Section 1 Introduction Section 2 Finding and choosing the wood Section 3 Making the paddle Section 4 Making the end blocks Section 5 Attaching the sides to the end blocks Section 6 Building the bottom Section 7 Attaching the paddle Section 8 Finishing the call NEW\SHORTCUT FOR MAKING ENDBLOCKS/NEW

While it's not necessary, since you can probably find the things to build this call near you, I offer everything needed to build this call in kit form.

LEGAL SCHMEGAL STUFF

To sum it up in a nutshell, this whole pamphlet is for entertainment value. I can't be held responsible, if you cut off your fingers and or toes. Nor can I be held responsible, if you get hit by a milk truck. None of this should be viewed as expert advice or instruction. Heck, you shouldn't even listen to me. In fact, if you know what's good for you you'll cut your losses at the $5 you paid to get this pamphlet and quit while you're ahead. (You did give me $5 didn't you?)

Should you by some freak miracle figure out how to make a call while reading this, we open up a whole new can of worms. I can not be held responsible should someone shoot you while you make turkey sounds in the woods, using this device. If you're stupid enough to walk around in the woods acting like a turkey during hunting season you're on your own. I would recommend you use the call, then yell loudly, "I'm not a real turkey!" I doubt you'll get a turkey, but you're less likely to get shot at this way.

The tips provided in this document marked with the head and the red word "tip" are useless. In fact, Chip is an idiot and most of his tips are useless.

Section 1 Introduction

Why do we want to build a box turkey call? Surely, we can go buy a good $15 call at the local Wal-Mart. Fact is, these store brands sound and work well. But we're men, men build things, it's in our genes. No offense, if you're a woman reading this.

What I hope to do here is tell you how to build a box turkey call. Unlike other places you can read this, I'm doing it with a bit of humor, and simplicity in mind. Not only will we discuss how to build a call, I'll supply templates, and even tell you where to get some wood already planed down to the correct thickness.

These plans are for those that are experienced craftsmen, but also Joe Weekend fidgeter who just wants to see if he can. We will use a minimum amount of tools, and no technical terms…mainly because I don't know what half these things are really called.

Okay, let's get started. First off go get yourself a coke and sit down to read this pamphlet. I suggest you print it out and take it to the bathroom. I do all my best reading in the bathroom. Just this week in the Weekly World News I read that George Bush was a space alien.

Most callmakers are hateful old men who sit in their basements for hours making calls. Most of them are there because their wives got tired of hearing them gripe upstairs.

Section 2 Finding and choosing the wood

You better use walnut or butternut or your call is liable to just burst into flames for no apparent reason. Experienced callmakers will actually tell you things like this. Fact is, almost any wood will do. Oh, but some woods have a deep sound while others have a high sound. To this I say piddle! Any hardwood and some softwoods can be made to sound alike. (Experienced callmakers who want to call me an idiot may e-mail me at idiot@calltrader.com) But the sad fact is I'm right and everyone else is wrong, except my wife who has never been wrong in her life.

There is a scientific formula that proves me right, it involves a lot of x's and y's and some other symbols I don't remember (sorry James Shumate my old physics teacher). It involves mass and it's relation to the density of the wood. Meaning you adjust the size of the call by the density of the wood. Let's look at walnut and cedar. If we build the exact same calls one of each wood there will be a difference in the sound. However if we build the walnut with a chamber opening of 6 inches and the cedar with a chamber opening of 5.5 inches the sound is darn near identical.

If you are reading this and thinking, "this boy is an idiot" please don't waste my time by emailing me to tell me so. I already know I'm an idiot.

Some guy was on TV today saying how red meat was bad for you! Hogwash I say! Every country boy knows it's the green meat you should stay away from.

So choose your wood by what you like. Use a hardwood, but other than that there is no big deal. Some exotics like bloodwood, may look good but they're just too darn hard to work with (unless you pay me extra...for enough money I'll build a call out of anything).

For this project we're going to use cedar. Cedar is plentiful, fairly cheap, makes a good call and is just darned pretty.

Look for cedar that has an interesting grain pattern, mostly red and few knots. Cedar knots have a tendency to fall out when you least expect it. You don't want to build Uncle Howard a call and have it fall apart on him out in the field. Remember, Uncle Howard has a gun and really doesn't care if he shoots a turkey or not. He just wants to kill something and it may as well be the moron who built him this faulty call.

If you like knots, stop by a farm store and buy a #2 needle and syringe. Once you build the call use this syringe to inject a bit of epoxy into the knot. Doing this and sealing the call well, will insure the knot will stay in place for years.

For your first call drive down to the local Lowe's or Home Depot and purchase yourself a box of closet paneling. It's red cedar, about ¼ inch thick and just perfect for trying to make a call. Plus $20 will buy you enough wood to make about 15 calls.

Next buy yourself a 2 by 2 of red cedar. This may be a bit harder to find, but Lowes and Home Depot both carry it here in Tennessee. It's in their deck building section. The shortest piece they have is enough.

My wife gets mad and yells at me every month and tells me to clean up my shop before I set the house on fire with all that dust. She calls it PMS...I think that's because the name Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Let's say you want to build the call out of something besides cedar. Where would you find the lumber? Old barns are a great source. Many are made of poplar, elm and oak. All make good calls. But you can also find them online at many different places. Simply search for hardwood lumber. If you don't have a planer many of these companies will custom cut the wood for you.

Or if you like and want to support a redneck country boy click up there at the top and buy the kit from me. But I'll bet if you look hard there is a shop near you that sells hardwood. I'm not a big fan of mail order lumber. I like to go and pick it out myself. Plus I like to stand around and talk to the other callmakers who hang around there.

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