Glass Call Conditioning

[OKbirdhunter]

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Hey All,

I've been turkey hunting for a few years and have killed a few birds using a box call. Recently purchased a Dave Halloran cyrstal call and I seem to be having trouble keeping the surfcace conditioned.

I bought the conditioning stone, and after roughing up a patch of the call, it produces some really nice yelps and cuts. After practicing on it for 5-10 minutes, it seems like the grooves roughed up by the conditioning stone seem to flatten out or get smooth, and the striker wants to slide across the face of the call, not producing very good sound.

I've tried using less pressure between the striker and the call, but then the call doesn't produce as good a sound. Is conditioning the surface a few times each hunt just part of the deal with glass calls or am I doing something wrong here?

[Turkeytider]

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Hey All,

I've been turkey hunting for a few years and have killed a few birds using a box call. Recently purchased a Dave Halloran cyrstal call and I seem to be having trouble keeping the surfcace conditioned.

I bought the conditioning stone, and after roughing up a patch of the call, it produces some really nice yelps and cuts. After practicing on it for 5-10 minutes, it seems like the grooves roughed up by the conditioning stone seem to flatten out or get smooth, and the striker wants to slide across the face of the call, not producing very good sound.

I've tried using less pressure between the striker and the call, but then the call doesn't produce as good a sound. Is conditioning the surface a few times each hunt just part of the deal with glass calls or am I doing something wrong here?

I`m interested as well. I experience the same thing with my Crystal Mistress. I`m pretty sure the conditioning of both the pot and striker will only last so long.

[MDTOM84]

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For me it's very common to condition a glass/crystal call a few times during a hunt. I do use a stone but I like drywall screen way better. I feel like when conditioning with drywall screen it stays conditioned longer

[Pooh4459]

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Agree try drywall screen much better.

[va longbeard]

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Drywall screen here as well.

[bbcoach]

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Drywall screen for me as well.  With glass or crystal, I've found drywall screen doesn't clog up as much as sand paper.  Don't be afraid to bare down on the screen either.  You want friction so scratch the surface well.  Also only scratch the playing surface one way and play 90 degrees to that.

[singlestrand]

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What grit drywall screen?

[Bowguy]

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Do you know what bbcoach meant? If you were using a stone, (which should be hardly at all, )sanding screen or sandpaper only drag the conditioning item from say a 9 to 3 direction. Do not reverse back n forth. You’re trying to make grooves not flatten them. The grooves should be perpendicular to the way you run striker.
I’d prob use about an 80 grit screen, 100 would work too.
The mistress is one of the crystal calls I have that seem to hold the conditioning the best. Each time you break the glass w a stone you take a bit off so if not overuse that.

[Turkeytider]

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Do you know what bbcoach meant? If you were using a stone, (which should be hardly at all, )sanding screen or sandpaper only drag the conditioning item from say a 9 to 3 direction. Do not reverse back n forth. You’re trying to make grooves not flatten them. The grooves should be perpendicular to the way you run striker.
I’d prob use about an 80 grit screen, 100 would work too.
The mistress is one of the crystal calls I have that seem to hold the conditioning the best. Each time you break the glass w a stone you take a bit off so if not overuse that.

That's interesting. I was watching David Halloran condition a Crystal Mistress. He used both a conditioning stone and grit screen. He used a back and forth motion from 9-3. I guess the definition of conditioning in "one direction" means different things to different folks!

[Bowguy]

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You could do what you like but the point is not to smooth anything out. If you go back you could wipe ridges you created off. That’s something you don’t want to do

[Turkeytider]

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You could do what you like but the point is not to smooth anything out. If you go back you could wipe ridges you created off. That’s something you don’t want to do

Thanks. I'll try that and see if it holds the conditioning longer.

[M,Yingling]

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Hey All,

I've been turkey hunting for a few years and have killed a few birds using a box call. Recently purchased a Dave Halloran cyrstal call and I seem to be having trouble keeping the surfcace conditioned.

I bought the conditioning stone, and after roughing up a patch of the call, it produces some really nice yelps and cuts. After practicing on it for 5-10 minutes, it seems like the grooves roughed up by the conditioning stone seem to flatten out or get smooth, and the striker wants to slide across the face of the call, not producing very good sound.

I've tried using less pressure between the striker and the call, but then the call doesn't produce as good a sound. Is conditioning the surface a few times each hunt just part of the deal with glass calls or am I doing something wrong here?

   What all conditioning  supplies come with the call ?    normally thats what works

[bbcoach]

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Most condition 9 to 3 (left to right) and run their striker 12 to 6 (top to bottom). Remember friction is your friend, so grooves are your friend when it comes to crystal or glass.

[Turkeyman62]

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Don't know how true it is and can't remember who the callmaker was. But using drywall screen your fingertips will leave oil on the surface. I always use a stone.

[MDTOM84]

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Don't know how true it is and can't remember who the callmaker was. But using drywall screen your fingertips will leave oil on the surface. I always use a stone.

I fold my screen into a "L" shape so my fingers never get close