turkey calls from scrap bow wood

[rmorris]

I collect a lot of scrap wood while making bows and since turkey season is less than 3 weeks away here is what I do with some of my scrap wood .
You will need:
Supplies:
 a piece of wood about 6.5X1.5X1.5" (Body)
a piece  of wood about 9X 1.75X 1/3" (lid)
2 thin scrap wood at least 1.5" tall by 6.5" long (Sound board)
wood glue
a screw
a spring
a template
Tools:
Table saw
Band saw
Drill Press
Belt sander

[rmorris]

First thing you will need to do is make sure your Box is square.
 
You will then need to change the tilt of your table saw blade to about 4-5 Degrees.
 
Then set your fence about 1-1/8" away from the base of the blade and 1-1/4" high.
 
 
Now you will make 2  passed of Body block of wood creating this.
 

[rmorris]

Download the template and use them to trace the pattern on your Block and Lid pieces of wood and  then cut out on the band saw.
 
 
 
 
 
Now go to the sander and clean up any band saw marks.
 

You will now take the small pieces of 1.5" tall by 6" long pieces of wood (in my case 1.5X12") and make it the same thickness as your table saw blade cuts. My table saw blade cuts out a slot about .105" so I then sand down my strip of purple heart to be .105" thick.
 

[rmorris]

You will then use wood glue to glue on the purple heart strips into the table saw blade groves.
 
While the glue sets up take the lid and sand it to a nice rounded shape. I rough shape mine with the belt sander then use an old strip I cut out of an old belt to make everything uniform and remove flat spots.
 
 
 
I find the turkey call makes better sounds if the sanding directions go from back to front opposed to side to side so I do another quick sanding on the belt sander.

[rmorris]

Next you will need to drill a hole in the lid, I do this by measuring the diameter of the screw and then adding about .020" for the drill size.
 
 
I then countersink each side once so the screw sits flush and the other side keep the spring in place.
 
 
I get my springs form used household cleaning spray bottles. I then measure the diameter of the spring and then also use about .020" bigger drill bit and drill down about 1/2". I also drill a small relief hole for the screw.