October - What's on your Work Bench?

Unbelievable work from everyone!
Tim, the trout.... WOW
Mr. Sanford, What a beautiful table of birds.
Mr. Furia, Your students all made some very nice looking birds. Man I'm jealous...

This what I have to offer this month. My first coot .... My mentor and I made the pattern from a bird his 10 year old grandson harvested when I took them to Lake Okeechobee last season.


[URL=http://s1335.photobucket.com/user/missjeffisher/media/DSC_1819_zpseef55c3c.jpg.html]
 
Last edited:
Well done, Tim. I for one can remember the days when I use to fly fish in Alaska. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

Now just in case you happen to get a picture of Deuce with a pheasant in mouth----Hint.
Al
 
A cold rainy Saturday here in New England. Not starting any new decoys today, but trying to catch up on several repair jobs on some hollow wood decoys that split, found a half done cedar GE body that I think I started a dozen years ago when I was still married that had some split issues that I filled with epoxy putty. The same box had three WILEY cork GE bodies that need heads..... Next project right after the flock of 8 mallard/blacks that I'm working on are done.. Been in the dungeon since 8am and on lunch break now . I've been away from this decoy thing too long due to various life events. Feels good to make wood chips and sawdust again.
 
Bill~

Great character in that bird - as always.

...but, I always thought this species' central tail feathers were made from garbage can lids....

All the best,

SJS
 
Not really on my work bench but something that had to be done got the sneakbox grassed and ready to go. Just need to grass up the pond box and will be ready for the season.

 
Repainted a black that I'm selling to a friend. Black cork filled 3-4 times with spar varnish and sawdust and sanded smooth with a pine bottom board and cedar head. I made this one at least 10 years ago, working in smith's shop with BJ. Remember those guys? BJ is a new grandpa.

a. Tried painting per Steve's tutorial with the Home Depot paint.
 
Last week, I travelled to Salisbury, MD for the culmination of the Ward Foundation / National Endowment for the Arts project for 2014, carting my students' class birds with me. On Friday evening, all the student birds were evaluated by the instructors (no instructor judged his own class' work) and awards were made to the top decoys from each. On Saturday, all the student decoys were entered into the "Chesapeake Challenge" contest held on the grounds of the Ward Foundation Museum.

Had a great time meeting the other instructors (some Forum members here) representing other flyways participating in the project (Jode Hillman, Bill Perry, Patrick Eubanks, Bob Capriola, Heck Rice, Vic Kirkman, Doug Muldowney), and heard some great stories..... Especially from Bill & Heck ;-). Finally got to meet George Williams, who was there doing demos under a canopy set up to protect him from the steady drizzle that fell most of the day.

These birds aren't from my workbench, but they are two of the birds from my class that were judged best in the Masters judging, and then went on to take Hon Mentions during the Challenge contest the next day. The birds they did were cork, and although constructed and rigged to hunt as I do with the birds I use on the Ohio River, the design of the pattern was done to replicate a palm-frond shape. As the very first decoy making efforts of the folks who did them, it was pretty cool to see them have success. As Lou Tisch is fond of saying: "I'd drop shot on those any day!"
View attachment Chesapeake Challenge 014 (752 x 500).jpg

View attachment WardNEAportraits 003 (993 x 660).jpg

View attachment WardNEAportraits 006 (900 x 598).jpg


The entire body of the SW Ohio's class' work:
View attachment WardNEAportraits 019 (800 x 491).jpg

More about the class' adventures can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/KOOIdecoy?ref=hl




 
Last edited:
Bob~

Congratulations on a great class! Of course, I was happy to see all those Black Ducks painted up as breeding season drakes - especially the one with the Ochre bill!

All the best,

SJS
 
Been finishing paint on birds that have been sitting around waiting for the temps to cool off a bit.

0FDB7703-2B5F-4268-BCF9-B1705D1FFBC8_zpscynwwci8.jpg




783DDC45-900D-4085-8705-70FD09B35377_zpsyesc34dc.jpg


A49634B8-0645-47B0-8BCC-D477C68D8831_zpsy2swkr0f.jpg

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top