I am attempting to make a duck call for the very first time, I have browsed Youtube for the answers I seek but can't really find anything.

I need to know how thin i can/need to turn the blank? the instruction basically says nothing more than the length of the blank should be 3 1/2" then turns right around and says 3" Width is supposed to be 1 1/2 then turns right around and says 1" other than that it says NOTHING. On youtube all I get is all I already know which is to drill a 5/8" hole through the blank. There is no metal collar as some have on the insert end or that would at least give me an idea of what it needs

I will be using Cocobolo.

 

The kit will be a Arkansas Magnum kit (single reed).

Any help at all would be appreciated

Charles

Charles,

I found this information. Although not exactly what you asked, it might give you some ideas-

 

http://www.pintailwaterfowl.com/duck-call-jigs/optimal-dimensions-for-our-public-jig/

 

 

Thanks Lew, that answers a question I had about making my own inserts so that info is still useful , but in my case I am wanting to make the barrel. What I may wind up doing is just getting dimensions from the insert and making a barrel that looks right, around it.

When I was teaching I had a couple guys make duck calls. One guy I had in class worked some in the evenings for a guy that was making lots of them. We got the calls from Penn State and followed the directions there and they seemed to work out pretty well. If I were you I'd try one out of a piece of cheap stock just to see how it works out and see if everything fits like it should, then if it does move on to your good piece.

Thanks Roy I think that is indeed the best route to go.

 

 

Well, there it is. The first of hopefully many duck calls. I do have issues with it though. The instructions and many YouTubers say to drill a 5/8 hole in the blank for the air to go through, but that is actually (in my opinion) a bit too lose. It doesn't take any pressure at all really, to pull the call apart. Not a good thing I don't think. Sure you want access to the reed so you can make adjustments if you want to, but there I think should be some effort placed in pulling it apart. So I think what I will do is make another piece and drill a 9/16' hole instead of 5/8" I think that I will also make it somewhat smaller in diameter.

Live and learn I guess.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome.

That transition area just below the mouthpiece is always the thinnest part on any of my calls and I try to keep the walls there at a minimum around 3/16" thick, but I'm usually a little closer to 1/4". Sometimes a little thinner or thicker depending on what material I'm using and what kind of sound I'm after (both of which are also related).

Thanks. The mouthpiece wall in this case worked out to about 1/4" wide then necked down to about 3/16, then very quickly widens out again to finally end at about 1/2" wide at the back, which personally I think is too much, but that's ok, after I get done with the current project, I will remake it and see how that goes.

Thanks for your input

 

You'll eventually find your own style and things will only get better from there. One thing I will advise though is to try and incorporate a a style that includes a metal band of some sort at the insert end so you don't end up with any splitting on you... or worse, splitting on whomever you give or sell a call to. I've had a couple do that to me when I first started playing around with duck calls.

OK Thanks. This particular one, the Arkansas Magnum, didn't come with a band or lanyard so I had to basically wing it. I hate doing that lol.

I have no idea where you're doing your shopping now, but Check out Echo Calls online to see if you can work their call making stuffs into your projects.

 

 

 

OK Thanks I will.

 

 

Moved to the live Turners Forum from archives.