March workbench thread.

Nice work everyone, Jode thats a real beauty of a sprig! We lucked out here yesterday, I live just inland enough that we only got another 2" or so. Warmer weather on the horizon!
 
Pat, love "high head" posture decoys, just a bugger(for me) to get the weight right to get 'em to balance well and float realistically.
 
Rick - I do as well but I like them so well, I am doing what I can to be able to use them. And, I am using design principles to accomodate these extreme poses.

With the new flat bottom design I am using and, not undercutting the tail as well as maximizing on the width of the beam, these design modifications manage the upright heads and tall necks well. This body design hardly drafts any water, maybe a half an inch or less.

Loving to capture waterfowl in natural, life-like poses and postures, I'm finding it takes functional modifications to how I am doing my bodies. The design changes can bring challenges like, making the body look natural and polished. But, that is the fun it our craft...

Again, I thank Pete Revicki for inspiring me to push myself as a carver... Truly inspirational...

Another great benefit of our decoy carving community... Pat
 
Pat,
Thanks, I can understand where that would be a major benefit (wider body/expanding surface area of in-the-water footprint by not undercutting tail). I usually add a half-inch to the decoy body's width and drop my tailboard lower on the bird-still not happy with result(s). I still end-up having to add more weight plugs in the actual body of the decoy aft. I originally approached these birds by trying to use a deeper keel with more weight and locating it deeper in the keel-didn't like the results much, too much motion in the bird on the water, likely from the "pendulum effect" of the high head once inertia is overcome by wind and wave energy.
 
Bob~

Great Attack Mallard! I can imagine him pulling a big wake astern and pushing a big bow wave ahead.....and all the other Drakes scattering out of his way!



;-) ;-) I dunno about that Steve. Here in Ohio we don't encounter many of those vicious East Coast mallards..... this one is just going to be a calling hen ;-) ;-)

However, if I ever feel the need to promote a la the yearly Cabelas Waterfowl Catalog or any of the "big name" decoy makers, I believe attack mallard could be a great marketing strategy to appeal to the gun-barrel sticker crowd. I can see it now: "The Rogue Mallard Combo-Pack : 1/2 dozen BULL mallards in six different aggressive attitudes guaranteed to pull in even the most wary ducks.." I'm thinking even including some removable Steve Van Zandt bandannas or little sunglasses to make them look extra bad. Oh yea - and lots of filler above the eye to get that realistic "angry duck" look one sees so often in nature.

I think the snow is getting to me!
Click to expand...

Love that first shot of Steve. I was wondering how many times I saw that facial expression while watching the Sopranos? Lots!
Al
Click to expand...
 
Carl, love that Maine style. Definitely some Gus Wilson in there. I'll be trying some inletted heads some day.
 
First Turkey, cork, white cedar. 17in long x 9 1/2 wide, goal is to have ready for opening day

FD049A0A-E9E3-42C6-BFA4-AC18F37E54E9_zpsxojtlel9.jpg

E908F0EF-24CE-45CC-81D4-6E0973507D36_zpsy4w7ypjz.jpg

916A6D59-3393-433B-A4AD-EFC685B77BF5_zpssv9rpmdz.jpg

1DE16048-C864-4A40-A98B-81AEDB246B24_zpsfvhn9aug.jpg

 
what a month...love those eiders! cool idea for a turkey too, break from the traditional "shorebird" style bird on a stick. This started life as a mallard, but the longer it sat on the painting table the more I saw this in it. Finally just sat down and painted it.

 
Dennis,
That is a cool fish duck. Love it.

Jode,
Its cool to contrast that pintail with the one you showed us how to paint a few years back. Your style keep evolving.

Carl,
Great to see you posting. Those are killer. I did some inlet heads a while back they are lots of fun. Are you coming to the UP this year?
 
Hank & Tom Thanks I like the idea of keeping tradition alive. Gus Wilson 's work is some of my favorite!!

Brandon it's been a while!! Good to hear from you!! I don't have any plans to go to the UP anytime soon although I did love it!! When Keith started flying out to Krausmans I lost my ride : )

Matt your Turkey is of to a Great start!!
 
Last edited:
Thanks Brandon, need to mix it up and keep it fresh.

Carl, love the Eiders! That's gonna be a great rig.

What's the purpose of the double neck joint? (not the inlet, the seam midway up the neck?)

Matt cool turkey. I like the head shape. How are you going to use it? A ground set?


Bill, cool Hybrid!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top