Turkey Call Therapy

[BAK]

Feel a bit "boxed in" this winter so last week decided to whip up a few box calls.  The 6 piece versions aren't too bad to put together.  These are black walnut with black cherry sounding boards.

[YosemiteSam]

I was just about to give this kind of thing a try.  I have some shorter sections of maple backing strips lying around & it seemed like a good idea.  There aren't many plans available online.  Do you follow a design template or do you "wing it" with what you have around?

[Cory Mattson]

They look great
I love using box calls!!
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[Duker]

AWESOMEEE

[Will Telluteyrd]

Love them Turkey calls. Some of my favorites. I used to make mouth calls but it's easier to buy them.

[BAK]

I just took a number of measurements from a couple of old bought-en calls I had, did some averaging, and made myself a pattern.  I have a small planner so it's easy to get the wood thinned down right.

[hawkeye n pa]

Nice looking calls

[Roy from Pa]

Very nice....

[Bowguy67]

Love them Turkey calls. Some of my favorites. I used to make mouth calls but it's easier to buy them.

Who’s scratchers?

[Bowguy67]

Physically assembling calls is easy. It’s the tuning. How they sound op?

[Friend]

A quite fulfilling endeavor...

[BAK]

The 6 piece calls tune up easier than the 2 piece.  The cool part about it is no two turkeys sound just alike either.   

[Will Telluteyrd]

I made the scratchers a long time ago. Made a bunch and gave most of them away.
I tried to kill a bird with a homemade self bow, bamboo arrow with a stone point and using one of my homemade calls. Came close and shot under a Jake at less than ten yards. Pretty tough with no blind or decoy. : )

[Bowguy67]

I made the scratchers a long time ago. Made a bunch and gave most of them away.

Very cool. Scratchers are one way under rated call. They’ve prob become my most commonly used calls. Almost every morning I start with one unless it’s raining. A last spring bird.

[Bowguy67]

Year before, I called both about 5 minutes apart. My buddy took the second

[YosemiteSam]

OP - So I gave it a shot over the weekend.  There's a learning curve for sure.  From what I can tell, the box came out fine (function though not form).  But the paddle was off.  I used a 1/4" piece of oak for the paddle & maple for the box.  I get great sound out of the right side but not much off the left.  I swapped the paddle for one that came with a box call I bought some years ago (cherry, I believe) and it all works great on both sides.  So it seems to be the paddle that I messed up on.  Is there a trick to getting a nice, even convex curve on the underside of the paddle?

[BAK]

I don't know if there is a "trick" to it, other than keeping your knuckles off the sanding belt as you shape the curve.  The paddles start out 5/16" thick.  I angle the edges with the belt sander, then roll them back and forth to make the smooth curve.    

[Overspined]

Feel a bit "boxed in" this winter so last week decided to whip up a few box calls.  The 6 piece versions aren't too bad to put together.  These are black walnut with black cherry sounding boards.

Wow awesome!,!

[BAK]

They do sound pretty good, and since no two turkeys sound the same I think they'll work just fine.  I've always used chalk to make them talk but I sent one to my nephew out west and he said he rosined his and it worked really well.  I'm going to try that next.

[Roy from Pa]

More turkey therapy , 30 minutes ago below the house in the clover plot.