January "What's on your Workbench?"
- Thread starter John Lawrence
- Start date
jode hillman
Well-known member
Here are a couple pics of a brant I made for the Barnegat Bay Delta waterfowlers Chapter. I made it a one of a kind original pattern , not to be duplicated by me again.
I took the liberty to do a remarque on the bottom as I think it adds a classy touch.
I took the liberty to do a remarque on the bottom as I think it adds a classy touch.
As usual a ton of really inspiring work in this thread. Sean, I love that OS hen and Jode the Brant is spectacular.
For the first time ever I've finally got something to share. My dad's an avid on-again off-again carver, limited a lot by time as of late, but I've been slowly learning the craft from him a bit over skype - he lives a good 15 hour drive from me. While I've messed about a little bit with some scraps and fashioned a few small birds, I've really struggled the most with heads so I figured starting with canvas would be the way to go. That and I really need a few more goose decoys. I owe Chuck J a massive thanks for sending me a whack of info last year that's helped get me started.
The first two are of a rig of five awaiting their eyes and nearly ready for paint. I kept carving and scrapping heads and finally realized I should just start using them anyway. If I waited for perfection I'd never finish them. My next three heads in various stages of progress I'm much happier with and the addition of a home-made bowsander to my tools has really helped with the smoothing and making them look slicker. Tried power carving with a dremel but removes stuff too quick for me for now. The last three frames are sealed and awaiting wire and covering. Glad I did the first two as I made a few errors with the wiring that I can fix on the next three.
The birds are off my own simple patterns and are about life-size or slightly smaller - goal is to use these for some tough walk-in beaver ponds I have in mind for the opener next fall, so I've been trying to keep them reasonably lightweight. 1 by pine and basswood heads. Also quickly learned not all basswood is created equal.
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For the first time ever I've finally got something to share. My dad's an avid on-again off-again carver, limited a lot by time as of late, but I've been slowly learning the craft from him a bit over skype - he lives a good 15 hour drive from me. While I've messed about a little bit with some scraps and fashioned a few small birds, I've really struggled the most with heads so I figured starting with canvas would be the way to go. That and I really need a few more goose decoys. I owe Chuck J a massive thanks for sending me a whack of info last year that's helped get me started.
The first two are of a rig of five awaiting their eyes and nearly ready for paint. I kept carving and scrapping heads and finally realized I should just start using them anyway. If I waited for perfection I'd never finish them. My next three heads in various stages of progress I'm much happier with and the addition of a home-made bowsander to my tools has really helped with the smoothing and making them look slicker. Tried power carving with a dremel but removes stuff too quick for me for now. The last three frames are sealed and awaiting wire and covering. Glad I did the first two as I made a few errors with the wiring that I can fix on the next three.
The birds are off my own simple patterns and are about life-size or slightly smaller - goal is to use these for some tough walk-in beaver ponds I have in mind for the opener next fall, so I've been trying to keep them reasonably lightweight. 1 by pine and basswood heads. Also quickly learned not all basswood is created equal.
View attachment P1000233.jpg
View attachment P1000234.jpg
Farrukh Ashraf
Active member
Mallard I finished up.Hollow cedar,acrylics,pad weight,leather tie.
Very nice Roy, love your stye.
Capt. Larry M
Well-known member
Here are a couple pics of a brant I made for the Barnegat Bay Delta waterfowlers Chapter. I made it a one of a kind original pattern , not to be duplicated by me again.
I took the liberty to do a remarque on the bottom as I think it adds a classy touch.
When is this getting auctioned off I'm a serious bidder here!!
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Justin Harrison
Active member
tupelo wood, tack eyes i tried geoff's suggestions in his blair wigeon article some months back, and oil paints. still learning and it's a tough row to hoe when done by yourself.
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Roy Weatherby
Active member
Nice lookin canvasback Justin
Pat Gregory
Well-known member
Justin - Nice work! I'll bet that rascal will look great on the water! Keep posting up your decoys... Pat
Geoff Vine
Active member
Justin
Fantastic! If you can get a decoy base coated like that in one sitting, and then come back with a few fine details here or there in one final pass, you are well on your way. I am impressed!
Fantastic! If you can get a decoy base coated like that in one sitting, and then come back with a few fine details here or there in one final pass, you are well on your way. I am impressed!
jeff minnick
Active member
i'm looking to start carving and teal are first on my list i'm sure i'll have more questions but here's a start when you carved this was the head seperate and what kind of paints and how do you know what colors to use that teal is beautiful
Brian Moyse
Active member
Here is a recently completed swan. I carved one once in high school and have always wanted to carve another one. It is a lot of wood and a lot of work!
Justin Harrison
Active member
thanks for the compliments, i appreciate them.
bob, yes, the decoy does self right.
fine work everyone!
justin
bob, yes, the decoy does self right.
fine work everyone!
justin
Kris Schaumburg
Well-known member
wow brian do you have any pics showing the entire bird? What is the weight?
Brian Hiller
Member
Last decoys carved in 2011 but painting finished up in 2012, pair of black ducks.
First decoys cut out for work in the new year...two hollow laysan teal and a hollow king eider drake.
First decoy of the new year is a Laysan teal headed to Hawaii for one of the researchers on the Laysan teal project. First hollow decoy ever.
First ever King Eider in the buff...painting next week
Chris Finch
Well-known member
got the bodies and heads together and am working on the neck
Bill Embacher
Well-known member
Lookin good chris! I found a rasp at Dick Blick over in Plainville that is perfect for rounding out the necks, its round (duh) and just a hair more diameter than a pencil. I think it was only 10 or $12 too.
Here are my eider and black duck finished up:
and a close up of the scratch painting on the head of the BD:
Here are my eider and black duck finished up:
and a close up of the scratch painting on the head of the BD:
Willy McDonald
Active member
I still have to install the keel, test float and then this Greater
Scaup is headed for a new home.
Willy
Scaup is headed for a new home.
Willy
Charles H.
Active member
Bill E, is that black duck just burnt cork? If so, how do you go about sealing it?
Here is what I've been working on. HD tan cork, basswood head, my first attempt at a resting head position, and my first attempt at painting a Hen Mallard. Not a complete flop in my mind as it should hunt just fine. I need to work on my coloring for the head/neck/chest area. I think I'm a little dark in my base coat. I feel like the light color I used to put in my feathers has a bit of a pink hue that I will need to work on. The bill is just too bright in my opinion, and will be repainted. Some more shading/blending on the feather detail will come with time. I'm going to repaint the bill and move on to carving another. Practice makes perfect!
Here is what I've been working on. HD tan cork, basswood head, my first attempt at a resting head position, and my first attempt at painting a Hen Mallard. Not a complete flop in my mind as it should hunt just fine. I need to work on my coloring for the head/neck/chest area. I think I'm a little dark in my base coat. I feel like the light color I used to put in my feathers has a bit of a pink hue that I will need to work on. The bill is just too bright in my opinion, and will be repainted. Some more shading/blending on the feather detail will come with time. I'm going to repaint the bill and move on to carving another. Practice makes perfect!