October Workbench...

[Steve Sanford]

All~

I am painting my way up and out from an avalanche of gunners....

Here are some Chesapeake Bay Super Duck Decoys. They are dense foam with a tough skin - and will be headed back to Great South Bay for the Duckboat Show & Waterfowl Festival this weekend (October 30 at Cedar Beach, Babylon, NY).

I think these Mallards might be the "Super Mag" size - but I defer to their owner.

These Al McCormick feeders are for another gunner. I tried to keep the paint fairly simple to honor Al.

I really like the reaching posture.

I have begun coating the bills with a satin varnish - to protect the paint in this obvious wear spot -and where a bit of gloss would not be untoward.

More Bean's and McCormick's to come shortly......

Finally - here is the sign on which I painted the Short-eared Owl (posted here previously). The formal dedication was this afternoon. My paint was covered with 5 coats of marine varnish by another volunteer. I really like the post - which I feel complements the sign very nicely. And, I am especially glad that I avoided all the hard work: the hole for the 6x6 was dug by hand.....

Stay tuned....

SJS

 

[Bill Clark]

Great looking gunners Steve i am still struggling with the hen mallards but it is fun trying.
Bill.

 

[Steve Sanford]

More repairs and re-paints ready for the trip back to the Atlantic Tidewater....

This Wigeon Trio: one bill, one tail, one keel.

The 4 Mallards began life as Al McCormick Blacks.....

These very big corkers are Bean's "Deluxe Oversize" - 19-inch body length.

Here is a comparison with a Bean's Coastal.

These Mallards, too, are Coastals.

All the best,

SJS

 

[joe Sarrantonio]

Steve -There are gonna be some happy gunners when they get their / your birds back.

To all - Also, I don't post very often because I'm such a novice however I do visit this site and drool over the magnificent work done by all. It is a talent I truly wish I possessed but instead I llack, however like my dear ole pappy would say " Not everyone has a talent for everything but there is a talent for everyone to do something" .... or something like that. That being said thanks to all the contributors on here for pictures and posts which have certainly given me a wonderful education ......... and I'm still learning.

 

[MLBob Furia]

Good to see that someone else gets paint all over the floor of his shop ;-)

 

[John Unruh]

Wow Steve , you are one busy fella, do you get time to sleep!! He He.

 

[Paul Dobrosky]

Great Photo , Really brings back found memories of those days when they came in like that.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Bob~

What you don't know is that I "disappeared" some of the spills with Picasa.....

All the best,

SJS

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, John~

I sleep whenever I'm not working on stool or duckboats.....

Here is this morning's work thus far - a bit of paint but mostly photography before they get packed up for "migration":

These McCormicks are going to Long Island.

These Beans are headed to the Mississippi Flyway.

This tip-up came with a batch of Model 63 Herters. I thought I had no use for it - but then picked up the brush. It will serve right here on Home Pond in our Second Half.

Back to the shop - carving a few new gunners, tinkering on trailers and boats, et cetera.....GREAT Working Weather!

All the best,

SJS

All the best,

SJS

 

[Matt DeFore]

great work steve!

 

[Paul Dobrosky]

Steve, Great work on all the
guning birds you recently painted for various people. PAUL
P.S. Keep the chips flying.

 

[John Unruh]

Those are some great looking gunners Steve ! Happy recipients for sure!

 

[mo elgammal]

Hi Steve , great painting job on this decoys ... it shows the amazing talent you have and the great passion for duck hunting .. someone I know can't wait to get his hand on this decoys .. lol .

 

[Darin Clark]

I finished up a redhead for a buddy

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And repainted some herter's buffies for another guy.

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[Steve Sanford]

Pat et al~

The USPS is helping this Diminutive Duck make its way west to the Land o' Lincoln - by Thursday afternoon if all goes as promised....

It is hollow White Pine with inside ballast (lead ingot). I kept the round bottom - primarily because it looks so sweet on the shelf. Let me know if he's a bit too lively at sea.

All the best,

SJS

 

[Pat Gregory]

Steve - it's a beauty! We'll take great care of it and it will be part of a longline of all ruddies, the only one I know of. Pat

 

[Paul Dobrosky]

Great Looking Ruddy STEVE. There are Plenty Here In N.J. In certain Spots, But Not Many hunters Hunt Them

 

[Steve Sanford]

Paul~

We have enough on Long Island - but it is the one Atlantic Tidewater species I have never shot - because I could never get one to fly or otherwise present a "fair chase" opportunity.

All the best,

SJS

 

[Paul Dobrosky]

Steve , There are enough of them around these parts , but they are seldom hunted . The only time many gunners will even try for them if the other birds during the season has been slow mostly because of to many Blue bird days & nothing else is happening . the best success on them because of there habits seems to be out of lay out boats, they dont handle well to shore line rigs. They offer a lot of fine pass shooting excitement.I had two dozen of them but sold them all with all of my other decoys. Glad to here you had a fine time at the Show last week end.Keep up on all the fine work on all your repaint jobs as well as your new decoys. Stay in touch. PAUL

 

[Matt DeFore]

Good work guys, I'm trying to get the itch again, been repairing, stripping, and staining my back porch for the last month as time permits. Ready to carve a bird or two.