Steve Sanford
Well-known member
All~
I has become a nice custom that member Dave Diefenderfer stops by this time of year on his annual sojourn between Virginia and Vermont. Susan and I enjoy his company over a meal - fresh Mallard this year - and he usually picks up and drops off an assortment of decoys or other gunning paraphernalia.
So, last Sunday, Dave picked up the 6 Waveriders and 4 Hilliards that I had returned to fighting trim. He left with me 7 decoys and a wonderful decoy anchor (to add the my collection that hangs from my shop ceiling). Although up to my ears in decoy and boat commitments, I could not help myself - and turned my attention to his birds - probably before he crossed the State line....
I decided I would share my process, in my usual step-by-step manner, here. The first step is always the intake phase, with the requisite BEFORE photos. Here are the 5 LL Bean Coastals. Four came in Goldeneye (hereafter known as Whistler) attire, one came disguised as a Bluebill (hereafter known as Broadbill).
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes BEFORE A.jpg
The obverse view. Three were fully intact, two needed keels, and only one head was "free range".
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes BEFORE bottoms.JPG
These 5 will all be finished as Whistlers - 3 Drakes and 2 Hens. But, long before the new paint goes on, each needs its own special attention. The bottoms are sealed with Spar Varnish.
The bottoms of the two without keels were first filled with a mixture of ground cork (Black Cork) and Titebond III. I used my orbital sander with 100-grit to fair off the cured filler. I wanted to seal this area before installing new Pine keels - which have already been fashioned and received their own sealing coat of Spar Varnish.
View attachment Beans Batch - bottoms.JPG
My approach in rehabbing any decoy is to treat it as if it were my own decoy. So, it must be soundly constructed and durable. It must look like the bird at the time-honored "half-gunshot away" distance - but it must also stand scrutiny on close inspection.
Thus, all heads and keels will be firmly attached to the bodies - and the bodies will have a tough, watertight skin. The paint pattern will include all of the main visual cues that the birds themselves use. With respect to this last, I had to override the Bean's paint pattern on the heads. The Goldeneyes (Common, Barrow's, Bufflehead) and the Mergansers (Common and Red-breasted) share a plumage trait in that the head feathers and dark coloration break abruptly to a much lighter neck color right at the throat. I think of them as wearing turtlenecks. All of the Bean's Whistlers I have seen carry the head color right down to the base of the neck. This is no doubt convenient in the factory - but it forecloses the "look" of this species - at least to my eye.
Note how I have corrected this by dressing this Hen Whistler in a nice new White turtleneck sweater. The Drakes have gotten similar fixes.
BTW: I have painted each of the heads with a thin coat of latex at this stage - to approximate the final paint. However, I will still coat this - after a couple of days curing in front of the stove - with Spar Varnish to seal everything well.
View attachment Beans Goldeneye Hen - highhead.JPG
You will also notice the empty eye socket. In the batch, only a single eye was missing entirely. However, the "What would I do if these were my birds?" test requires that I replace them all. All of the eyes were either loose or dull. The 3 Drakes now have new bright Yellow eyes with pinpoint pupils. The Hens will get Pale Yellow eyes - with normal pupils. I had to order them - so progress on the Hens will just have to wait.
Did you notice that I modified the head further by carving a shallow eye groove? I do not do this on all Bean's decoys - but it always improves them. Like the eye color, it is one of those features that is unimportant for gunning purposes - but makes a difference when handling them. I want gunners to think "Somebody paid attention." when they set out or pick up their rig.
The Sixth Decoy is a great bird - the first Herter's Model Supreme Bluebill that I have ever held in my hands.
View attachment Herters - Model Supreme Bluebill Hen - profile.JPG
The Model Supremes were first sold in the 1940s and had Balsa bodies and full keels. They were life-size. I have a bunch of the oversize Model Canadas in Mallard/Black Mallard and Bluebill (long ago converted to Whistlers).
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - back.JPG
I am guessing someone re-installed the head - but never trimmed the dowel. My 1955 Herter's catalog shows a brass screw eye - and not a cross-bored hole - for attaching the anchor line. I imagine the head was originally fastened with just a screw eye - as was the case with the Model Canadas.
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - dowel and keel.JPG
The chest and bill tip need some augmentation - probably later this morning. Since this photo, she's already had 2 new eyes installed.
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - head and chest.JPG
Bean's has long had the convention that the heads on Drakes were upright and those on Hens were tucked. I exercised my Total Creative Control (the only way things are done here at Pencil Brook Boatworks & Decoy Infirmary) and mixed it up a bit. I especially like the Drake (3 o'clock in the photo) with the tucked head. It is the posture I think of when I think Whistler. This particular decoy was the one disguised as a Hen Broadbill.
Note the White "wing patches" - really the speculum and middle wing coverts. As with the heads, I quickly put some latex on - to help me organize the paint later in the process. I often do this with just marker or chalk at this stage - to be locked in place by the Spar Varnish.
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes and Herters Bluebill - in process.JPG
Stay tuned. I will post progress as it happens (and I can find the time).
All the best,
SJS
I has become a nice custom that member Dave Diefenderfer stops by this time of year on his annual sojourn between Virginia and Vermont. Susan and I enjoy his company over a meal - fresh Mallard this year - and he usually picks up and drops off an assortment of decoys or other gunning paraphernalia.
So, last Sunday, Dave picked up the 6 Waveriders and 4 Hilliards that I had returned to fighting trim. He left with me 7 decoys and a wonderful decoy anchor (to add the my collection that hangs from my shop ceiling). Although up to my ears in decoy and boat commitments, I could not help myself - and turned my attention to his birds - probably before he crossed the State line....
I decided I would share my process, in my usual step-by-step manner, here. The first step is always the intake phase, with the requisite BEFORE photos. Here are the 5 LL Bean Coastals. Four came in Goldeneye (hereafter known as Whistler) attire, one came disguised as a Bluebill (hereafter known as Broadbill).
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes BEFORE A.jpg
The obverse view. Three were fully intact, two needed keels, and only one head was "free range".
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes BEFORE bottoms.JPG
These 5 will all be finished as Whistlers - 3 Drakes and 2 Hens. But, long before the new paint goes on, each needs its own special attention. The bottoms are sealed with Spar Varnish.
The bottoms of the two without keels were first filled with a mixture of ground cork (Black Cork) and Titebond III. I used my orbital sander with 100-grit to fair off the cured filler. I wanted to seal this area before installing new Pine keels - which have already been fashioned and received their own sealing coat of Spar Varnish.
View attachment Beans Batch - bottoms.JPG
My approach in rehabbing any decoy is to treat it as if it were my own decoy. So, it must be soundly constructed and durable. It must look like the bird at the time-honored "half-gunshot away" distance - but it must also stand scrutiny on close inspection.
Thus, all heads and keels will be firmly attached to the bodies - and the bodies will have a tough, watertight skin. The paint pattern will include all of the main visual cues that the birds themselves use. With respect to this last, I had to override the Bean's paint pattern on the heads. The Goldeneyes (Common, Barrow's, Bufflehead) and the Mergansers (Common and Red-breasted) share a plumage trait in that the head feathers and dark coloration break abruptly to a much lighter neck color right at the throat. I think of them as wearing turtlenecks. All of the Bean's Whistlers I have seen carry the head color right down to the base of the neck. This is no doubt convenient in the factory - but it forecloses the "look" of this species - at least to my eye.
Note how I have corrected this by dressing this Hen Whistler in a nice new White turtleneck sweater. The Drakes have gotten similar fixes.
BTW: I have painted each of the heads with a thin coat of latex at this stage - to approximate the final paint. However, I will still coat this - after a couple of days curing in front of the stove - with Spar Varnish to seal everything well.
View attachment Beans Goldeneye Hen - highhead.JPG
You will also notice the empty eye socket. In the batch, only a single eye was missing entirely. However, the "What would I do if these were my birds?" test requires that I replace them all. All of the eyes were either loose or dull. The 3 Drakes now have new bright Yellow eyes with pinpoint pupils. The Hens will get Pale Yellow eyes - with normal pupils. I had to order them - so progress on the Hens will just have to wait.
Did you notice that I modified the head further by carving a shallow eye groove? I do not do this on all Bean's decoys - but it always improves them. Like the eye color, it is one of those features that is unimportant for gunning purposes - but makes a difference when handling them. I want gunners to think "Somebody paid attention." when they set out or pick up their rig.
The Sixth Decoy is a great bird - the first Herter's Model Supreme Bluebill that I have ever held in my hands.
View attachment Herters - Model Supreme Bluebill Hen - profile.JPG
The Model Supremes were first sold in the 1940s and had Balsa bodies and full keels. They were life-size. I have a bunch of the oversize Model Canadas in Mallard/Black Mallard and Bluebill (long ago converted to Whistlers).
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - back.JPG
I am guessing someone re-installed the head - but never trimmed the dowel. My 1955 Herter's catalog shows a brass screw eye - and not a cross-bored hole - for attaching the anchor line. I imagine the head was originally fastened with just a screw eye - as was the case with the Model Canadas.
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - dowel and keel.JPG
The chest and bill tip need some augmentation - probably later this morning. Since this photo, she's already had 2 new eyes installed.
View attachment Herters Bluebill Hen - head and chest.JPG
Bean's has long had the convention that the heads on Drakes were upright and those on Hens were tucked. I exercised my Total Creative Control (the only way things are done here at Pencil Brook Boatworks & Decoy Infirmary) and mixed it up a bit. I especially like the Drake (3 o'clock in the photo) with the tucked head. It is the posture I think of when I think Whistler. This particular decoy was the one disguised as a Hen Broadbill.
Note the White "wing patches" - really the speculum and middle wing coverts. As with the heads, I quickly put some latex on - to help me organize the paint later in the process. I often do this with just marker or chalk at this stage - to be locked in place by the Spar Varnish.
View attachment Beans Goldeneyes and Herters Bluebill - in process.JPG
Stay tuned. I will post progress as it happens (and I can find the time).
All the best,
SJS
