It's March What's on your workbench?

Nice work everyone!

Jim - you should not apologize or talk down your work. I think you should constantly be seeking to improve, but always be proud of what you've made. I think they look great - glad you posted.

Keith - nice lookin' Too-kin! : )
 
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Got a couple things on the bench right now. This is a mallard I started roughing out last night. Hope to finish carving this week and have it painted by Westlake.

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This next one was / is a bit of an experiment in many ways. My goal with this buffy was to make a simple, stylistic decoy. No sidepockets, no bill detail, nothing fancy. It is the first decoy I have made without the aid of power tools of any kind, at least after I cut it out on the bandsaw. ;-) I opted to use wooden buttons instead of glass eyes, and it will also be the first decoy I paint with oils. I had a lot of fun doing this decoy and thoroughly enjoyed putting the grinder on the shelf for a while. It may be a while before I take it back out.

I see a lot of things I don't like about it but it was the first step down a different path in my carving journey and I believe I will like where this path leads me.

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Unfortunately, my workbench is still cluttered from this past duck season. I should have some time during the latter part of May or the beginning of June to start cleaning it up.
Al
 
Wow, Love the work posted so far, great stuff!

Keith those tropical birds are just outstanding.

Here's two pairs I just finished and rigged.

I'm going to be cutting out oystercatchers and a few mini's later this week. Jode






 
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Jode - really enjoy seeing your work. Beautiful paint on those birds.

I've been on a major painting kick - trying to get all the unpainted stuff from the past year off the shelves. Here's a black duck I carved last spring. Hoping to finish him this weekend.

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Nice Dave, is that the black duck that you had the paint questions on? If so seems like you took care of it pretty well!
 
Nice Dave, is that the black duck that you had the paint questions on? If so seems like you took care of it pretty well!
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Yup - that's him. You can't see it in this pic, but the major "soaking in" location was the breast area on the end grain. The only evidence is the flatter finish on the paint in that area. My gut tells me that it wasn't bad enough to warrant a re-paint so I'm going to use him as a test case to see what happens next season. Time will tell!
 
That's a nice looking canvasback head Joe.....especially for your first one, it has that "canvasback look"! I am glad that the technique worked for you. Please post images of your cans as you work on them.....I am sure everyone would like to see them.

Keith
 
Jim, don't waste a good head, just epoxy it back together...make sure the screw hole is filled in with epoxy as well so when you "pre-drill" the hole it won't split on you again.

Good to see you back to work on decoys!

Keith
 
That's excellent George.....as a confirmed and eccentric chocoholic myself, I admire your passion for your art......and your chocolate! Your box looks just like a big hunk of chocolate!!

I am sure I am going way off track again, but I thought you might enjoy these images. One of my main priorities on our annual trip to Costa Rica is to visit a cacao plantation in the rainforst. "Cacao" is the seed from the pod or the Theobroma cacao tree which "cocoa" or chocolate is produced. Every chocolate fanatic should experience raw "cacao" at least once in their lives. The process in producing "cocoa" from "cacao" is an interesting yet simple (except for growing and caring for the trees) procedure. Here is one of the pods growing on the tree......

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After the seed pods are harvested and the seeds separated from the pods, the outer protective layer on the seeds is removed, and the seeds are set in the hot tropical sun to dry. These seeds must be kept dry at all times, and when the typical rainforest rains appear, the whole trays are wheeled under a protective drying shed, so they can continue to dry even if it is raining. When these seeds are in the hot sun, the warm seeds give off an amazing aroma.....you guessed it; cocoa!

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The dried seeds are then ground to a rough powder in a volcanic rock "mortis and pestle". At this point, a typical drink is made from the ground seeds and hot water to which you can add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, hot pepper or other rainforest spices and herbs. The drink is a little "raw" in flavor, but quite refreshing.

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The process using the same "rough ground" cacao is ground more using finer grining stones and other hand made tools. When the fine ground cacao is to the consistency of powder it is placed in a plastic bag and suspended over a pot of boiling water ( a make-shift double boiler). A reaction between the heat and the cacao powder melts the powder into a thick liquid......chocolate. The raw dark chocolate (100% dark) is poured into small molds, and within a minute or two it solidifies into dark chocoalte bars. The process is repeated with all the components mentioned above, and the results are fantastic! My favorite was and still is cocao with cinnamon and only a small amount of sugar.

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Thanks Keith,
Just a fun little diversion, but now after all the pictures I'm afraid I'll have to start cutting Swiss Miss with more marshmallows to fund a trip down there to get my FIX. ;^)

George
 
Jode, Love those birds, your style is great. Thanks for posting those.

Keith, what can be said, amazing.

JimG, I would agree with Keith, epoxy. I am glad you restarted carving.

John, I to love this post, fun to see what others are doing.

Chris, I like the little buffie, hollow? Do you think that knot will cause you problems down the road?
 
Good to see you back to work on decoys!
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JimG, I would agree with Keith, epoxy. I am glad you restarted carving.
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Me too.

I just have to FINISH them though. I have 6 pre-hiatus dekes to finish, mostly just sand and paint, the two above, the 6 cork cutouts, and 3 cut blocks of cedar which will be sawn into BD roughouts this weekend. Two drake woodie roughouts that I found in a box-o-stuff.

I have OCDD

I guess this is what happens when you quit drinkin'
 
Chris, you are on a path of a great journey.....one with a pot of gold at the end. The design of your buffie has that "classic" feel to it! When you add the oil paint ......you will have a very successful decoy; real floating sculpture. Please post some images of it when it is finished. Thanks for sharing.

Keith
 
Jode, those are beautiful!! The wigeon are about as good as they get.....and of course the gadwall too! Just as I always say.....good art beckons you to admire it.....great art pleads with you to pick it up and feel its form; I wish I could reach into this computer screen to pick them up!

Keep posting, everyone needs to see them.

Keith
 
Dave, why haven't you been painting more black ducks......that one is looking spectacular!!! Keep the images coming!!!

Keith
 
Thank you Joe and Eric, I am glad you enjoyed my "unusual" decoys....I have a great time carving them; besides it gives me an excuse for a tropical work/vacation.

I agree Tod.....it should be a food group!
 
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