chime in and join the discussion!
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Thanks for sharing! I ain’t worth a ding dittily on a mouth call, but it was neat seeing your process.
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That's a very generous post. I'm sure some will gain alot of knowledge from it.
I know it would have helped me when I started.
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Great post, compton30!
A couple of things I would add for the guys that are considering starting to make their own calls. The first is that you can get into making calls very inexpensively if you wish to try it without investing too much money. You do not have to have any kind of jig, and a few simple, inexpensive tools are all you need besides the reed material, call frames, and tapes,....all of which are easily obtainable and also inexpensive.
A second point is regarding the call making materials. The various latex/reed materials available can be confusing to those that aren't familiar with it. Generally speaking, stick with reed materials in thicknesses of .004 or thinner (.004, .003, .0025, proph) to start with. Also, various colors of the same thickness of material have different sound-producing qualities,...i.e. do not assume that all materials of the same thickness will sound the same in a call,...they will not.
You can also get several frame sizes for your call making. Again, generally speaking, I think the mid-size frames are a good size to start with, although this variable has to be determined by each individual based on their palate shape and size. Call tapes are made to fit the frame size you use, so be sure to match them up when ordering. Tape color, and to some degree tape thickness, are a matter of personal preference.
The last point I would make is that just about any call a guy might make has a turkey in it somewhere. It is just a matter of understanding how very slight changes in reed cuts can make a huge difference in the sound of a call. The point compton30 made about going through a "cut progression" when cutting reeds can't be overemphasized. Somewhere in a movie I heard the expression "cut small, miss small",....or something like that. That same theory applies to making mouth calls... ;D
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I build calls on a similar style jig that I made for myself. Our building process is similar but one thing I notice is that my side stretches are a bit tighter and that I remove the call from the jig before pulling back tension. Like you said though, it's all about what works for you. That's a very informative post and will definitely shorten the learning curve for those looking to build their own calls.
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Great post, compton30!
A couple of things I would add for the guys that are considering starting to make their own calls. The first is that you can get into making calls very inexpensively if you wish to try it without investing too much money. You do not have to have any kind of jig, and a few simple, inexpensive tools are all you need besides the reed material, call frames, and tapes,....all of which are easily obtainable and also inexpensive.
A second point is regarding the call making materials. The various latex/reed materials available can be confusing to those that aren't familiar with it. Generally speaking, stick with reed materials in thicknesses of .004 or thinner (.004, .003, .0025, proph) to start with. Also, various colors of the same thickness of material have different sound-producing qualities,...i.e. do not assume that all materials of the same thickness will sound the same in a call,...they will not.
You can also get several frame sizes for your call making. Again, generally speaking, I think the mid-size frames are a good size to start with, although this variable has to be determined by each individual based on their palate shape and size. Call tapes are made to fit the frame size you use, so be sure to match them up when ordering. Tape color, and to some degree tape thickness, are a matter of personal preference.
The last point I would make is that just about any call a guy might make has a turkey in it somewhere. It is just a matter of understanding how very slight changes in reed cuts can make a huge difference in the sound of a call. The point compton30 made about going through a "cut progression" when cutting reeds can't be overemphasized. Somewhere in a movie I heard the expression "cut small, miss small",....or something like that. That same theory applies to making mouth calls... ;D
Thank you for chiming in here, Jim. I considered adding photos of me going through the cut progression but I was already annoyed about only being able to upload a single photo at a time even after I compressed them by half. So though I mentioned it rather briefly, it should not be overlooked as you mentioned.
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I build calls on a similar style jig that I made for myself. Our building process is similar but one thing I notice is that my side stretches are a bit tighter and that I remove the call from the jig before pulling back tension. Like you said though, it's all about what works for you. That's a very informative post and will definitely shorten the learning curve for those looking to build their own calls.
That's the beauty of building your own calls as you can really tailor a diaphragm to fit how you call. I prefer a lesser side tension because as my adrenaline starts pounding, Ive noticed I tend to really clamp down on a call and my calling can get way too high pitched in the heat of the moment.
It's funny, since I've been making my own, now when I pop in a call from one of the big brands, I can cluck, cut, and do some of the softer whines and whistles, but the yelping is just never even close to as easy or sounding how I think it should sound.
Making your own calls truly is a tailored and fun hobby
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Well done!
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Thanks for sharing, I was curious what the tape cutter that you use costs
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Thanks for sharing, I was curious what the tape cutter that you use costs
I think it was like $125-150. In my opinion, it's the absolute least important part of my kit.
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Compton sir......Bravo! Awesome post and thanks very much for taking the time to put it together for everyone! I have been building my own mouth calls for 2 seasons now.....I wish you made this post 2 years ago! LOL! Thank you! :OGturkeyhead:
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Compton sir......Bravo! Awesome post and thanks very much for taking the time to put it together for everyone! I have been building my own mouth calls for 2 seasons now.....I wish you made this post 2 years ago! LOL! Thank you! :OGturkeyhead:
Thank you! I could've used it myself!
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Very well done Compton30. I have the same jig and cutter but have also struggled turning out a good call. I will very much use this as a guide. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Larry
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Very well done Compton30. I have the same jig and cutter but have also struggled turning out a good call. I will very much use this as a guide. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Larry
You're very welcome, sir! If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to post them up!
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I just read this, good information and nicely put together. Your calls look really professional made.
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Thought I would run this back up to the top now that we can see the light at the end of the long tunnel between spring gobbler seasons. ;D
For those turkey hunters out there that are considering starting to make their own calls, this would be a good time to start rounding up materials and beginning to sort out the call making process. I thought I would give a little guidance on how to get started (and since Christmas is coming up, this might be a good time to hint to somebody that this would be a good present for an aspiring turkey hunter... :) )
To start, here is a basic list of the ingredients you would need to order to get started. You need to order call frames, calls tapes, and reed material/latex.
There are a few suppliers of these items, but I will refer to Pioneer products (no, I don't have any connection to them,...just have used their products since day one... others here may recommend other sources for these products)
Call frames: I would suggest ordering 50 small frames (crowned, adhesive) as a starter. Cost is $7.50 for 50 frames.
(This size frame is sort of a "one size fits all" alternative for the "average" mouth size, whether your palate is smaller or larger than average)
Call tapes: Order 50 tapes in whatever color you prefer. For the frames above, you would get the "pioneer hole tape". Cost is $7.50 for 50 tapes.
Latex/Reed material: I would order several thicknesses/colors of latex/proph. Here's my suggestion from Pioneer as a "starter pack":
Natural (or green) latex in .0025 thickness: (come in 1X2 inch pieces). Cost is $10 for 100 pieces
Natural (or green, or black) in .003 thickness: Cost is $10 for 100 pieces
Gray, red, or yellow in .004 Cost is $10 for 100 pieces
Your total investment for materials to make 50 calls (and have the reed material left over for a bunch more) is $45.00 plus shipping
(if you order 100 frames and tapes, you should have enough materials for 100 calls for $60.00 plus shipping cost)
If you invest in a call making jig or press, you will obviously add a considerable cost factor there. HOWEVER, you do not need any sort of jig or press to make mouth calls. You can make them easily with the following additional tools (which you probably already have laying around the house):
a roll of scotch tape
a pair of sharp-pointed scissors
a small hammer/mallet (or similar tool for sealing the frames)
a flat surface that the scotch tape will stick to
That's all you need to start making your own mouth calls. Now, if there ends up being enough interest expressed here in the call-making process without using a jig or press, I will try to put something together like Ben (compton30) did to show the process.
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Great post, Jim. That's really all a person needs to make a high quality call. Now if I could just tell myself that whenever I go to order new materials...
I'll tell ya, once you read about how many calls you can make for under 100 bucks, it really makes it difficult to buy one for 10+ dollars apiece.
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Thank you for the tutorial...and the instructive comments....
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What happened to the first two pages of this thread? For some reason they will not load.
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What happened to the first two pages of this thread? For some reason they will not load.
Good question. Those two pages are not showing up on my computer either, so it is not just you.
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What happened to the first two pages of this thread? For some reason they will not load.
Good question. Those two pages are not showing up on my computer either, so it is not just you.
Same for me. I have no idea what the problem could be. I believe I still have all the photos though so if we can't get a resolution I could make a new thread if the problem persists
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What happened to the first two pages of this thread? For some reason they will not load.
Good question. Those two pages are not showing up on my computer either, so it is not just you.
Same for me. I have no idea what the problem could be. I believe I still have all the photos though so if we can't get a resolution I could make a new thread if the problem persists
I’d like to see it all as well.
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I'll send a message to Shannon and see if there's a resolution. If there isn't I'll make a new thread
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Bumping this thread to see if we can get the first two pages to load. Looks like it would be a great resource.
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I did attempt to duplicate the post in a different thread, but the website itself literally wouldn't let me do just that, post a duplicate thread. Idk ????
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Thanks for trying. Could the thread or some attribute be renamed? Maybe a question for the moderator(s).
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I sure would like to see the beginning of this thread. I don't make mouth calls but I love reading about them and what goes into making them.
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Gobblenut, is that how you tension your reeds individually? Just scotch tape them after applying hand tension?
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Gobblenut, is that how you tension your reeds individually? Just scotch tape them after applying hand tension?
Yes, exactly. I tape one end of the reed material down, stretch laterally and tape the other end down. I also put whatever back (and/or front) tension on each reed by taping the back or front edges on each piece of reed material. I just repeat that process with each reed layer. Admittedly, this method obviously makes getting the same tensions on any one call difficult, if not impossible, but on the other hand, it also adds an element to call construction that, as far as I can tell, is not possible with using any sort of jig or press.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not suggesting that my method of making calls is superior to making them with a jig or press. I just enjoy experimenting with call construction and all the variables involved, and how each of those variables impacts the overall sound of a call. I suppose I look at it as being another turkey-related thing I can do during the off-season... :D