May, Time for a new "Whats on your workbench?"

I notice in a couple of these posts that carvers are inserting tailboards in wooden decoy bodies. My first guess was that the body block available was short and the tail had to be added, but then I saw the pic of a whole stack of wood cutouts with inserts. Might there be another reason for doing this other than saving wood?
 
Kevin,
I can tell you that I see the Cormorants with the Mergansers ALOT. I did this combination for me rig because I see them in the channel here in La Conner herding the smelt with the Mergansers.
 
thanks Tom. Very cool rig looking forward to starting to carve one myself but have a couple of other ahead on the agenda of what my hunts look like next year. Can't wait though.

Kevin
 
My red-breasted geese a little farther along:
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These buffleheads were made from scrap 2x10 bases and scrap cork top. Pine heads, painted with rustoleum and some oil details
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drake ring-necked duck, red cedar/oils
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also been playing with watercolors, here is a mahi i recently painted:
Mahi.jpg

 
Bill,
I think you'll find that balsa tails carved to the thickness used in a gunning decoy will hold up just fine. The grain will be running just like you'd want it. Plus you'll avoid having to fill that gap in the flank with a bunch of filler where the inserts you cut aren't wide enough. If you do use an insert, I'd suggest glueing it in before you cut the pattern. That way, when you make the cutout that gap is now solid wood that can be shaped along with the rest of the flank.

But for the surface area you show that exposed on your tails, the strength of a tail carved from the solid block will be every bit as strong (or much stronger) than an insert (and far less trouble) - especially on the blanks where the slot is positioned so low on the block. It would also allow you to "tent" the tail (as you originally drew the slot on some of the cutouts).
 
I started with a coot and I wasn't happy with the strength of the tail and it was suggest to use tailboards just like cork. The rig will be used in ND where in and out of the truck, in samll boat or a sled dragged will commonly occur. So I wanted to error on as strong as possible, I tend to treat my decoys like plastics, I will see how balsa holds up though. This balsa came pre-glue to 8"w, even though I ordered same density I found some peices in the block quite a bit different and was concened about a number of the peices strength couple of them in the center. I won't order it again this way, I will glue it up myself then I may try to carve in the tail.

Regarding the gap, my cutout is a simple teardrop and the final shape will be at the tailboard, so there won't be any gap once its carved. My patterns aren't always sqaure on the block, and just use a psuedo jig to cut them in.

thanks for the thoughts

Bill
 
I have lots of things in various stages on or somewhere near my bench right now. This month should have lots of decoys being completed.

I figured I should contribute something so I snapped a picture today.

I did not like this Mallard at all until I put a base coat on her now I see some potential. I carved her for a walk in rig along with a drake. Paper thin hollowing all white cedar.

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Here are my first birds in oils. The shine is still present on the bufflehead as it's only two days old. Keith's book has given me a lot of good ideas but now I've run out of dekes to paint. So, I guess I'll be carving some more.... The GE hen has a basswood head, cork body, and pine tailboard. The buffie has the same construction but he has a tupelo head. He's no Goeff Vine but he'll decoy some ducks this fall:)

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Here's the progress on my diver rig is since this winter. Up next is a couple of canvasbacks in cedar and oils. I can't wait to get back to painting. These oil paints are fun!

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Snapped a few more pictures tonight after I finished base coating a few more decoys. Looking forward to putting some real color on them over the next few days.

The hen after she dried.

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The Drake to go with her in a base coat I will probably start on him first tomorrow.

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And a true picture of the workbench for tonight. Would have like to get the base on them all tonight but there is always tomorrow.

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The drake Labrodor is done. I sent photos of him to his soon to be owner this morning so I think its okay to show everyone now.


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If you are interested in the more artistic side of decoys and carving you might want to check out a new web page that started this week. Under the Tutorial section you'll find the story (that I'm still writing) about how I made these decoys. And before you ask, because people already have, I still be hanging around here regularly. I enjoy this site quite a bit.

Site address is www.decoyworkbench.com.
 
got a couple bills to hollow and back together this week, one even sanded 90%. The rest of the week was spent doing the honey do's, lawn work and making a Mother's day gift. I work weekends so I had to get them done, along with a small soft tackle pack and some terminal tackle grandma will be ready to fish with her grandkids this year.

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ya swampy.....love the jigs man.

i got 5 roughed out bodies and plans for a 17 bird rig called "the buck brush rig" consisting of cork and cedar birds draped in oil paint.............it may kill me.

justin
 
I'm starting to work my way back into making chips and dust. Funny there seems to be a lot of guys playing around with balsa. Something in the water here maybe? I'm finishing up some balsa teal I started around 8 months ago. No pics yet. I came into some of it about a year ago at around 10# density and cant say for sure yet if I really like it or not. Works great so long as tools are super sharp, clogs the rasps up, dulls stuff quick and I wouldn't even think of doing anything other than knife work without a mask. Do like the light weight and the feel of putting a real sharp knife or drwknife to it. Hope to work my way back into the bigger ducks and start shrinking the cedar pile soon!

Looks like everyone has some nice projects going! Dave, be sure to bring those blocks with you next time you come down, that whistler looks bad to the bone!
 
Well I finished them both up today. I was following along with a step by step on both and was happy with the drake.

The hen well I hope she looks better after the wash but here they are any feedback is welcome don't want to gum up the thread so you can PM me if you want.


I did enjoy the oils but I have lots to learn about their use The paint was still wet when I took the pictures but I was getting dark and I wanted to get a pic with my study bird in the background. ;D

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Here is my May completion. I played with these a bit working a few hours every saturday for the last few months. I carved them about 3 years ago and they have been sitting on the shelf. I have three hens that might be part of the June work bench project, but I am not holding my breath. Haven't seen much of home lately so the better half is pushing for attention.
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Mallard Drakes, Willy McDonald style. Still got a lot of learning to do, but not a terrible start. I actually carved these two about a year ago when I was laid up post knee surgery. These were the first two I'd ever carved. I started my cackler build as soon as I was back on my feet, and just got around to painting these up last week. Basswood heads, tan cork bodies, acrylic paint. Now I need to do about a dozen more to really get the hang of it!

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