# First attempt at a pot call.....



## Bill Ragosta (Oct 12, 2018)

I know that there's tons of information on this site and I'm taking advantage, but if anyone has a simple tutorial to aim me at or a YouTube video that describes the placement of the sounding board and the size and location of the holes on the back, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll do what I can to figure it out and experiment, but I'd prefer to have them all sound good, rather than having to throw them out or rebuild them if they're not right. 

Black walnut, American chestnut and birdseye maple. I don't have my sounding boards or friction surfaces yet.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1


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## ironman123 (Oct 12, 2018)

Try the forum THO Game Calls. They have good tutorials on making calls.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Bill Ragosta (Oct 12, 2018)

Thanks, I've been a lurker over there for a few years, but haven't really looked at any tutorials. Much appreciated.


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## B Rogers (Oct 12, 2018)

Just be sure your soundboard isn't touching the walls of the pot nor the striking surface. Also make sure to not string glue from soundboard to any other surface. Those are fast ways to kill the sound. Start with approx 1/16" gap between the perimeter of the soundboard and pot wall. Leave roughly the thickness of the soundboard between the top of the soundboard surface and bottom of striking surface. Those are good places to start.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Bill Ragosta (Oct 12, 2018)

Good info B. Rogers, thanks. Are the sounding boards commercial items that you purchase or do most people make their own? Are they typically made of crystal or can you make them of wood, metal, etc.? I do intend to purchase the friction surfaces from one of the online vendors, but I haven't really looked to see what sorts of things they sell.


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## B Rogers (Oct 12, 2018)

I typically use glass soundboards. Once you start reading on THO you'll see folks use several different materials to get a sound try prefer but slate over glass produces a sound I like so I typically use a glass soundboard with a slate playing surface. You can buy them both from about any call supplier. I usually buy from grassy creek game calls. They are a little higher than some places but they are fast on processing orders. Be sure to look through the turkey call tutorials on THO and Google pot call harmonics. You should find lots of info.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Bill Ragosta (Oct 12, 2018)

Yeah, I've been looking at the tutorials now. So if I went with a 3" glass soundboard and a 3.5" surface, using a 1/8" flat to glue the surface to, I should have roughly 1/8" of space around the outside of the soundboard that doesn't touch the insides of the call and the board should have about 1/8" or a bit less between it and the bottom of the friction surface, right?


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## B Rogers (Oct 12, 2018)

That's if you don't step it down within the pot. I typically cut a 1/8" wide shoulder just deep enough to flush the striking surface with pot surface then hollow the pot so I have a 1/16" gap between wall and soundboard. You can always cut a slightly larger shoulder or leave a slightly larger gap. Just letting you know what I've had success with. I've used these dimensions in a walnut pot and had good sound. I've used with other woods as well with good results but I noticed you had a walnut blank to get started with.

Just remember several things affect sound and a change to any one can change sound. So pot material, soundboard material, striking surface material, striker shape/material, hole size, number of holes, etc all factor into the sound. So a certain size hole/gap for one combo may not work for another. But for starters, I'd recommend using a 3" glass soundboard with a 3.5" slate striking surface with the dimensions I mention above. Then experiment with hole size, gap size, striker material/size, etc. More/larger holes will increase volume, increased gap between striking surface and soundboard makes a more flat sound. A closer gap will be higher pitched. Here's a write up from THO I found.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Informative 1


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## Bill Ragosta (Oct 12, 2018)

Hee hee hee. I blew it. I don't even have my glass or friction parts, but I wanted to go give it a try and see what happened. I'm inexperienced with a lathe and basically don't know what I'm doing here at all, but I'm willing to learn. I decided not to use any of the wood that I had prepared before, deciding to use a "practice piece" first, so I took a 4" square of poplar, found my center, drilled my holes and chucked it up. I got it round and hogged out the inside, but like a total idiot, I forgot to leave the shoulder. Oh geez! I thought I would maybe glue some false pegs in there to hold the slate up, but then decided to just use the post that should have held the sounding board and not use a sounding board in this one. I have no clue if there will be gaps when I glue in the slate or not (it does appear to be a perfect 3.5" circle for what it's worth) and I have no clue if it will sound like a beagle that's been struck by a car, but here's my first failure. ;)


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## B Rogers (Oct 12, 2018)

Just takes some practice. After turning a few, you'll get into a routine and the steps will become second nature. Everybody ruins a few getting started.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## FLQuacker (Oct 15, 2018)

B Rogers said:


> Just takes some practice. After turning a few, you'll get into a routine and the steps will become second nature. Everybody ruins a few getting started.



Hell....I still ruin a few years later!


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## Bill Ragosta (Oct 15, 2018)

I've ruined 3, but I've turned 7 or 8 successfully and these last few were already considerably easier than the first ones were. Thanks everyone.

Reactions: Like 1


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