Question for the custom call makers here

I'm curious how many calls some of the call makers here produce each year. Just curious what kind of quantity your producing.

Perhaps you're not making a lot of calls, only doing it in your spare time. If this is the case, how long would it take you to produce a one call from start to finish if you started on it and didn't stop until finished?

I look at some of the calls I've purchased the last few years and think about how long it would take me to make one. Don't think I could even finish one. Just curious how much time is devoted to each call.

Anyone mind sharing a little information to satisfy my curiosity?

Wetzel said:

I'm curious how many calls some of the call makers here produce each year. Just curious what kind of quantity your producing.

I make generally 8-10 short boxes, 5-10 longboxes
20 or so friction calls
8-10 duck calls

Perhaps you're not making a lot of calls, only doing it in your spare time. If this is the case, how long would it take you to produce a one call from start to finish if you started on it and didn't stop until finished?


A short box takes me about 2 hours from start to finish, but that is spread out over two days.


I look at some of the calls I've purchased the last few years and think about how long it would take me to make one. Don't think I could even finish one. Just curious how much time is devoted to each call.

Anyone mind sharing a little information to satisfy my curiosity?

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Those are approximates and on general calls, nothing real fancy. Those take a little more time

Never have thought about the time it takes to produce a good call.Time never has been a factor.The most important factor is the sound for me.Sometimes it comes easy or quickly and sometimes it doesn't come at all and I have to start over from scratch.Sometimes this comes only a few times and then more than I like.I am sorry for such a general answer as I know this sounds vague but it is the way it is with what I build.If I won't hunt with it myself,I will not sell it and it goes in the fireplace most times.I have distroyed some beautiful calls that sounded awful!

Time

I have about 4 to 7 hours in a wingbone call depending what I am painting on it..plan on spending more time on them this year..labor of love..have made about 100 wingbones since last May when I started..

thanks for the responses

I probably made 50 to 60 calls since Thanksgiving; that includes pots, box calls, and tubes. It takes about 3 days for me to complete a single pot but that includes glue and clearcoat drying time. About 4 days for a box call (glue on inlays and baseboard and clearcoat), about an hour or so on a tube.

Gonna hit 400 to 500 this year in mouth calls....I hope to be selling about a thousand a year....I can build 100 a day if need be....

Gonna hit 400 to 500 this year in mouth calls....I hope to be selling about a thousand a year....I can build 100 a day if need be....

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I need to make mouth calls

David Mills said:

I need to make mouth calls

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At my price....They go quickly....

I build several different types of Turkeys Calls and work on them on a part time basis at night and on weekends.

Pot Calls: 150-200 It takes approx. 1 Hour to Cut Wood, Turn, Sand, Seal and Glue Calling Surfaces into call. I do not count finish time as the Finish time depends on wood type and type of finish being applied to call. This can take anywhere from 3-5 days depending on the finish being used and the finish that is desired on a call.

Box Calls: 5-10 Checkered Parquet Style Box Calls. I would say it takes anywhere from 10-20 Hours to cut, layup, glue, inlay, checker, hone out, sand, seal and finish one of these calls.

Trumpet Calls: 10-20 It takes anywhere from 5-10 Hours to round out blanks on lathe, drill out blank, ream blank, turn outside profile, sand, seal, finish, assemble, glue up allow to cure out.
Tube Calls: 10-20 It takes anywhere from 30 Minutes to an Hour to cut wood, drill out call blank, mount on lathe, turn outside profile, sand, seal and then finish

Scratch Boxes 25-50 It takes approx. 2-3 Hours to cut wood, glue up and clamp frame, cut out face pieces and sound boards, sand frame, glue front and back onto frame, sand entire call, shape sound board, seal entire call and then begin finishing call.