December workbench

J

Joel Huener

Member
Good morning all,

Here's an urn decoy that I carved for my black lab Bailey. She left us in early September and had been with us for 14 years. Now she can continue to hunt with my son and I (although she'll have to wait until next year - we've been frozen over for more than a month now). It floats well, but at a little over 4 lbs., I don't anticipate packing it back in to any beaver ponds - she'll hunt from a boat. We don't get a lot of black ducks in NW MN, but the big dark decoys stand out well, and they're always a fun surprise when they visit a decoy spread.


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I don't normally do exposed wings except on preeners, but took some artistic liberties with this one just to have an excuse for a splash of purple. Hollow cedar with ashes, basswood head and painted in Traditions.



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Between flooding and being dogless, it's been a quieter fall than usual, but we'll get back on track.

Joel
 
It's been a very long time since I had anything to contribute to the workbench thread. This one has been staring at me from a shelf un-painted for almost 6 years. It was meant to be a companion to the drake mallard in the second photo but I just never got around too it. Paint colors are courtesy of Steve Sanford's home depot list. HD tan cork body, Pine bottom and tail, and Basswood head. The keel will be Mahogany left over from my Devlin Cackler build. Again its been a long time and practice make perfect so I need to get back too it.

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Steve sent me a picture of a neat little hummingbird decoy about six months ago that he thought my carving club might enjoy doing. I had been pestering the club to work on that one and we finally got to start it.

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Wow Pat, that is incredible, I love them! For some reason that top group reminds me of Chinese Dragons ,especially the bottom left "reacher" of the top picture. I don't really keep track of who's who here, but are you the same guy that makes those awesome Hoodies?
 

Patrick -

It all works.

Really like the humpback body, head, bill, stout tail & Jazzy paint.

Very easy on the eyes.

Yer Decoys have style, and will get better with use.


Best regards
Vince
 
Funky little group, Patrick! Have you floated them, better yet gunned over them? If so, how did they ride? Design makes me think that they would swim in current.[;)][cool]
 
Patrick, very distinct and eye-holding design! Have you weighted them to balance and self-right yet?
 
Paul Mc said:
Wow Pat, that is incredible, I love them! For some reason that top group reminds me of Chinese Dragons ,especially the bottom left "reacher" of the top picture. I don't really keep track of who's who here, but are you the same guy that makes those awesome Hoodies?
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul
Yes I made the hoodies
 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Patrick -

It all works.

Really like the humpback body, head, bill, stout tail & Jazzy paint.

Very easy on the eyes.

Yer Decoys have style, and will get better with use.


Best regards


Vince
Click to expand...



Thanks Vince
 
george w said:
Funky little group, Patrick! Have you floated them, better yet gunned over them? If so, how did they ride? Design makes me think that they would swim in current.[;)][cool]
Click to expand...

George
Have not floated them yet, hopefully they swim!!
Thanks Pat
 
RLLigman said:
Patrick, very distinct and eye-holding design! Have you weighted them to balance and self-right yet?
Click to expand...

RL Thanks
Im going to float and weight them.
My idea is, i have copper tube 1/2", 3/4", 1" and 11/4" cutting them to 1" then filling with lead and then hopefully I can drill and insert them in the keel or if needed in the bottom of the decoy
I also want to make copper rings for the line to attach to.
Just trying to figure them out
Pat
 
I noticed the peened copper inserts in the decoy line holes in the keels. You can also pick-up some cheap lead shot and use this for weighting an balancing. IF you have a doweling jig, you can also drill into the keel from the stern and either enlarge the hole, lengthen the hole, or add more shot. You can cap the hole with an epoxied dowel plug of the same wood, either via purchase or using a dowel cutter to make some from your scraps.

I am "fighting" with some high head redheads and a can that don't extend as far away from physical center as your birds, shifting the weight well aft to get them to balance was my first move...

You can cover a large bucket or tub with a dry cleaner bag, after you have nearly filled it with water to test float decoys without getting them soaked each time they get immersed.

Again, very nice look to your birds and good luck!!
 
Patrick~


I'm thinking this must be your StyleMaster line of gunning stool - fabulous all around!


Here are a few Wildfowlers I just re-painted for a good friend - all from Point Pleasant, NJ and all with Balsa bodies.



Broadie-Beak Drake....


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His Hen....


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A nice Hen Can....


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Whenever I can, I "memorialize" the Wildfowler brand/stamp by sealing it with spar varnish and then NOT covering it with paint.


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All 3 birds had nice crisp brands.


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All the best,


SJS

 
Good morning, Joel et al~


Some more Black Ducks in the mix. Here are two veterans - both from Great South Bay - that needed some major repairs.


The natural cork on this bird was crumbling badly - a common fate when cork dries out. It came to me in several pieces. I used a "soft" adhesive - BoatLife Caulk - rather than epoxy or polyurethane - in deference to the fragile cork. I then saturated the cork to arrest the deterioration.


View attachment sm 06 CWK Corker 03.JPG



This bird is from Bellport Bay - the only place I know of where lengths of chain were used for ballast. A very practical solution, in my opinion.


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This is a Balsa-bodied Black Duck from Old Saybrook.


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Re-attaching the head was a technical challenge - quite a bit of wood had gone missing over the years. I oiled this body too - too arrest the drying and crumbling of the Balsa.



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The brand proves the Connecticut "birthplace".


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Slowly making progress on these Joe Pendergast Blacks and Mallards. The bodies on all of the Blacks have been burned and oiled (Linseed Oil) - but only one has his head re-painted. The Mallards are wearing about half of their new topcoats.


View attachment sm 11 Sarno - Pendergast 7 in prep.JPG



All the best,


SJS

















 
Steve, first I want to thank you for the tutorials on your website, the paint colors in particular were a great help lately. I've just never been good at bending acrylics.

Secondly I find the repair/refurbishing/restoration work you're doing on decoys fascinating! Great job keeping the history of the sport alive. That chain ballast is such a simple and effective solution its hard to believe it wasn't done more often. It also has me thinking of using chain as a readily available solution for decoy anchors. I'll have to look at weights and costs, but lead seems to get more expensive every year.

Awesome stuff everyone!
 

Steve -

Your rehabs are always first rate, but the work you do on the Wildfowlers really makes me smile.[smile]

In my world Wildfowlers were the best factory decoys to hit the water.

That your dedication and passion, gets them back out there where they belong, is a wonderful thing.


Best regards
Vince
 
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