# Best choice of wood for newbie



## Hunting Dad (May 19, 2020)

Gonna try and turn my first call on the weekend, (assuming my slates arrive). I have some scraps of oak and walnut to use for as a starter. What should I start with for best success of my first call?


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## TurkeyHunter (May 19, 2020)

Id go with Walnut. Looks good, turns good, sounds good.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 19, 2020)

Just FYI and all the call makers will tell you too... MEASURE AND TAKE NOTES!!! When you get the sound you want, you'll have your notes of what you did so you can replicate it. Everything changes everything. Good luck!

Reactions: Agree 4 | Useful 1


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## Gdurfey (May 19, 2020)

Just a friendly reminder: we need pictures. Best wishes on this. Don’t hesitate to ask!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## quags37 (May 19, 2020)

Walnut is one of my favorites to turn. That said, it has not been the easiest wood to get the best sounding call out of for me. I usually use glass or aluminum on top to combat the less dense, open grained wood, and make it a bit more lively.

Try different strikers with it too. The wood used and weight distribution make a HUGE difference in the sound. I have made very few calls that I can't make sound good with the right striker. Usually if it sounds like garbage no matter what, its because the soundboard is too close to the surface and I struggle to get any rollover.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## T. Ben (May 20, 2020)




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## TTP GC (May 20, 2020)

All above is great info
#1 rule keep notes on ALL dimensions 
2 read all you can on mistakes people make
3 use sharpe tools
4seal inside and out
5 use good glue marine goop or e6000
6 wait 12hrs for glue to set on sound board and surface before even trying to play
7 make sure you have a bunch of strikers to play, I've used 20 different ones before I got a good sound on new ones
8 get a wood stove to burn all your mistakes took me 50 to get one right for ceramic, lol
9 be careful and have fun

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Informative 2 | Useful 1


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

LabsRUsII said:


> All above is great info
> #1 rule keep notes on ALL dimensions
> 2 read all you can on mistakes people make
> 3 use sharpe tools
> ...


Great advice right there. Especially #1.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

Plan on throwing a bunch away until you get where you wanna be. You can take some apart but plan on losing/breaking some striking surfaces/soundboards. But most of all...don't give up and HAVE FUN!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Plan on throwing a bunch away until you get where you wanna be. You can take some apart but plan on losing/breaking some striking surfaces/soundboards. But most of all...don't give up and HAVE FUN!


My first ever pot call was back in 06 and it sounded great... still does. I thought there was nothing to this pot call business. Boy was I wrong. I just got lucky on my first one but never recorded any numbers from it. The next 10 or so I made were terrible and either went in the trash or were torn apart. Lol.

Reactions: Agree 1 | +Karma 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

It is so frustrating but also so satisfying when you make that one that sounds SO good! One of my problems is I wanna keep too many of them.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

Agreed Eric. I try to keep a back up of everything....except this year when I gifted my last ceramic. You know that story. Lol.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

I need to keep a stockpile of parts. I get down to the end and sometimes it takes FOREVER to get my order. But hey, it's all good. Now sitting here waiting for my Amazon order so I can make a yorkshire grit and friction polish.


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

I’m guessing you use Chad for your pot call components?


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

He doesn’t carry everything but what he does carry is cheaper than anything I have found.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

No I've been using Brookside and started using Grassy Creek for the frying pan striking surfaces they carry. When you order slate, how many do you order at a time?


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

I don’t make many slate calls. Actually, I don’t make a lot of any one type of call. I make more anodized aluminum and ceramic calls then anything else though. I’ll pm you Chads information if you wish. Great guy to deal with. I’ve been using him for years....as well as many other potcall makers.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

Sure


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## quags37 (May 20, 2020)

There was a really good thread in the old THO forums called "harmonics in pot calls". I can't access it anymore since the site moved to facebook. Some basic "rules of thumb" were summed up beautifully, which was super helpful. Anyone know if there's a way to get to that stuff anymore?


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## TurkeyHunter (May 20, 2020)

I actually printed it out. I will scan and attach.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

I think I read that but would appreciate you attaching it. I'll print it out too


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## Steve in VA (May 20, 2020)

Here's a tip that I did before I even thought about turning my first one. 

I took all the pot calls I had from known makers and created a spreadsheet with every single dimension I could possibly measure. I then averaged those numbers and used that as a starting point for my first call.

Reactions: Useful 1


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## T. Ben (May 20, 2020)

My first,and only one so far, I sent to Eric for his advice,he sent me one of his for reference. Have to get to making some more.

Reactions: Like 1


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## TurkeyHunter (May 20, 2020)

Here is some good start info.

Reactions: Like 1


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## TurkeyHunter (May 20, 2020)

Here are some photos of my 1st call (Walnut) and a recent couple of recent Walnut Calls (Spalted) .

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 2


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

I want that ALABAMA coin!

Reactions: Like 1


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## TurkeyHunter (May 20, 2020)

Eric I have a few left over. They are just ball markers (golf) I got off of Amazon pretty cheap (since they are Alabama). I have some Auburn ones also, but they are much more valuable!

Reactions: Funny 1 | +Karma 1


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

My first pot call.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

I still carry that first call on every hunt. Without fail, I start every opening morning hunt doing some soft tree yelps with it. Kind of traditional

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 20, 2020)

I figured they would pay someone to take the Auburn! Even if it didn't have the Alabama in there, that is a beautiful call!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Hunting Dad (May 20, 2020)

Who is this Chad guy and what is his contact info for parts?


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## Ray D (May 20, 2020)

PM’d you

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## quags37 (May 21, 2020)

TurkeyHunter said:


> Here is some good start info.


Dude, thank you for sharing this!

Reactions: Like 1


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