Author Topic: Slate Call Makers................... (Read 535 times)

Lawdog · « **on:** March 19, 2004, 01:35:31 PM »

I got my hands on some slate but it is fairly thick. 3/8" or better. Question is this how do I go about grinding it down and to what thickness? Lawdog

rsr1950 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2004, 03:16:17 PM »

slate is fairly easy to split. turn it on it's side and with a large drywall scraper split. and the final finished thickness should be approx 1/8"

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2004, 01:15:58 AM »

Hi Lawdog;
Your finished slate is going to need to be between 1/8 - 3/16 inch.
the thicker the slate is the higher the pitch or tone will be.

If the grain runs straight enough in the slate your using......then you might try to split it......but be very careful.....i have had the stuff break in weird places.....and ruined some good peices.

IMHO I would just mount it onto the sound chamber as is then work it down with a belt or vibrating sander.
it works down pretty fast.
stop from time to time and try your striker on in it till you get the tone you want.

good luck....give us an update on how it turns out

TCB

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2004, 10:24:23 AM »

Tcallbuilder,

A guy at the plant gave me some slate tiles. About 5 inches square and about 3/8 of an inch thick. Grinding it to fit the sound chamber is no problem(the circle that is) but the thickness had me stumped. Just was wondering if it could be ground down with a angel grinder? I got three different sizes I can use. Lawdog

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2004, 11:31:31 AM »

LD;
i would think that your grinder would work as long as you can work down the entire surface evenly.....but go slow.....most slate is pretty solf material and will grind away quickly.
you will probably still have to sand the surface smooth after the grinding.

What kind of striker are you going to use with it?.........I made one out of a Locust which is the hardest wood that i know of.......worked well with the slate.

Is this slate, your using, is it like a floor tile?

TCB

Lawdog · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2004, 02:53:40 PM »

Tcallbuilder,

Yes, it is old but un-used floor tile. Kind of a light gray-green in color. I have my old strikers from the slate call that got broke last year plus I have some ceramic rods from 3/16" to 3/8" in dia. that I can try. Also got some cured white oak dowels that may work. Have you ever tried any ceramic rods or oak strikers? Lawdog

XP1900 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2004, 04:57:25 AM »

i have taken slate tiles that are about the 3/8 think and sanded them down. you can even use a cement sidewalk to sand the slate down. try a belt sander it won't take long at all to get down to an 1/8". i don't think an angle grinder would be a good choice. it would take too much off in a very short time and would be very uneven.

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2004, 03:01:55 PM »

lawdog;
I dont think ive ever used oak as a striker......but it should work.....you might hit on something great.
ceramic is really good on any surface, my favorite friction call is a glass w/a ceramic striker......just seems to work good for me.
with slate i use mostly locust and hickory strikers.

I like to carry strikers of atleast two different material.....gobblers can be very fincky (here) about what they want to hear.
If a call doesent work today.....it doesent nessasarly mean its a bad call....they may come running to it tomorrow.

TCB