The old timers know this. I've done it literally hundreds of times.
Yesterday, the mailbox gave up a nice, older box call I bought on eBay. It's a higher end, production call. I unpacked it and gave it a few scrapes. Nuh uh. Went back and grabbed my "box call repair kit"..............better known as a "Phillips head screwdriver". I eyeballed the paddle and it looked to be sitting just a whisker low on the screw side. 1/4 turn counter clockwise.......run the call. Nope. Another 1/4 turn.........run the call. Sorta. But nope. Another 1/4 turn counter clockwise. There it was !!! 3/4 of a turn of a screwdriver took the screech owl out and filled it up with turkey.
Back when I was doing sports shows, conventions and expos for a call company, I spent a lot of time with the screwdriver out on my Leatherman. When box calls are being made and tuned 1000 or 5000 at a time, they won't always get that last little tweek that turns "oh, OK" into "oh, WOW !!".
I ALWAY start by going counter clockwise. Better to over-loosen right from the get-go than over-tighten. It IS possible to split an end block if you go all gorilla tightening. 1/4 turn at a time, whichever way you're going.......keeps you from over-tightening AND keeps you from going PAST the sweet spot.
Yep, good advice right there - loose first then go from there. Sometimes the difference between awful and awesome can be as little as 1/8th turn. Over time the box call wood will change, and a fine tune is needed.
If you are adjusting a production call, and not concerned about value, not a bad idea to mark where you start with a dot using a sharpie. A dot on the screw and the paddle so you know how to get back to where you started.
Quote from: paboxcall on January 23, 2020, 08:51:29 PM
Sometimes the difference between awful and awesome can be as little as 1/8th turn.
True story.
When you're finally dancing right around the sweet spot, it can take a very little bit of a turn to find it............or go right past it.
Great idea about counter clockwise first.
I've got my box call marked, get it out every spring and see how it sounds.
Usually a little turn one way or the other tunes it right up!
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Great post and thread....
Just tuned a call that sounds better already with this knowledge.... I am embarrassed to say, that this type of tuning never occurred to me before.
As a call builder I can say the op is spot on.
I have always heard never to over tighten one ..
You heard correctly.
A wood screw is, essentially, a coarse-threaded wedge. Wedges do what to wood ?? Yep. Don't wanna split your end block.