September "What's on your workbench?"

this was on the kitchen work bench last night. I will be enjoyed after hunting over a couple carved decoys. 3lbs of wild raspberries. a pound of sugar, sterilized jar and a 1.75 of cheap vodka. Will be ready when the birds start flying well.

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Mr. Steffy

You're killing me with the call pics. I want to get back out in the shop and turn some calls so bad I can't stand it. Right now between my son's baseball and working on the hunting property there just isn't any time. Maybe in a month.

Eric
 
John...That is my critter skinning, deer processing, duck cleaning, call staging bench. It will be pulling another duty by the end of the month when I mount a decoy carving vice on it. I initially built the bench just to skin beavers. Space is at a premium in my shop though, so it has to serve numerous purposes.

Eric...looking forward to seeing some more of your calls when you do get back into the shop. We're going to have to swap calls one of these days.

Steve
 
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Not finished yet.... still need to finish up the head.... not sure if I want to paint the feather outlines on the body or just leave it solid brown...

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Hey Tom,

I've made the same thing with cherries and whisky. The cherries are as good as the nectar. BTW, there are a few of your Ring Neck decoys floating in a friend's rig down here in Florida, I've seen. They sit in the water very nice. And also, a good friend of mine lives in Kearney, Greg Alex, a very dedicated duck hunter I might add as well.

Hitch
 
Steve: What kind of surface do you have on the bench for all that bloody, greasy work? My bench just has OSB on top of it for now because that's what I had at the time. Someday I'd like to replace some of it with a surface that is less porous and easier to clean.
 
Not finished yet.... still need to finish up the head.... not sure if I want to paint the feather outlines on the body or just leave it solid brown...

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Nice bird. Got any pics of the high-head in the background?
 
Thanks for the compliments Hitch, reminds me I have not carved a ringer this season and must get after it. That may be the bird I have been looking for to have the oldest daughter work on so I can gun it. Sorry I do not know your friend there are a lot of duck hunters in this area and a lot of places to duck hunt. Let him know we do have a carving night on most Wed nights if he wants to tell some tales..lol
 
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Steve: What kind of surface do you have on the bench for all that bloody, greasy work?
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My bench is just made from 3/4" thick plywood. Any thinner just isn't rigid enough for my purposes. It does get to be a bloody greasy mess at times, but it gets a good sanding / cleaning at the end of the season.
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You get your lumber from "up nort', eh"?

Like the black duck...I'd leave the body as is, paint in an eye stripe and wait for season!!
 
This is a Walter Bailey antique decoy that had been on and around my workbench for about a year and a half. It was made in the early 20th century around Long Point Ontario. A friend gave it to me as a gift. When I received it he was painted all black. So over time I played around with him until I got to this point and decide to call the restoration done.

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7 North Dakota style canvasback decoys. These are part of my old school experimental phase, we have a WI and a st clair inspired bird, all are balsa, have minimal carving and painted eyes. I gotta throw some keels on and they will be hunting in a few weeks. Pintails are next, already have a few put together.


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John: The antique looks terrific. Are the glass eyes original?

Bill: Are the coots balsa?

Everything looks great. Keep the visuals coming.

Mike
 
Cool Coots Bill.

here's what I've been messing with recently, and will hopefully have finished by the weekend.

The Bluebill is for a Coastal Conservation Association Banquet here in MD and the rest are for my rig.

The white wings are hollow cork with pint bottom boards. They're big buggers.

The Blacks are balsa and are light as a feather. Probably gonna re-do the bills. The 3 underway will be blacks or mallards. I haven't decided just yet.

-D

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looking good dave. your not having any issues with your balsa are you? these pintails are turning out heavy and yet some sections(individual sticks) are real soft. I should have sent mine back when I found out the manager didn't oversee my batch. Keeling these maybe very difficult.
 
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