Thanks to its ease of use and realistic sounds, the pot call, also known as the friction call, is a favorite choice for both beginner and novice turkey hunters. Its ability to recreate a hen’s yelps, cuts, clucks and purrs makes it a must-have piece of equipment for the turkey woods.
To maximize the potential of a pot call, not only does the hunter need to know the best techniques for use, but he or she needs to regularly condition and care for the call.
Pot calls have four main parts – the calling surface, sound board, pot and striker/peg. Generally, the calling surface is made of one of four main materials – slate, glass, crystal and aluminum.
The friction created when you rub the striker across the calling surface makes the turkey sound. In order to produce the friction needed to make realistic turkey sounds, the call must maintain a roughened surface. The goal is to have as much friction as possible between the surface of your call and the tip of your striker. Overtime, the moisture and oils from your hands can cause the surface of your call to get slick, which negatively affects the sound it produces. For this reason, you need to regularly condition (roughen up) the calling surface.
Chris Parrish, Knight and Hale pro staffer, recommends conditioning your call frequently to ensure it produces the best sound during each use.
To condition your call, you’ll need to use sandpaper or Scotch Brite pads, depending on the surface material. A Call Conditioning Tool is ideal for preparing surfaces for all friction calls.
“First of all, with any friction call, you don’t want to sand the surface in a circular movement,” Parrish said. “You want to sand across the grain in the same direction or in a back and forth direction. That way, when you run the striker across the surface, you’re running across the grain, which will create realistic turkey sounds. Running with the grain can create skips and misses, which will negatively affect the sound. Sanding the same way each time will keep your calling consistent.”
For slate calls, such as the Long Spur Slate Pot Call, Parrish recommends using a Scotch Brite pad, rather than sandpaper, which can “dig in” and wear out the surface more quickly. You can find Scotch Brite pads at stores such as Walmart or Home Depot.
For aluminum calls, such as the Long Spur Aluminum Pot Call, Parrish recommends using 120-grit sandpaper. “This size sandpaper helps to ensure that you don’t create big grooves on the aluminum surface. You want nice, fine grooves to produce realistic calls.”
To condition a crystal or glass call, such as the Long Spur Glass Pot Call, you’ll first want to prep the call using a glass tool or glass stone, which is essentially just a fine grit whetstone.
“Then take 80- to 100-grit sandpaper and finish prepping it,” Parrish said. “The stone is tough enough to cut the glass; then the sandpaper can roughen it up.”
For ceramic calls, like the Ol’ Yeller Classic Ceramic Turkey Pot Call, Parrish likes to use 220-grit sandpaper.
“You need to use a fine sandpaper because the ceramic surface can wear easily. Scotch Brite isn’t quite enough to cut and take out the striker line. Ceramic usually doesn’t take as much sanding as some of the other call surfaces.”
In addition to conditioning your friction calls, you want to protect them as well. Purchase a case or protective cover for your calls. After prepping them and when you’re not using them, put them in that case.
Parrish said the striker needs prepping as well to remove the particles of aluminum, slate, ceramic, glass or crystal on the tip. To prep the striker, just take a piece of sand paper or Scotch Bright and sand the tip.
“After I condition the tip, I put a drill bit cover on the end,” he said.” It will slide right over the striker tip to protect it.”
With the proper care and conditioning, a good pot call can provide you with years of effective calling in the turkey woods.
Friction turkey calls like pot calls and glass calls require proper surface preparation to produce realistic turkey sounds. Sanding the call’s surface creates microscopic grooves that generate friction when the striker is dragged across it. For glass surface game calls, choosing the right grit sandpaper is key to optimal sound performance.
Why Sandpaper is Needed for Glass Calls
The glass surface of calls like the Knight & Hale Long Spur Glass Pot Call is slippery smooth when new. This prevents sufficient friction with the striker peg, resulting in poor sound quality. Sanding the glass transforms the surface to just the right amount of roughness.
Without sanding, the glass can become slick during calling as moisture and skin oils accumulate. This gradually degrades the friction and realism of the sounds. Periodic re-sanding restores the surface for ideal friction.
Sandpaper Grits for Glass Turkey Calls
For sanding glass a relatively coarse grit in the range of 60-100 is typically used
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60-80 grit – This very coarse sandpaper cuts aggressively for heavy resurfacing of worn glass
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80-100 grit – The most commonly used range for typical glass call sanding. Provides ideal friction properties.
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100-120 grit – Slightly finer sandpaper for quicker reconditioning between hunts. Still provides adequate roughness.
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150+ grit – Too fine and polished for glass call surfaces Friction will be insufficient for realistic turkey sounds
Sanding Technique Matters Too
In addition to choosing an appropriate coarseness of sandpaper, proper sanding technique is also critical:
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Always sand in straight lines along the length of the call surface. Never sand in circles.
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Sanding direction should be perpendicular to the direction the striker peg will be pulled. This maximizes friction.
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Apply moderate pressure and sand the entire surface evenly for uniform roughness.
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Occasionally fold the sandpaper to expose fresh grit and avoid polishing.
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Clean call surface after sanding to remove any residue or debris.
Other Glass Call Conditioning Tips
In addition to sandpaper, there are some other useful products for conditioning your glass pot call:
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Glass call stones – These are like sharpening stones for glass. Use for heavy restoration of smooth surfaces.
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Scotch Brite pads – General cleaning pads can be used for quick touch ups between hunting trips.
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Call conditioning tools – Products like the Frictionite scraping tool combine a carbide cutter and sandpaper for one-step resurfacing.
What About Sanding the Striker Peg?
Your striker peg also needs occasional sanding to remove aluminum and glass buildup and maintain a sharp, conditioned edge:
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Use 220 grit sandpaper to lightly condition the sides and tip of the striker peg.
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Take care to not over-sand and overly round the sharper striker edges.
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Protect the reshaped striker tip with a drill bit cover when not in use.
With the right sandpaper grit and technique, you can transform the glass surface of your pot call into the perfect friction platform for authentic yelps, clucks and purrs that will call gobblers into range. Taking the time to properly condition the glass before each hunt will enable you to sound like an lovesick hen and bring spring thunder.
How To Condition a Glass Surface Pot Call
FAQ
What grit sandpaper to use on glass?
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