Matt Decker
New member
Nice looking blocks
Re-burning Cork Black Ducks
- Thread starter Steve Sanford
- Start date
joe Sarrantonio
Member
As usual another fine Sanford job.
John Klingenstein
Well-known member
I really enjoy your posts Steve.
Very interesting
Very interesting
Bill Clark
Well-known member
Steve,
I have done some reading on black cork and have a basic understanding of "refrigerator" cork but know nothing of wiley cork. I assume it is no longer available. Care to give us a little history on Wiley cork.
I enjoy working with black cork and love the way it rides,my winter project will be a small rig of ringnecks.
This blackduck post is cool.
I have done some reading on black cork and have a basic understanding of "refrigerator" cork but know nothing of wiley cork. I assume it is no longer available. Care to give us a little history on Wiley cork.
I enjoy working with black cork and love the way it rides,my winter project will be a small rig of ringnecks.
This blackduck post is cool.
Paul Dobrosky
Active member
Steve, Regarding your request for other methods to Seal & Finish off the Dark Cork to resemble a Black Duck body Color . This is what I have used successfully over the years. As you know when you are shaping & finishing off the shape of the Cork Block be careful with rasp you are using not to course so not to make LARGE VOIDS you have to fill in. When you buy the sheets ask for 9/10 lb. density much tighter grain WITH LESS Voids in sheet.
AFTER SHAPING, WHATEVER METHOD YOU CHOOSE TO HOLD BODY TO FINISH OFF - HEAD ATTACHED OR KEEL ATTACHED, USE SOME TYPE OF RUBBER GLOVES BEFORE USING STAIN. 1ST STEP: I USE TWO DIFFERENT COLORS OF MINWAX OIL STAIN & SEALER. NOTE THE OIL STAIN IS SEALING THE CORK. STAIN AS SHOWN IN PICTURES. 1ST. COLOR IS GOLDEN PECAN #245 LOOKS LIKE RAW SIENNA TUBE COLOR SIMILAR TO BLACK DUCK FEATHER EDGES. BRUSH ON & SATURATE COMPLETE BODY AT LEAST TWO COATS OR MORE TO SEAL CORK. WAIT A DAY OF DRYING TIME BETWEEN COATS. TAKE NOTE & ATTENTION AS TO HOW WELL THE OIL STAIN IS PENETRATING CORK. ALSO NOTE HOW WELL THE COLOR IS FALLING INTO THE VOIDS . YOU MAY NEED MORE COATS BASED ON AGE & DENSITY OF CORK.
2ND STEP. USING MINWAX OIL STAIN AGAIN BUT A DIFFERENT COLOR DARK WALNUT #2716, WET A RAG WITH STAIN, RING OUT SO AS NOT TO HAVE COLOR RUN INTO THE VOIDS THAT HAVE THE 1ST COAT COLOR IN THE VOIDS.THEN JUST WIPE ON OVER THE WHOLE BODY TILL YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH FINISH DARK BROWN COLOR WITHOUT FILLING IN 1ST COLOR IN THE VOIDS, SO THAT THE FINISHED BIRD LOOKS LIKE FEATHER EDGES & YOU HAVE THE LOOK YOU WANT . I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH SEALING OF THE DECOY AS WELL THE RESULTS OF STOOLING BLACK DUCKS TO THEM . SEE FINISHED PHOTOS.
NOTE, THIS PROCEDURE ABOVE IS ONLY FOR THE BLACK CORK-TYPE DECOYS. FOR THE ORANGE CORK, I BURN THE CORK WITH A BENZOMATIC TORCH AS YOU DO IN YOUR PHOTOS.
I have attached a link to some pictures of a finished cork black duck of mine on photobucket
http://s1172.photobucket.com/user/duckguy723/library/cork black duck finish?sort=3&page=1
Edit: link fixed and photos edited by moderator
AFTER SHAPING, WHATEVER METHOD YOU CHOOSE TO HOLD BODY TO FINISH OFF - HEAD ATTACHED OR KEEL ATTACHED, USE SOME TYPE OF RUBBER GLOVES BEFORE USING STAIN. 1ST STEP: I USE TWO DIFFERENT COLORS OF MINWAX OIL STAIN & SEALER. NOTE THE OIL STAIN IS SEALING THE CORK. STAIN AS SHOWN IN PICTURES. 1ST. COLOR IS GOLDEN PECAN #245 LOOKS LIKE RAW SIENNA TUBE COLOR SIMILAR TO BLACK DUCK FEATHER EDGES. BRUSH ON & SATURATE COMPLETE BODY AT LEAST TWO COATS OR MORE TO SEAL CORK. WAIT A DAY OF DRYING TIME BETWEEN COATS. TAKE NOTE & ATTENTION AS TO HOW WELL THE OIL STAIN IS PENETRATING CORK. ALSO NOTE HOW WELL THE COLOR IS FALLING INTO THE VOIDS . YOU MAY NEED MORE COATS BASED ON AGE & DENSITY OF CORK.
2ND STEP. USING MINWAX OIL STAIN AGAIN BUT A DIFFERENT COLOR DARK WALNUT #2716, WET A RAG WITH STAIN, RING OUT SO AS NOT TO HAVE COLOR RUN INTO THE VOIDS THAT HAVE THE 1ST COAT COLOR IN THE VOIDS.THEN JUST WIPE ON OVER THE WHOLE BODY TILL YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH FINISH DARK BROWN COLOR WITHOUT FILLING IN 1ST COLOR IN THE VOIDS, SO THAT THE FINISHED BIRD LOOKS LIKE FEATHER EDGES & YOU HAVE THE LOOK YOU WANT . I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH SEALING OF THE DECOY AS WELL THE RESULTS OF STOOLING BLACK DUCKS TO THEM . SEE FINISHED PHOTOS.
NOTE, THIS PROCEDURE ABOVE IS ONLY FOR THE BLACK CORK-TYPE DECOYS. FOR THE ORANGE CORK, I BURN THE CORK WITH A BENZOMATIC TORCH AS YOU DO IN YOUR PHOTOS.
I have attached a link to some pictures of a finished cork black duck of mine on photobucket
http://s1172.photobucket.com/user/duckguy723/library/cork black duck finish?sort=3&page=1
Edit: link fixed and photos edited by moderator
Last edited by a moderator:
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, Bill~
I am sure there are others here who know more about Wiley Cork than I do. When I moved back to Long Island in 1978 to work for DEC, I began carving in earnest. Advised by others - especially my colleague at NYSDEC Mike Scheibel (now with TNC) - I learned about the 2 kinds of decoy cork: "Black" (refrigerator) cork from National Cork Company in Keyport, NJ - and "tan" (white, bulletin board) cork from Wiley Cork Company in Wilmington Delaware. Their product was called Cork-Tex and they catered to decoy carvers:
I do not know when Wiley's began business - or when they closed their doors.
Although I was inspired by Al McCormick's Black Duck decoys, Mike convinced me ("It would be foolish to use anything other than burnt cork.") to use the Wiley's - and avoid all the filling, sealing and painting in a McCormick bird. [But - Paul Dobrosky's info now has me thinking about trying some black cork birds with his Minwax oil stain approach.]
I made a couple of rigs with Wiley's Cork Tex. The first (early 1980s) was from 2-inch thick pieces I glued together with Resorcinol Marine Glue; the second (late 1980s) was with the 4-inch thick pieces. I also helped others make rigs from the 4-inch pieces.
A couple of summers back, Tom Russo brought me a never-used case with 6 "duck blocks" in it.
As I now knew that contemporary tan cork no longer has the waterproof qualities of Wiley's, I decided to use the 6 blocks very selectively. Four have become Black Ducks - for a Long Island gunner - and the last 2 will become Florida Ducks - for a Sunshine State gunner.
Here is a bit of the process. (I could not find an earlier post on this topic with a quick search - so excuse me if I am repeating myself.)
The heads, tail inserts (half-inch) and keels are White Pine.
Keels and tails are glued with my usual marine epoxy (1:3 Medium Hardener) from U S Composites. Note the wax paper on the bench.
The carving is done with: band saw, bread knife, coarse rasp, fine rasp, rifflers, sandpaper (down to about 100 grit).
On new birds, I burn the bodies before I fasten the heads (with a long deck screw and an adhesive caulk like 3M 5200 or PL).
I paint on a liberal coat of Linseed Oil, then set it aflame - area by area. I pat out the flames with a rag so the cork does not turn to charcoal. This is definitely an "outside" job.
The whole bird is rubbed with the dirty rag to mix the soot with any residual Linseed Oil.
I just finished this pair Thursday night - to be delivered tomorrow at the SSWA Duckboat Show.
I sure wish Wiley's Cork-Tex were still on the market. I have only enough Wiley's (cut-offs from these 6 plus a dozen or so bodies begun and abandoned by a friend) to piece together one more Black Duck and a bunch of Teal or other small ducks.
All the best,
SJS
I am sure there are others here who know more about Wiley Cork than I do. When I moved back to Long Island in 1978 to work for DEC, I began carving in earnest. Advised by others - especially my colleague at NYSDEC Mike Scheibel (now with TNC) - I learned about the 2 kinds of decoy cork: "Black" (refrigerator) cork from National Cork Company in Keyport, NJ - and "tan" (white, bulletin board) cork from Wiley Cork Company in Wilmington Delaware. Their product was called Cork-Tex and they catered to decoy carvers:
I do not know when Wiley's began business - or when they closed their doors.
Although I was inspired by Al McCormick's Black Duck decoys, Mike convinced me ("It would be foolish to use anything other than burnt cork.") to use the Wiley's - and avoid all the filling, sealing and painting in a McCormick bird. [But - Paul Dobrosky's info now has me thinking about trying some black cork birds with his Minwax oil stain approach.]
I made a couple of rigs with Wiley's Cork Tex. The first (early 1980s) was from 2-inch thick pieces I glued together with Resorcinol Marine Glue; the second (late 1980s) was with the 4-inch thick pieces. I also helped others make rigs from the 4-inch pieces.
A couple of summers back, Tom Russo brought me a never-used case with 6 "duck blocks" in it.
As I now knew that contemporary tan cork no longer has the waterproof qualities of Wiley's, I decided to use the 6 blocks very selectively. Four have become Black Ducks - for a Long Island gunner - and the last 2 will become Florida Ducks - for a Sunshine State gunner.
Here is a bit of the process. (I could not find an earlier post on this topic with a quick search - so excuse me if I am repeating myself.)
The heads, tail inserts (half-inch) and keels are White Pine.
Keels and tails are glued with my usual marine epoxy (1:3 Medium Hardener) from U S Composites. Note the wax paper on the bench.
The carving is done with: band saw, bread knife, coarse rasp, fine rasp, rifflers, sandpaper (down to about 100 grit).
On new birds, I burn the bodies before I fasten the heads (with a long deck screw and an adhesive caulk like 3M 5200 or PL).
I paint on a liberal coat of Linseed Oil, then set it aflame - area by area. I pat out the flames with a rag so the cork does not turn to charcoal. This is definitely an "outside" job.
The whole bird is rubbed with the dirty rag to mix the soot with any residual Linseed Oil.
I just finished this pair Thursday night - to be delivered tomorrow at the SSWA Duckboat Show.
I sure wish Wiley's Cork-Tex were still on the market. I have only enough Wiley's (cut-offs from these 6 plus a dozen or so bodies begun and abandoned by a friend) to piece together one more Black Duck and a bunch of Teal or other small ducks.
All the best,
SJS
Paul Dobrosky
Active member
Steve, Great Looking Birds. Keep up the fine Work. Paul
PS. I think you will like my Black Cork Method Of Sealing & Finished Look , I Like to have a nickel for All he Black Ducks I Harvested over those Decoys, Using that method.
PS. I think you will like my Black Cork Method Of Sealing & Finished Look , I Like to have a nickel for All he Black Ducks I Harvested over those Decoys, Using that method.
