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“I began making them just a few years ago for personal use. After many botched efforts and drawers of mistrials, I finally crafted one that I was pleased with,”  Doug said. Only after his first call produced results in the woods would he show it off. After sharing his wares to fellow hunters and friends, he was surprised at the interest in them.  “I only intended to make me some calls. Then my friends wanted one. Then strangers wanted them. The next thing I knew I had dozens of orders.” Although just a young Tom himself, Wright has been credited for producing hundreds of personal calls that, in his own words, “sound realistic, are deadly effective, and yet celebrate the natural beauty of the materials.”

Slate calls, also called pot calls, are often chosen for their ease of use and authentic sound. Made from a basic round disc of slate, ceramic, glass, or copper, these calls are paired with a “striker.” The striker can be made from wood or carbon and paired with any given pot. When gently “striking” the striker across the face of the call, various turkey sounds like clucking, purring, and gobbling can be produced. What sounds like a simple gadget can be just as much a work of art. Wright wanted to make a product that would be both functional in the hunt as well as aesthetic to the eye.

Although naturally talented, Doug gives most of the credit to mentor and friend, Lonnie Mabry of Waleska, Georgia. “He probably got tired of me bothering him,” Doug said. “He was so precise and knowledgeable about everything from the many sounds of turkey to the different sounds that various grains of wood made. Combining different wood strikers with different plated materials produces hundreds of variations  of sounds to choose from, thus an endless combination of pot calls to make.  Denser woods like hickory and cherry are slow growing and thus make a tighter wood with a higher pitched sound. On the other hand, fast growing woods like bass and cedar are looser wood, making a lower sound. “I just soaked in his expertise and knowledge. I cherish every piece that I purchased or received from him,”  Doug said.

Doug seems to have a personal connection with each of the pot calls and strikers he makes recounting from which wood he claimed for the piece. For instance, “One of my favorite calls was made from a pecan tree in my Granny Wright’s yard. Because she has passed, it just brings a sentimental value to each hunt I make.” Each striker and call is one of a kind and turned by hand. The process begins with selecting a wood full of character. Wright chooses to pick his own trees and have the wood milled down. “The ambrosia curly maple is a hot item right now,” Doug stated. “It is just so full of unusual line patterns that is just plain fun to look at.”

After the right wood is selected, Doug uses a jig pattern he made to standardize the size of the pot and then hollows out the belly using his drill press. Next, he rounds the square base into the common circular shape with his band saw. Now, it is time for the initial round of sanding as the call begins to take the recognizable shape. Then, holes on the bottom are drilled to allow the sound to breathe. This is vital because the holes aid in increasing volume and pitch. A very important step takes place at this stage. The soundboard is now adhered into the hollow of the call. The soundboard is crucial. Doug primarily uses a wooden sounding board but admits that other materials can be used. The height of the soundboard will affect the controlling rollover sound. A rollover sound is the distinct transition between the pitches of a turkey noise that hunters hope to replicate. Hunters usually have a preference when it comes to the sound they want to produce. Wild bird sounds range anywhere from the tight raspy to the low throaty calls. When the soundboard is applied, it is necessary to let it cure for at least 24 hours. After it has cured, Doug will do a fine touch final sanding.

The last stage of making the pot call is applying the surface. The surface of the pot is critical to the outcome of the hunt as well as to the looks of the call. Surfaces can be made from many materials including glass, slate, or Doug’s favorite, copper. Recently, Doug has filled several custom orders including using glass surfaces with inserts such as photographs, Copenhagen lids, or other small logo items just underneath the surface on top of the sounding board. These personalized touches make great conversation pieces as well as wonderful gifts for the serious hunter.

After the pot is complete, Doug begins on the striker. Generally strikers begin with a rectangular block of wood that Doug cuts and sands on the lathe to the desired look and feel for the grip. After the handle of the striker is turned, a hole is drilled for the peg of the striker. The peg is the true striker and thus is installed as the final step in the entire process. That’s the process for a standard pot call but, never complacent, Doug ventured out and created unique and unusual specialty pots also known as cluck and purr pots to add to his repertoire. These calls add finesse to the general calls made most often and are for the most part used for soft clucks and purrs such as in high stake competition calls. These are designed for the serious hunter and produce a select sound that makes the hunter smile and the turkey cry.

Doug Wright comes from a long line of carpenters but works himself as a full-time teacher. Prior to taking on turkey calls, he piddled with simple projects for family and friends like small furniture, shelves, and recently a landscaped Lincoln Log table for his children. Creating his own personal turkey call, was the first paying project he attempted. He says he can now turn a custom order within one hour, minus the curing factor. In 2014, he launched Wright Custom Calls and has been taking orders ever since — including from his spouse. “I will continue to turn pots, calls, and strikers, but my wife told me I had to turn some wood that was productive in our house,” he said, jokingly adding that he may just use some “leftover wood” to make her a table. “Well, after turkey season!”

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Here’s my fix: heat the gun up and push out a bit more glue with a dowel or pencil. Then use that glue to attach a new stick to the old one. This enables the receiver to start feeding the new stick into the gun when the old one is completely gone. It also wastes less glue.

-David Long
Lexington, Kentucky

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Worm drive gearing enables the saw to develop maximum torque and power, SKILSAW says. Plus, the direct-drive saw has a 15-amp Dual Field motor that increases cutting speed while enabling the motor to run cooler. That should help extend its overall life. The SPT70WT-22 accepts 10-in. saw blades, which allow it to cut materials up to 3-1/2-in. thick at 90 degrees, or 2-1/4-in.-thick lumber when tilted to 45 degrees.

Adding to the saw’s durability while still keeping it lightweight, the Worm Drive Table Saw has an all-metal roll cage and cast-aluminum table top. The machine weighs just 47.9 lbs. But despite the saw’s compact proportions, its self-aligning rip fence provides 25-in. of ripping capacity, so 4 x 8 sheet goods can be ripped down the middle, lengthwise.

For other standard features, it comes with a Smart Guard system that provides a physical barrier between the user and the blade, plus an anti-kickback device and integrated riving knife. A 30-tooth, 10-in. carbide Freud Diablo® blade is also included, along with a miter gauge, blade insert plate and one blade-changing wrench. The saw’s dust port allows it to be connected to a shop vacuum for cleaner sawing.

“We’ve worked closely with carpenters, framers, general contractors and custom builders to ensure the Worm Drive Table Saw is engineered to help them work more efficiently,” says Nancy Struijk, group product manager. “With a cut capacity large enough to rip full sheets of plywood and the performance benefits of worm drive gearing, this saw will tackle wood cutting jobs with ease.”

The SPT70WT-22 will be available in late March at home improvement stores nationwide. It will have a suggested retail price of $379, and SKILSAW warrants it with a 180-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. To see a video of it in action, click here.

SKILSAW will also offer a scissors-style folding steel stand (model SPTA70WT-ST) for the saw. It will sell for $69 and be available when the saw reaches stores.

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Chris Marshall: Having moved three times with lots of shop machinery — two of those moves were several states away — I know exactly the plight you’re in. And, I will suggest a couple of options for moving machinery. If you are having a moving company relocate you, most will move woodworking machinery, too. Of course, that weight adds up fast, and they may have dimensional stipulations for how large each piece of machinery can be, but they WILL move your stuff … for a price. Trouble is, you are at the mercy of movers who may not know, for instance, that a cabinet saw should not be lifted by its extension wings. They also may not know where the center of gravity is for each machine. You know that far better than they will. So, if you’re leaving your faith in a moving company, I would remove extension wings, planer tables and lathe legs, lower a big drill press table as far as it will go and lock your jointer tables in position as best you can. Then, label your machines with advice for the movers to give them a head’s up: (“Top heavy,” “Do not lift here,” etc.). Document the condition of your machinery with photos before it gets loaded on the truck so you’ll have a record if anything gets broken in transit. An ounce of prevention, right? Treat your machines like the most precious cargo you own. That’s my motto.

For our most recent move, we had to foot most of the bill, so we used PODS containers instead of hiring a moving company. Upside: I could load each piece of machinery myself. So, I built simple wood skids, strapped each machine to it with ratcheting tie downs and wrapped many of my tools with shrink wrap. I rented a pallet jack to load them, and I made the skids large enough so that their dimensions extended beyond the machine in all directions. That gave me “bumpers” of sorts to make sure fragile cast edges and painted surfaces wouldn’t rub shoulders as they rolled down the highway. PODS were a great way to move my shop. The large PODS containers will hold 10,000 lbs. for a fixed cost, and you can load quite a bit in an 8- x 8- x 16-ft. container. It took one container to move my shop machines, fixtures and lumber.

Tim Inman: I have moved my shops several times over the years. The last move was over 500 miles. So, I feel your anguish. To be blunt and truthful based on my own experiences, you need to ask yourself how much these tools are really worth to you. If you figure the cost of trucks and movers, when you’re all done moving, these tools will be quite valuable! My best advice (which of course I did not take on any of my moves) is to sell your machines before you move, and transport the cash. Then, buy replacements when you get to your new location. Maybe it’s time to upgrade anyway. Now, I’m different! (Sarcasm intended!) I have a number of really old, heavy-duty commercial grade cast-iron machines, some with babbet bearings. Babbet bearings on a fine wood lathe are unbeatable because they don’t chatter and don’t vibrate like ball bearings do. They simply cannot be replaced in new equipment. So, I moved my machines. I really like my machines and I’m understanding that it was just dumb to pay so much to haul them around. But are they really that special? Other than owning them, I could certainly have replaced them with new or high quality locally available used machines. Woodworking tools and machines are universally available everywhere.

But OK, you still want to move them. Table saws and band saws are top-heavy. They will tip over during quick stops and sharp cornering. I know. When they do tip over, they will either bend or break. Everything will get shaken. When you get to setting up in your new shop, plan on resetting everything. Realign the table to the cabinet. Realign the wheels of the band saw, etc. Buy as many “wheels” as you can and use them. Most mover trucks have ramps. This makes it easier to get big machines on and off. Can you access a forklift? Wow! That really makes life easier – and safer. Last point if you move your machines. They are very heavy and often have sharp edges and/or blades. Beware.

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The frame is made from mortise and tenon joinery. The legs are cut from 2×6 stock, while the rails are cut from 1x material. For the bottom shelf, I experimented with a “pinwheel” design (trimmed out to allow for expansion and wood movement). On the top, I glued in a piece of clear white pine contrasted against the “blue” from the nettle kill, and then inlaid the “C” in the correct dimensions and placement from the Colorado flag.

Once it was all assembled, we sprayed it with a pre-catalyzed semigloss lacquer.

It came out beautifully unique and will be a prized piece of furniture in our Colorado home for years to come.

-Andy Broadworth
Thornton, CO

See the Gallery Below:

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It’s just a long strip of 1/4″ plywood with a scrap glued on one end that forms a lip over the front edge of my saw table. The spacer covers the fence gap, and the lip holds it in place as I push the laminate through the cut. It works great!

– Dan Martin
Galena, Ohio

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“Because the weather is so good for outdoor activities here in Phoenix, especially during the winter months, my son decided he needed an outdoor TV cabinet. Of course, he is not into lugging a big screen TV out to the patio every time he wants to watch something while outdoors.  Since his father raised no dummies, and knowing that his dad is into woodworking, and his father-in-law is into running AC power and Ethernet cable, my son challenged the two of us to build him a weatherproof TV cabinet complete with AC power and Internet connection.  Everything was far enough along to watch Super Bowl 50 during the party he threw for his
work crew and their families.  I’m now almost done with the weathersealed doors for the cabinet, and I must say it is looking good.  Lots of work but, being retired, I love making sawdust.” – Terry Olges

“I have a potting bench I want to make and planter boxes to hang on thefence posts around my yard. I live on the Gulf Coast, which is great weather, right? It takes one weekend of bad weather to ruin what you’re just
itching to do for spring. It’s frustrating.” – Maximilian Titus

“New shop porch decking; use the removed decking for shelves in kitchen and dining room. Outdoor patio and kitchen. Bench for front porch (maybe chairs also). Enclose existing patio garden fence. Replace chainlink fence with horse fence. Take two or more weeks off for travel.” – Bob Farris

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