Can't get bronze glass to work

[milertyme03]

Hey guys, I need some help.

I have a new Bronze Glass hooks call and it sounded great when i got it a few weeks ago. I even used it to locate my wife's first bird on opening day. The problem is I cannot get it to grip at all. I dont know if I am over conditioning it or what. I tried taking the scotch brite they sent with it to both striker and call but it still does not grip. When I scrub it with the scotch brite I can see all the dust coming off and I think it is filling in the scratches and creating a slippery surface. How can I get around this problem? I have had other glass calls but maybe it is because the glass is harder than typical calls. I would appreciate any help. I am hunting next two days and weather is looking great in NY!

Thanks

[Snoody Bastid]

I'm no expert but I think the scotch-brite is smoothing out your striker, I would go 150-220 grit on the surface & striker. And I would blow off the glass surface after conditioning to remove any fine particles in the newly formed scratches.

[Cut*N*Run]

I would try 110 grit sandpaper on the glass. Sand it with a new section every few strokes. The glass will wear down the sandpaper fast and you don't want to make it too smooth. After it's roughed up a bit, get rid of all the dust like Snoody said. The glass dust is your enemy. I like a smooth striker so I sand down to 1500 and then rough it up a bit with the scotchbrite.

You might also try wiping the glass and striker tip clean with high concentration alcohol (90%+ isopropanol or denatured alcohol).

If all else fails, box call chalk on the glass might just do the trick.

Good Luck!

[Devastator]

you should use the small dri wall sanding screen that came with the call.i got one with mine.did you get one?

[milertyme03]

Yes,  I used the screen to initially scratch the call surface. I have always used scotch brite to touch up calls but I think that is just making a lot of dust. Il try using the screen but I was kinda worried that I would scratch up the call too much... Just dont want to over do anything. I dont know if it is my call or the striker that is the culprit. Probably both. I really want to shoot a big gobbler tomorrow.

[gwa]

When you do the call, you should only do the section that you will be running the striker, I use a heavy grit drywall sandpaper, tear a pc off that is a little bit bigger than your thumb, place on the call and with your thumb on the paper, keep about as heavy of a pressure as you can on it and push 1 stroke across the surface, stop, pick up the paper and do it again until you get the desired roughness. DO NOT SAND back and forth. Scotch brite works for slate OK but not glass in my opinion. This is a friction call, you need friction. The striker I treat like I am writing with a pencil and make a few circles on the scotch brite as I do not want to alter the shape of the striker tip but take the "glassiness" off of it.

[neal]

You need to use drywall sandpaper, regular sandpaper or conditioning stone, scotchbrite pad will not do the trick on glass.  I rarely scuff my striker maybe once or twice a spring and thats 60 days in the field.

[gwa]

Something else, keep your hands off of the striking surface. How protected is your call in your vest or pocket? If it is just sliding around in your pocket without being protected, the glass rubbing against the material of your clothing with prematurely smooth up your call to the point of inoperable.

[Devastator]

don't be afraid of putting some pressure on the sanding.i had to press down pretty hard to get mine started,after that i have been doing it with a lot less pressure.

[merocustomcalls]

I like what Cut-N-Run said about the alcohol.  I use rubbing alcohol on the glass and let it dry fully before playing the call.  I also use a diamond stone with really fine grit.  The diamond stone itself has to be brushed off with a brillo pad because glass dust will build up on it.  After using the diamond stone I use alcohol on the glass to clean it up. 

When I make a brand new glass or crystal call I prefer to chemically etch the glass.  It's a lot more work but I think the sound result is better than etching with a stone, sandpaper, or diamond.  I use Armour Etch which I buy from Michael's craft store.  I cover the glass in masking tape, cut out the area that I want to etch with a razor blade, apply the etching cream with a q-tip, wait 10 minutes, wipe off with a warm water soaked sponge.  I repeat this process until all the etching cream is gone.  The glass will dry in minutes and is ready to play.  The resulting etched surface will play much longer than scoring it with a stone or sandpaper.  After it's chemically etched I use alcohol to re-condition it when needed. 

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Scotch-brite won't condition a glass call.  Makes it too smooth.  You want to use either some course sandpaper or a diamond wheel disc that goes on a dremmel. 

[milertyme03]

Thanks for all the info guys. Hunted some public land today and had one gobbling that my buddy and I could not seal the deal on. It appeared he was henned up. After that, 2 different Toms busted us walking in different spots. Anyways, I just could not use the call today. I have gone back and forth with the sand screen in an effort to make the call grip. I am thinking I may have overdone it. I may turn the call upside down and re-etch that section. I will etch it in one direction and I am considering taking some alcohol to it to clean off the dust.

[Devastator]

did you make sure to clean up your striker to?that will play a large part in how a call sounds.i take the driwall sanding screen and put it between my thumb,index,and middle fingers and turn the striker in the middle.that should do the trick for you.

[misfire]

Try this: use 150 grit sandpaper, but only rub in ONE direction, not back and forth. Start at one end, push the sandpaper across to the end, pick it up and go back to the original starting point and do it again. Every so often you will need to clean out the grooves you are making by either wiping across your pants or blowing the filings off.  The other thing is to be sure that the striker tip is clean as well. I burnish mine

[milertyme03]

PROBLEM SOLVED!!

Thank you everyone for the input. I was just not etching the call properly. I really put some pressure to the call with the screen and scratched it in one direction, stopped, then repeated. The call sounds and works great and I have some new found enthusiasm. The only problem now is finding birds. All my spots are burned and I lost permission to a few that I have not kept up with. Going to give a shot at public land as I think it would be really rewarding to get one off it. At least the wife got one opening day.

Thanks again.