All~Another month, another set of built-ins. These three will make up a built in chest of drawers. I won't be using store bought bearing glides for the drawers. I'd rather make hardwood runners (hickory in this case) and wax them for ease of use. I had to relocate a pair of plugs so they would not interfere. In doing so I had to make false studs to position the plugs where they will not interfere with future trim. Next up is running duct for the shower, stove, and dryer. Then insulation will have me ready to install the ship lap walls. View attachment 59285
Eric~Steve
I use those screws on construction projects and they work quite well. Early on I was taught to not drive screws into end grain as it would not hold well and was more likely to split the wood. Over time I'm slowly releasing myself of that constraint. It seems as though the self-tapping point and deep threads overcome a lot of the ills we used to see. At least in soft woods.
That bird is just off the hook gorgeous Bob I love it"So I'm up here in the North Woods
Just staring at a lake
Wondering just exactly how much
They think a man can take
I eat fish to pass the time away
'Neath this blue Canadian moon
This old world has made me crazy
Crazy as a loon
Lord, this world will make you crazy
Crazy as a loon.."
-John Prine
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I still put 1/4" lags through the body and into the heads of all my cork gunners. Shelf birds usually just get a deck screw.Eric~
Back in the '80s I used 1/4" galvanized lags to secure the heads on my cork Black Ducks. Never a failure.
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Today's profusion of screws made for cordless drivers - and to resist corrosion - allow me to select a lighter option. Note, though, that I have always bored a pilot hole the entire length of the screw to minimize the risk of splitting.
Not to put to fine a point on it....I have repaired plenty of decoys whose dowels had split their heads in use.
All the best,
SJS
All~
Still up to my elbones in boats (and their trailers...) but finally completed the repair of these two fine Black Duck stool. They will be migrating back to New Jersey tomorrow.
View attachment 59288
Although quite Bean-like (as in LL Bean Coastals), they were made without any mechanical connection of head to body. After just a little use, each head came off with its own portion of cork.
Instead of a dowel, I used a 5-inch coated steel screw.
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The heads were set in thickened epoxy - which allowed me to also fair the neck-body transition - my favorite part of shaping any decoy.
I tried to save much of the original head paint - mostly just the crown and eye line. The bill and face got my usual Behr colors - and the flecking is Sanford-style (as I do not own an airbrush to match the original). And, I added the all-important (in my mind) black Line of Demarcation twixt bill and face.
As is my usual practice, the bills were coated with satin spar varnish - to add protection to the always-vulnerable bill paint and to add some "pop" to an area where the wet-look is OK.
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The bodies got 2 coats of Rustoleum Flat Brown and Flat Black mixed 4:1.
All the best,
SJS
ML/Steve and everyone else great work.
Couple done a lot more to paint
Holy smokes, these are super fine works of art. They just come to life the way they've been done.ML/Steve and everyone else great work.
Couple done a lot more to paint
Makes me not want to post my stuff anymore lol. Talent is unreal in here. Hope to get a few birds done in the next couple weeks and then shop gets cleaned up until next spring. Might make a mold here and there during the season but as Mr. Pagliaroli mentioned, migration is on and birds are about 2 weeks out from being pointed at with my shotgun barrel.Holy smokes, these are super fine works of art. They just come to life the way they've been done.
Patrick~ML/Steve and everyone else great work.
Couple done a lot more to paint