Building mouth calls - Next year prep

Sad it is over and looking ahead to next year. Wanted some input from those with experience. If I was looking to start making my own mouth calls, and money was no object (calls for me and my friends, not large scale production), what all do I need? I’m just tired of spending bunches of money for the sake of experimentation, when I feel like I could experiment with way more potential small tweaks on my own.

I’m liking this. Get to building some pal

Can wait for you to start, I’ll take 5 similar to the houndstooth ace. And what’s your return policy

A press and tape cutter from Thad Bright at Feather Ridge Turkey Calls. He builds the press that most guys use. Don’t skimp, get the press with the stretch dial indicator. It allows you to stretch the latex exactly the same each time. The setup will run you over $1K but for consistency, it can’t be beat. You can get all the supplies from Pioneer Turkey Calls. Latex, frames, tape, and good scissors are all you need.

I have this setup and am thinking about selling it as I’ve quit building calls. If this is the route you plan to go, shoot me a PM. I can save you some money.

I’ll bite, you could produce whatever calls you like, but I would engineer something up totally different. Seems like that would gain you a lot more traction than just putting out another series of mouth calls and friction calls. The spurmaster calls by Gary vine are a prime example of that.

I need a few when you get to making them that want attract dogs or tractors

PM sent pal

If you don’t want it, I may be interested

I would mirror what stony said, although I don’t know that you need a tape cutter unless you’re selling them. I’ll be getting a press with tension indicator this summer. I tried building my own jig, borrowed johnal3’s little jiggy, and without a way to measure tension it’s hard to do anything more than roll the dice with each call you make. I’m extremely picky with a call and I’ll make 10 for every one I like. I feel like with a press you can experiment without just guessing. Making calls is a lot of fun.

Thad does make a hand jig with repeatability. Supposedly, after you get the tension you like, you can set it to where it repeats that same tension every time. With a press, you can make different tension calls without setting anything. Just write down the tension before testing. I used 5 different tension settings for the mouth calls I built. Different cuts require different tensions.

Unless he has a new jig, the one I’ve used just measures the “span” that it stretches, which doesn’t provide the same tension each time.

His newest jig does have repeatability. It’s been out a couple years now.

10-4, I may look into that instead of a press then. If jughead doesn’t buy yours let me know.

I have the jig with a set screw. It has repeatability and works well for me, however you're limited to increments of .005. There's no in between say .003 or similar.I have made about 100 yelpers with mine. I don't intend to sell, I have given a few away, but my main goal was to make calls I liked and would yelp real real soft but could pop a loud note out and not fold over and squeak. I have a notepad full of notes. Some have stars beside them, some are marked out. There's a enormous amount of combinations from stretch, material, heck even tape but I have kept it pretty simple and they have worked well thusfar. To me it's fun. Other than my one box call I take and locator(crow), all the calls in my vest(or mouth) I've hand made. And I'm going to try to build a few boxes and crow calls at some point in my life. Too me that's a really cool aspect of a hunt is killing one with a call you built.

I would like that tape cutter, but I have gotten ok with a pair of scissors for my liking.

How the repeatable jig works is you start at 0, stretch to your desire. Clamp on frame of call, remove latex/frame, there is a spring device in the cast that you push the stop back to zero, and tighten a set screw. At this point you lay out reeds, clamp in, release set screw and the spring pushed the tension to the previous place. As I say it's not the micro adjustments of the press, but it was also much less expensive of a start point.

How about building me one last dozen of the red call before you sell all your gear?

Camden86 has one of those jigs and may can help you with some tips

I just recently bought a new Feather Ridge hand jig and tape cutter. That set up shipped to my door was $410. I have not fooled with it yet but plan to do so in the coming weeks.

Sure will.