I got a game call kit... now what

[Armacielli]

I got a game call kit to make for my grandfather for Christmas. I got parts, but the instructuions are unclear, and I need to know how to assemble it. I haven't turned it yet, and I don't think that'll be any trouble. It's just the assembly and how the pieces interact that gets me.

 

[hilltopper46]

Where did you get the kit? From HUT? If so the instructions from CSUSA are slightly easier to understand.

Hut sells the expanding rubber bushings that seem to work OK for me. OTOH, PSI instructions tell you to turn your own bushings from scrap wood. Either way, you will need some bushings that take up the space between the pen mandrel and the larger holes in the blanks.

You can download the instructions from the CSUSA site and the PSI site and they both offer some ideas about how to mount and turn the blanks.

Speaking of blanks, did you buy the pre-drilled blanks, or are you drilling your own? Drilling the 3/4 inch hole in the barrel of the blank has proved interesting as my forstner bit is not long enough to go all the way through the blank.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Should have had instructions. Did you get the mandrel and expanding bushings?
Enneyhow, short tut.: turn the larger/longer portion (body or barrel) using a 3/4" bore and the larger bushings. Make it about 4" long.
Turn the smaller/shorter portion (stopper) using a 1/2" bore and the small bushings, it should be 1 1/2" to 2" long. Turn your tennon so it will fit snugly into the barrel. This can be tricky. You want it tight but not so tight you risk cracking the barrel. For your first, final fitting will probably be with sandpaper.
Put the reed and plug into the stopper facing into the barrel. (towards the user) [BTW, I'm assuming this is the type of call that is assembled that way, 90% of them are. a very few are reversed)
Tomorrow, if you are still not understanding, I'll take a couple pictures and post. You said "game call" what kind is it?

 

[Armacielli]

The call I got is a deer grunt from PSI the part I have are the largerhollow thing with a long tongue, an O-ring, a thin strip, and what apears t be a small plastic cylinder split down the center. I have the bushings, too

 

[Woodlvr]

Here are the plans that I saw for their "deer grunt". The instructions link is on the top of their home page. I hope that this helps.


http://www.pennstateind.com/library/PKGCALL3_ins.pdf

 

[dogcatcher]

Here is tutorial from THO Game Calls
http://www.thogamecalls.com/PDF Tutorials/Turning Deer Grunt Calls.pdf

Marvin

 

[Woodlvr]

Marvin,
Thanks for the link to the tutorial from THO. I like the looks of these instructions better than those from PSI.

 

[dogcatcher]

This is the way I make most of my deer grunt calls. 2 pieces, the mouth piece is 3 1/2" long with a 3/4" bore and the exhaust is step drilled using a 5/8" for 4" and a 1/2" bit for the reed holder end for 1 1/2", this makes the exhaust end 5 1/2" long. On the end of the exhaust end is a 3/4" tenon that fits in the mouth piece.

Marvin

This is a different call but it shows the tenon and O ring along with the reed installed in the exhaust end.

This is one of my mandrels that I make for game calls. This one is set up for the 3/4" bore on the mouth piece, I have another that is like it except it has a 1/2" bushing and 5/8" bushings for the exhaust end.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Dogcatcher, those bushings are interesting. Something like giant pen bushings.
However, I find the expanding ones up to the task just fine.

 

[dogcatcher]

The rubber expanding bushings will on occasion let you get the body out of round. These never get out of round. After turning and sanding the call body I use a steel expandable arbor in my collet and do the ends of the call body. You can even use these bushings to turn between centers like doing a pen. I also use pin lock mandrels for making calls, but I charge a bit more for making the pin lock mandrels and most people only use them a few times a year and there is no reason to spend all of the extra money.