how do you sanding a slate call? i'm dad gave me his old slate call and i think it needs to be sanded. i know not to sand side to side, just go in the same direction. what grit sand paper? any help would be nice.

Use a scotch brite cleaning pad for cleaning pots and pans. It's plenty rough enough. Just pick and line and make all the strokes parallel. Then, rub your striker across the grain of your sanding.

Side to side is fine.

very good advice , same here.

Yep, just use the back of a sponge in a pinch.

If the call is made out of wood, look at the back and see if you can determine which way the grain is running. You want the grain to run horizontal across the call, and you want to condition the call WITH the grain! Imagine a clock face... go from 9 to 3 or vice versa.

Then when you want to use the call, make sure you run your striker across the grain... meaning on a clock face from 12 to 6. I usually run mine from about 1 to 7 and make a long oval.

Just like a guitar or violin, the direction the grain is in will have an effect on how even your sound will be.... just some food for thought. But it always beneficial to run your striker across the grooves you condition into the call.

Yep thats how I do it. I also clean the end of my striker...

Sanding a slate call is important, but the striker must be free of oil and dirt also. Sand the tip in one direction and keep the form it has. Scotch brite works better than sandpaper. It will not deform the surface as much. All you are doing is cleaning it. No real need for grooves.

Don't use sand paper on your slate!!!! Scotch brite pad only