Latex .. Is it the right thickness????

[pappy]

Ok, to start with I am NOT creating this post to start any trouble, I am not naming names or companies....I am just bringing a point to the folks who use tube calls....How many of you ever put your latex reed on and the tube not sound like it did before you replaced the reed, and you replaced it with a reed you got out of a pile you bought from a person or company that sold the reeds in bulk to you....? I recently discovered something I wanted to share...look at my pic....
Now I have several digital readout micrometers and thickness gauges that I use for my call making, as I am sure so do some other call makers...and i am a trained machinist so I know what I am doing and talking about...when it comes to checking the thickness of materials...look at the differences in the thickness of these reeds I bought 100 to a bag and tell me if you see consistency??? They were supposed to be .004" and I can deal with .0005" differences but look at the broad range...from 2.5 thousands to 6.5 thousands in the same batch....Now, if you cannot measure your reeds thickness, you can do a couple things hold it up to the light and see how much is coming through the more light the thinner the latex...the stretch test...if one stretches further easier then the next it is naturally thinner...me personally....I will not be buying any more from this person...I will buy in bulk roll and measure out my own pieces...that way I will KNOW that when I send out reds with a call they are what I label them to be....another note, always mount your reed in your tube a couple days before you go out hunting, give it time to relax to the call....pappy
here is a pile of supposedly .003" in black ... you can see from .002" to .005" in this pile! and here is what I used to measure the thickness.... as you can see it is calibrated to measure even .0005" of an inch differences....

[Smooth_Operator]

Interesting, I have noticed differences in sound when running my tube calls with what I thought was the same exact thickness of reeds. I'll have to bust out the mic when I get home and measure the stuff I have.

[pappy]

yep, it sure surprised me....now I have 5 bags of reeds in 5 sizes that are supposed to be 2...LOL

[mspaci]

I like the yellow theraband you sent last time.  Mike

[pappy]

Mike....I measured it too...guess what the thickness shows?? 
.006.5"..............so now you know the thickness.....

[Gawhitaker]

good info Pappy, thanks for the heads up

[Turkey1986]

Pappy, do you sell replacement latex to users on OG?

[stone road turkey calls]

I wonder if a bulk roll will solve the problem, the single latex reeds are cut from a roll.

[idratherb]

 :TrainWreck1:interesting I've been thinking I was nuts......

[mmclain]

Get a roll of THERA BAND TAN/extra thin cut it with a circle cutter on a piece of Lexan

[pappy]

Pappy, do you sell replacement latex to users on OG?

if you would pay for the shipping I can send you some

[Thunderbolt]

Pappy.I'd like to try a few different sizes...on my mini tube....Rusty

[pappy]

Pappy, do you sell replacement latex to users on OG?

if you would pay for the shipping I can send you some