DIY jig?

[Bwhntr68]

Just received my first order of mouth calls supplies and managed to make a couple decent sounding calls, but I can already tell getting a consistent side tension is going to be difficult doing this by hand. Anyone here come up with a DIY jig to help with this?

[GobbleNut]

Somewhere in the back pages of the forum, I believe there are a few examples of DIY jigs.  You might also find something on YouTube,...haven't checked it myself. 
Here are some personal observations,...you can take them or leave them...   
I have been making mouth calls for a couple of decades now.  I started out using a jig but abandoned it years ago due to the limitations I found it had.  Now, I stretch everything by hand, including stretching the individual reeds in the call separately,...which, unless I am mistaken, cannot be done with a press or jig (perhaps someone has developed something that will allow you to do that,...I don't know for sure) 

Over time, I have found that, even though I cannot get the exact same stretch in every reed, I can mostly overcome that with adjustments in the cuts put in the reeds. Other factors being equal, in my opinion the cuts are the most important variable.  I also do a lot of experimenting with all of the factors associated with mouth call making...reed numbers, reed thickness and color, reed off-set, and reed stretch (both laterally as well as front and back).  All of those factors make a difference,...and very minute changes in any of them impact the sound of the call.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you should not use a jig.  Jigs and presses definitely have their advantage in consistency,...but the need to have one is overblown in my opinion.  Hand-stretching is a learning experience, for sure, but I think it has allowed me to understand the variables that impact the sound of any individual mouth call and make needed adjustments to get the call to where I want it to be.  Also, one advantage to that is that I can pretty much take any call I might get from somebody else and make the necessary adjustments in the call by altering the cuts or cut design to get the sound I want. 

And finally, I just enjoy making and tinkering with mouth calls. It is a great way to while-away the time between hunting seasons.  Because of that, I am not all that concerned about being able to make the same exact call time after time.  I kind-of enjoy the uncertainty of not knowing how each call I hand-stretch will end up sounding.   

[Bwhntr68]

I definitely understand where you're coming from, I do like the mystery of not knowing how each call will sound. My main problem I was trying to fix is when building a call, every now and then one will require far more air pressure than I would like to run it. The call sounds good, but it will be hard to do subtle purrs and clucks with it. Any idea what would cause that?

[GobbleNut]

I definitely understand where you're coming from, I do like the mystery of not knowing how each call will sound. My main problem I was trying to fix is when building a call, every now and then one will require far more air pressure than I would like to run it. The call sounds good, but it will be hard to do subtle purrs and clucks with it. Any idea what would cause that?

As I stated, very small differences in any of the various elements involved in making the call can significantly impact the sound of the call, as well as cause the problems you mention.  In addition to those call-construction elements, I am not all that certain that each individual piece of latex reed material does not have enough variation in the material to account for some of the variations in sound and difficulty of use.  Obviously, the latex used in making calls is not made specifically for making turkey calls but is made for other applications. 

Regardless of whether the latex is consistent or not, though, the fact is that most (if not all) call makers are not capable of achieving the precise combination of all of the elements involved in each call made.  The most obvious of these elements (assuming the use of the same thicknesses and material color/batch) are probably the reed stagger (in multiple reed calls) and the reed cuts.  Even miniscule variations in one of those elements will impact the call.  Add the several elements that come into play in making calls and it quickly becomes apparent as to why each call may sound a little different and/or is more or less difficult to play.

Again, though, I will state that a lot of those differences in sound and "playability" caused by those minute variations in the construction of a call can be overcome with very concise modifications to the cuts made in the call.  Granted, that is not always the case, but often it is.