How to Make a Slate Turkey Call

slate call

Slate turkey calls are the easiest call to make. They can be made in less than half an hour. All that is needed is a piece of slate, a saw, and sandpaper. This is a basic slate call but most hunters will want to tweak the sound with a sound chamber and different strikers.

Things You'll Need

• Slate
• Saw
• Knife
• Hammer
• Sidewalk
• Water
• Sandpaper
• PVC pipe
• Pencil
• Wooden dowel
• Ceramic glue
• Dry corncob
• Wood glue

Instructions

Slate Instructions

1. Cut out an 1/8-inch thick piece of slate about 8 inches by 8 inches with a saw.

2. Trim it with a knife and hammer.

3. Wet a section of sidewalk.

4. Rub slate on sidewalk in a circular motion to smooth it.

5. Rub slate with sandpaper until perfectly smooth.

Sound Chamber Instructions

1. Cut a two inch high piece of PVC pipe with an approximate diameter of three inches.

2. Place PVC pipe segment on top of the slate.

3. Trace around the pipe on the slate.

4. Trim the slate to the size of the traced line.

5. Pour a ceramic glue on to one edge of the pipe.

6. 

   Place slate on to pipe.

7. Allow glue to dry.

Striker Instructions

1. Cut an eighth inch long length from a 3/8-inch diameter wooden dowel.

2. Sharpen one end to a point.

3. Find a dry corncob with the corn removed.

4. Cut cob to about six inches long.

5. Push about half of the dowel far into the center of the corncob.

6. 

   Put some wood glue on to the dowel and then push it back into the cob, if they do not form a tight fit.

Tuning Instructions

1. Vary the length and shape of the tip of the dowel until you get the sound you desire.

2. Vary the amount of hollow space between the inside of the cob and dowel or length of the top of the cob until you get the sound you desire.

3. Shorten the PVC pipe until you get the sound you desire.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of slate, aluminum, glass or other materials can be used.

• A sound chamber is not necessary but will enhance the sound.

• To use the call, scrape the striker on the slate.

Resources

• Turkey calls