RE: tuning your box call
A good box call should never need conditioning, especially to the paddle unless it actually feels slick or has a slick spot. If anything, use no more coarseness than 120 grit. Actual tuning is done through several means, sound board thickness, shaping the lip, smoothening the lip or roughing it slightly. Unless you have a slick condition any roughness will contribute to a lower pitch. Sometimes lowering the peak of the soundboards arc is necessary, I don't recommend you do any of these things nor should they be your problem. The most you should have to do is an ever so slight adjustment to the screw, 1/8 turn at a time, for your particular running style. And, if the call is made right and you run it in a manor that doesn't torque the paddle, allow the paddle radius and the arc of the sound board to work together as designed. The screw shouldn't need adjustment either. On a well made box call the paddle should set right at the top of the sound boards in a closed position, level. Many manufactured calls require the paddle to set back away from the screw end.
[/align]All of what you are running into is exactly why I started building box calls myself. Manufactured box calls just don't sound right.
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