Give it a turn....or 1/4 turn

[Yoder409]

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.

   

[paboxcall]

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.

[Yoder409]

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.

[gdc23]

Great idea about counter clockwise first.

[Dtrkyman]

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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[Marc]

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.

[Gooserbat]

As a call builder I can say the op is spot on.

[Greg Massey]

I have always heard never to over tighten one ..

[Yoder409]

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.