January Work Bench

B

Bill Embacher

Well-known member
I'm sure most of you are too busy hunting to carve too much...I'm mostly on Dad duty these days when I'm not at work so I'm limited hunting about once a week. Luckily, she is a good napper, and I push myself to make the most of her "down time". Here are a couple currently on my workbench, both for donation. First a harly for local DU

and a mallard for Connecticut Waterfowlers Association.

 
This is a decoy that I am making for a friend that has "issues" with seagulls. Balsa with cheap glass eyes.

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Bill & Terry~

Ought-fifteen is off to a fine start - great birds all around!

These 2 are going to a local museum show next week. I just put the final paint on this "half-size" (really just 9" bill to tail) Shelldrake flyer - but I will not have an opportunity to photograph it until later this week (off to Long Island for a few days).

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This full-size mantel-piece Woody is hollow pine and comes in at 13.5 ounces. He's 90 % painted - but those oils take time. I cannot learn to paint them mounted on a post - so I just have to wait between painting sessions.

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Both here are just primed with Black and White Gessos - these are color photos. I often do this to establish my patterns and tones before putting on the oil top coat.

All the best,

SJS
 
I've been enjoying time on the River with my youngest son who is back home after 6 months out of the country. Poured buckets all last night and through the day today. Supposed to do the same tomorrow and then the bottom drops out of the temps for the beginning of next week.


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So today, I did the next best thing: warmed up the studio, and spent the day painting on the mallards for that pickleweed set. Getting there...



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Guys. I have really enjoyed seeing all the work posted up this last year. Thanks for keeping things going around here.

Bill - Your birds are really taking on a personal style. Nothing substitutes getting in "reps". I can tell you have been putting in the time.

Steve - With all your projects you have become a wonderful addition to the site. Love the Woody by the way...

Bob - Beautiful. How did you get my coffee can?
 
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These are Buffleheads...they will get a deep keel to compliment the high heads for open water hunting. Influenced by Cameron McIntyre, but really remind me of Great Lakes style decoys. I carved these at the St. Charles show last year. Finally made the paint bench.

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Very nice work by all...Kerr canning jars and coffee cans are the official paint brush storage receptacles of all decoy carvers!

Steve, beautiful lines on that in-flight bufflehad, particularly the head contours. I have one suggestion: Your bufflehead's bill looks to be too long. I would shorten it by 1/4 of total length.
 
Thanks all. Geoff, always a fan of your work, I love the "simple" lines and paint schemes that still perfectly define the species. I think that is often harder to pull off than a perfect replica of a real bird, and its what I shoot for in my decoys.

Terry, I know its been a topic here before, but where did you get that large a chunk of balsa? In my head I'd like to carve myself a "carry in rig" someday and ideally it would be from balsa.
 
RL~

I fixed it as per your instructions Getting closer?

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(Actually I carved this Butterball shortly after I joined dkbts. It now flies from the rafters in our camp on Champlain.)

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve,

I love the flying butterball. I've seen a couple others carve flying birds too and have thought I would like to have one hanging in my shop. Any chance of a tutorial on carving one? I'm really at a lose as to where too start. Do you have any patterns you would be willing to share?

Thanks
Darin
 
Darin~

I plan to carve a few more "half-size flyers" later this winter. I will keep my camera handy to record the process. I am still "perfecting" the method of fastening the wings. I had been using a mortise-and-tenon joint but have done the last couple reinforced with "steel" (and galvanized finishing nail with the head clipped off). Thickened epoxy always plays a role - both for strength and for fairing.

Any particular species you want to try? Thus far, I have done: Mallard, Canvasback, Broadbill, Butterball, Shelldrake (Common Merg). I did this Broadbill for my Dad just before he passed - it now flies over my assembly bench. (BTW: I am moving away from glass eyes in these smaller birds - they look a bit "goggle-eyed" to me - and will either go with no eyes - as I did in my current Shelldrake - or painted tacks - depending upon species.)

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SJS
 
Steve,

Thanks, that would be great if you could photograph one this winter. I think it would something fun to carve that would be a little different. I would be willing to try any species. If I had to pick I would probably go with a canvasback or bluebill.

Darin
 
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Here is my first attempt at Common Goldeneyes. Hollowed Atlantic Cedar painted with artist oils.
 
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