February workbench
- Thread starter Don Mintz
- Start date
Ronald Bock
Active member
I learned that back in the 80's after I finished a bird and the wood checked on one side. I cut the bad side off and mounted it in a picture frame ( with plywood behind to hold it). It works nice if you have a damaged decoy. Half can be used front or side etc.
Ronald Bock
Active member
I've got this half dozen harlequin gunners all sealed up. I'll put the eyes in this afternoon then their ready for a couple coats of primer. I'll take them over to my daughter Jheri's for one of her awesome paint jobs. ( I did an extra bird just in case).
Michael McCord1
Member
When I was picking up on the juvenile hunt I noticed this wood duck’s paint had blistered up and separated from the block. My son is chipping it down to bare wood so we can reseal and get her back in the rig.
Ronald Bock
Active member
Couple of gunner hens painted. Just need to clean the eyes off and clear coat them with Behr dull finish to protect the paint and cut the shine.
My daughter is coming over to pick up the drakes. She'll be painting them over the next couple weeks.
Forecast is for 12-18" of snow beginning tomorrow afternoon. This winter has already broken the old record by 20". Here comes more. Wow.
My daughter is coming over to pick up the drakes. She'll be painting them over the next couple weeks.
Forecast is for 12-18" of snow beginning tomorrow afternoon. This winter has already broken the old record by 20". Here comes more. Wow.
Ronald Bock
Active member
Yesterday morning it was clear and -34. By last evening it was zero and snowing. Now it's +5 and snowing hard. Hot chocolate is warming as I write. I think I'm going to put the base colors on all these harlequin drakes today. I don't want the daughter driving out this far in a blizzard to get them.
I ran out of decoys to paint today so I started another cork ringer in the woodshop with some numb fingers.
Of course cork is not quite as easy to handle as pink foam. What does everyone else use to carve cork? I used my rasp, foredome, and sandpaper. This is only my second cork decoy (no picture) and it was very slow going.
Of course cork is not quite as easy to handle as pink foam. What does everyone else use to carve cork? I used my rasp, foredome, and sandpaper. This is only my second cork decoy (no picture) and it was very slow going.
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You can knock the corners off the block with a band saw or a knife, black cork can be a little tough on a carving knife blade. Then shape with a rasp and sandpaper.
Tan cork works well with a draw knife. I have several different sizes and styles. You can take a lot of material off in a short while. The decoy has to be held tight some way. I use a vice mounted on a post in the floor. Like mentioned above, various files also work well. Black cork is tougher to work but makes wonderful light weight decoys 
What is that round rasp in the second picture?
I have used that same Surform on some carving projects in the past, but it's probably been over 30 years. I haven't carved very much cork and only the high density cork with the polyurethane binder. Off hand I can only think of maybe 5 or 6 cork decoys and that's only because someone gave me some cork. I found it to be similar to 8 lb foam in many respects and so I carved it with the same tools that I use for foam. I use a Foredom and various kutzalls and sanding cones. I can't even remember the last time I used a knife for any carving work. I did put in a wood tail insert and used basswood for the head.
I work the decoy with a foredom while holding it in my hands/lap I front of a bench mounted type dust collector. Also some assembly is done setting loose on the work bench, I have several jigs that help hold things like the head in position while I drill holes, etc but most everything else done to the decoy including a lot of painting is done with the decoy in a vice that I mentioned in an earlier post. Also a tool caddie is mounted with the vice holding several rasps and surforms that are then handy. I'm lucky to have room in my shop area for this floor mounted vice which allows me to walk all around so I can access the decoy from all sides often without repositioning the material.
I think it's very important that you are comfortable and that the work piece is being help properly (hand, vice, jig, etc) while you are working with it either with a hand tool or power tool.
I think it's very important that you are comfortable and that the work piece is being help properly (hand, vice, jig, etc) while you are working with it either with a hand tool or power tool.
Working on a hen mallard gunning urn for my lab we had to put down on Saturday
Ronald Bock
Active member
I did this pintails a while back. It's sat in the windowsill of my shop because I didn't like the paint job. It's been snowing hard for 4 days. I'm tired of snowblower work so I took a break and sanded this hen and repainted her. I'm happier now. Not my best work but she's better than she was.
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I like this, but my heart breaks for you sir. The absolute hardest thing to do in the world. God messed up letting the good ones go before us. The last time I really cried was when I had to put my ol girl down. Urn is looking awesome! I have my girls ashes still, one day I may attempt an urn. Her first retrieve ever was a coot though... just cant bring myself to do that lol.