March work bench

[Ronald Bock]

Working on this hen to get my pair of pintail preeners completed. She's got a few coats of sealer and is ready for a final ight sanding this evening and then some paint.
I'm fairly pleased with how this pair is coming along.

 

[Don Mintz]

good stuff Ron. I like seeing this posted here on the carvers corner. I'm working on pintails this morning as well, all of them flocked, which means days of color changes and days of drying. I've got one more day of flocking before painting can commence, but that's where I'll catch up with you.

 

[Ronald Bock]

good stuff Ron. I like seeing this posted here on the carvers corner. I'm working on pintails this morning as well, all of them flocked, which means days of color changes and days of drying. I've got one more day of flocking before painting can commence, but that's where I'll catch up with you.

It's somewhat springtime in Alaska. Down near zero this morning. Time to head out to the shop and get the woodstove fired up, put on some tunes, start base layers on that hen.
I have two wigeon hens to final sand and seal too. Should be a productive day. Coffee first.

 

[Ronald Bock]

My daughter was a bit busy yesterday. She's been making mini decoys. She did harlequins and now doing oldies. Quite a busy time for us up North.

 

[FD Roe]

A few more Reelfoot style calls. Cocobolo on the left and African Blackwood on the right.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Finished up this hen today. A fairly basic gunner smoothy with a nice paint job. She was a fun project.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Finished up this hen today. A fairly basic gunner smoothy with a nice paint job. She was a fun project.
View attachment 64899

Now I need to finish the hen wigeon. It never seems to end.

 

[Don Mintz]

they are looking good. You are right, it never seems to end, but that's good.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Working on the hen wigeon.

 

[Don Mintz]

good luck Ron, they are one of those never ending paint jobs, about the time you think you are done, your not.

 

[Ronald Bock]

good luck Ron, they are one of those never ending paint jobs, about the time you think you are done, your not.

Yep. Last night I worked on the back of one. Today I got one side and the tail. Slow going. Hens are my favorite but the paint job is very time consuming.

 

[Don Mintz]

I just got through one of my never ending paint jobs. My drying room is all the way across the house, I'm sure getting my steps in with this group. I've still got to scrape the paint off the eyes, once that is done its signature time. Tomorrow is shipping day, I don't ever get to enjoy them very long even when some of these will go to my son's bag, I won't see those unless we are hunting. This was quite a crew, several eurasian wigeons, one euro/american cross, one storm and on pintail mallard. Some that will go into the decoy bag will be the pintails and mallards.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Yep. Last night I worked on the back of one. Today I got one side and the tail. Slow going. Hens are my favorite but the paint job is very time consuming.

So much closer. Few more finishing touches around the tail and wings. I'll finish up the other hen then do some float testing. Rig them up for next season.

 

[HenryHawthorne]

Fantastic work, gentlemen!

 

[Carl]

Outstanding!!

 

[Don Mintz]

Ron, that's some great progress, you must have been going non stop to get that far. I don't do a lot of hand painting, but I do know you can get in the zone and only come up for air or for me most of the time reminded it's supper time.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Ron, that's some great progress, you must have been going non stop to get that far. I don't do a lot of hand painting, but I do know you can get in the zone and only come up for air or for me most of the time reminded it's supper time.

I bring a box of my paints and brushes to work. It's slow right now during the winter. I answer calls and emails and do a good bit of computer work. Between tasks I paint. It's relaxing and definitely cuts down stress. After dinner I tinker too.
Kind of weird. When your in the zone time flies. I did the back feathers on another hen wigeon today. Slow but progressing. Feather by feather.

 

[Ronald Bock]

10,000 little feathers to paint. I shouldn't spend so much detail on a working bird but I enjoy it. I only hunt with my son and daughter so no one shoots into the decoys.

 

[Don Mintz]

Caleb still shoots mine from time to time, but they're foam so there's that. I saw a documentary about driving the Alaska highway where they called it "miles and miles of miles and miles". I've done 4 trips on the Alcan and that's a pretty true statement. I think of feathering in the same way, miles and miles a quarter inch at a time.

 

[Ronald Bock]

Finally finished these two little ladies.