Photo by Mike Sudal

To keep your friction calls clean and sounding great, you need a call conditioner that's tough, versatile, and handy. Problem is, the pads of sandpaper that often come with calls tend to fail on one, two, or even all three counts. The solution is to make your own durable, double-sided conditioners. Here's how:

Step 1 Go to a hardware store and buy a synthetic-wool scrubber (6x4-inch, green Scotch-Brite scouring pads); one sheet of 220-grit silicon carbide sandpaper (Gator Grit); and waterproof glue (Elmer's Ultimate). At home, cut the sandpaper to the same dimensions as the scouring pad.

Step 2 Place the grit side of the paper face down on an old magazine and coat the back with glue. Place the wool pad over the sandpaper, cover with another old magazine, and stack several books on top to press the pad against the glued surface.

Step 3 Once dry, trim away any excess glue and cut into four 3x2-inch pieces. Punch a hole in the end of each piece, then run a 24-inch length of light decoy cord through each hole. Tie the ends to form a lanyard.

How to Use It Attach the conditioner to a D ring on your vest. This way, it's always available for a quick cleaning.

The scouring-pad side is perfect for cleaning glass calls and lightly touching up a slate or box. The sandpaper is ideal for more aggressive cleaning and for reconditioning the tips of wood strikers.