Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, All~
On my recent trip to the show in Tuckerton, I stayed with long-time friend Paul Castelli. Being a native Long Islander, Paul had worked with Al McCormick to make many decoys. I had been advising Paul over the summer - and over the telephone - on restoring a bunch of his McCormicks. After visiting his horde/hoard, I came home with 7 birds in need of serious repairs. I have completed 3 of them - 4 more need TBR (Total Bill Replacement surgery) and have not yet gotten my attentions.
Al McCormick was Mr. Decoy on Long Island for many decades. He guided scores (more?) of gunners through the process (Al's process!) of making their own excellent gunning decoys, mostly Black Ducks and Broadbill.
View attachment sm Al McCormick - Grass I - 27 February 2013 -0 8x10.jpg
Here is a "high-head" McCormick Black Duck - in original paint. Al used black cork (the dark brown "refrigerator cork" long available from the now-defunct National Cork Company in Keyport, NJ). The nooks and crannies on the body were filled with a slurry of glue (Weldwood plastic resin glue?) and cork dust. Heads were from red cedar. Tail inserts were Masonite. Both the heads and tail inserts were keyed to lag bolts up through the 1x4 flat keels.
View attachment sm 01 McCormick High-head FULL.JPG
The first of Paul's birds I tackled was a newer one - one of the "humpbacks" made in Al's later years of 5-inch cork. He has resealed the whole bird with Spar Varnish.
View attachment sm CMc 01.JPG
Paul had kept the broken off "lower bill" - so repair with just thickened epoxy was easy. Al seldom put glass eyes in his birds - a bit of paint was used instead. These eyes needed a bit of relocation.
View attachment sm CMc 03.JPG
Two birds were without heads altogether. Paul has a supply of unfinished heads from Al and so selected a high-head...
View attachment sm CMc 07.JPG
... and a tucked head.
View attachment sm CMc 08.JPG
Although Al made a wonderfully durable gunner, one weakness was the grain in the bill. As so often is the case, the heads were sawn out with the bottom of the neck parallel to the grain and the bottom of the lumber. This means that the grain runs generally across the lower portion of the bill - begging for breakage. (Better to lay the head out on the lumber with the grain running parallel to the bill.)
View attachment sm CMc 04.JPG
So - when the time comes - I will notch out the heads as a mortise for all new red cedar bills - set in epoxy and reinforced with a steel (galvanized 10d finishing nail) insert.
View attachment sm CMc 05.JPG
Stay tuned.
SJS
View attachment sm CMc 01.JPG
View attachment sm CMc 02.JPG
On my recent trip to the show in Tuckerton, I stayed with long-time friend Paul Castelli. Being a native Long Islander, Paul had worked with Al McCormick to make many decoys. I had been advising Paul over the summer - and over the telephone - on restoring a bunch of his McCormicks. After visiting his horde/hoard, I came home with 7 birds in need of serious repairs. I have completed 3 of them - 4 more need TBR (Total Bill Replacement surgery) and have not yet gotten my attentions.
Al McCormick was Mr. Decoy on Long Island for many decades. He guided scores (more?) of gunners through the process (Al's process!) of making their own excellent gunning decoys, mostly Black Ducks and Broadbill.
View attachment sm Al McCormick - Grass I - 27 February 2013 -0 8x10.jpg
Here is a "high-head" McCormick Black Duck - in original paint. Al used black cork (the dark brown "refrigerator cork" long available from the now-defunct National Cork Company in Keyport, NJ). The nooks and crannies on the body were filled with a slurry of glue (Weldwood plastic resin glue?) and cork dust. Heads were from red cedar. Tail inserts were Masonite. Both the heads and tail inserts were keyed to lag bolts up through the 1x4 flat keels.
View attachment sm 01 McCormick High-head FULL.JPG
The first of Paul's birds I tackled was a newer one - one of the "humpbacks" made in Al's later years of 5-inch cork. He has resealed the whole bird with Spar Varnish.
View attachment sm CMc 01.JPG
Paul had kept the broken off "lower bill" - so repair with just thickened epoxy was easy. Al seldom put glass eyes in his birds - a bit of paint was used instead. These eyes needed a bit of relocation.
View attachment sm CMc 03.JPG
Two birds were without heads altogether. Paul has a supply of unfinished heads from Al and so selected a high-head...
View attachment sm CMc 07.JPG
... and a tucked head.
View attachment sm CMc 08.JPG
Although Al made a wonderfully durable gunner, one weakness was the grain in the bill. As so often is the case, the heads were sawn out with the bottom of the neck parallel to the grain and the bottom of the lumber. This means that the grain runs generally across the lower portion of the bill - begging for breakage. (Better to lay the head out on the lumber with the grain running parallel to the bill.)
View attachment sm CMc 04.JPG
So - when the time comes - I will notch out the heads as a mortise for all new red cedar bills - set in epoxy and reinforced with a steel (galvanized 10d finishing nail) insert.
View attachment sm CMc 05.JPG
Stay tuned.
SJS
View attachment sm CMc 01.JPG
View attachment sm CMc 02.JPG
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