Steve Sanford Gunning Box Build

Bob B

Bob B

Well-known member
After trying to sit under my quick and dirty stick blind two days ago with the wind crankin at up to 50 mph I finally decided I had waited long enough and had to build at least two of these for my good land spots. May get used in the field for geese too. Might even go deer hunting. Def will be towed to some spots so they must float.
Laid out the lines as per the plans on the good sheet. Cut two at once. The lines don't seem exactly fair, but I could not read the plan only the offsets given on the NJWA link. Close enough.
I think I may build another set after with some deadrise, more like a dory. But the straight sides are traditional on the jersey shore like the Scows that came out of the same area.
Had to put a kerf half way down the bottom inwale as it is quite a bend. I did not feel like steaming on this project.








 
I bought one of those at the Tuckerton show ~10 years ago, and I have shot a BUNCH of birds out of that box; from ducks, geese and even doves!!

I've used it for ducks in flooded meadows on the NJ coast and flooded pond edges in KY. I've used it in fields for geese; take a shovel and dig out a shallow impression for the coffin and cover the edges with field stubble. Wow! Lastly, I've taken it out into a cut sunflower field and covered up with stubble and shot doves out it! You will be very pleased with that little blind!!

Best,
Steve
 
I built two a couple of years back and had to fair the hull kind of freehand. The scan on the plans was real hard to read but the boats came out fine. I used a new painters drop cloth canvas for my top painted of course. Fun project.
 
Thanks Bob and Steve,
I have a canvas connection thru work, but I'm going to check out the drop cloth, as it may be cheaper.
More pictures to come as we go along.
 
Here is the box mostly put together.
It was quite a good bend for the inwales and I think I would look at a simple jig if I was going to make more than one. Def easier to bend ply around a solid form than to push it around with extra 3/4 x 3/4 already glued and nailed to it.










 
Depends how fancy you want to go but I lucked out and got a deal on mis tint porch paint and used it in 2 coats . Went back over with rattle can camo. Its held up well
 
Bob ... awesome idea and work.

That shop is well... a real shop ! very envious.

Looks like you have some talented help as well.

Best, A.
 
"But the straight sides are traditional on the jersey shore like the Scows that came out of the same area. "

Looks like that coffin box is comming along great...
FYI Steve was a long Island, NY Guy till he moved upstate.
That design has been on long Island for many years.
Steve put the plans on paper for all to copy.
The coffin can be towed with decoys in the box to your hunting spot then either dragged to the meadows or on low tide dragged throught the mud to the water edge. A deadly hunting tool on the right day.
You may want to add a drain plug it makes it a lot easyer to drain.
 
Andrew,
thanks, my coworkers and I are not ever ones to say we don't like going to work.
Bill,
Thanks for the info on Mr. Sanford. Other than what the plan says in very small type, on the website I saw it on, I did not find much in the way of history. I did see two of these boxes made mention of in Mr Coykendale's book on rigging decoys and have wanted to build one ever since. My dad bought a used Jersey Scow when I was younger and then I saw a very similar plan in one of John Gardners books on power work boats. I am glad you could provide some more info on the LI connection.
Here are a few more pictures.








 
I really love seeing that come together. You will love hunting out of that box.

One thing I can pass on from experience, is the brace for the top of the bonnet. You have done a beautiful job bending that wood. It is traditional, and a mark of exceptional work; however, if you tow that box out on the water, and if it takes on water behind the tender, you WILL break that bonnet. Mine broke the first year. You may want to consider doing that piece out of metal for a durability standpoint.

Best,
Steve
 
Thanks Steve,
I wanted to build this one "By the book." I didn't find any build pictures on a quick web search, so I thought I would put them here for anyone who is thinking about building one.
I have a few ideas for number 2 and will incorporate at least some of them.
I wanted to do the first hoop in wood, but the assembly of the box without a jig puts a lot of inward stress on the upper part of the sides. The inwhales end up being too short and try to pull the sides in once bent. A stiff pipe conduit hoop would help with that some. I think.
Got to get my mother to buy some heavy needles so I can get the dodger sewn up this week. Going to check out the drop cloth idea.
 
Bob, I used 1/2 inch conduit for my hoop. I borrowed an electrition friends bender and It came out well. I used waxed cotton thread like the kind used in those wooden awls. My second boat was better. For a job like this you don't need boat type finishes most of the stuff was found at home depot. bobw
 
Bob,
A couple of years ago I was talking to Steve about the coffin.
He stated that when he was building them in the 80's he wanted to go traditional. (Steve is a traditional guy, waxed cotten, wool sweater,rubber waders, model 12 fowling piece, hand carved black cork decoys,bbsb, line on boats,not rope, get my drift.)
If he were to build one today he would bend conduit also use cordura.
The easy way to get the shape is to cut a jig out of plywood then bent the conduit around the plywood.
As for the sewning, you could buy a speedy sticher from cables but what I have found shoemakers work pretty cheap, compaired to canvas makers. I just mark and add a couple of staple and for a few bucks and in a few minutes the job is done.
 
Thanks Bill and Bob,
I pulled the clamps today and the hoop seems solid enough. I used strip 1 1/4 wide and about 3/32 thick. 4 of them seem like they could take a good wack. I did extend them down so they go to the bottom of the box and will use a spacer block between the upper and lower inwales. I like the cordura but don't have an inexpensive source. Any Ideas?
I'm trying to keep the dollars low on this project and am using what I have on hand.
If you guys have any photos I would love to see them added here.
Thanks for the idea on the cobbler. I will check it out.
 
Thanks Bill and Bob,
I pulled the clamps today and the hoop seems solid enough. I used strip 1 1/4 wide and about 3/32 thick. 4 of them seem like they could take a good wack. I did extend them down so they go to the bottom of the box and will use a spacer block between the upper and lower inwales. I like the cordura but don't have an inexpensive source. Any Ideas?
I'm trying to keep the dollars low on this project and am using what I have on hand.
If you guys have any photos I would love to see them added here.
Thanks for the idea on the cobbler. I will check it out.
Click to expand...


Bob, How much cordura you need? T
 
John and I had gotten side tracked on this project at the end of last years season. But seeing how nice Mr. Ken Barnett's Sanford Boxes were at Tuckerton, we got fired up again.
Picked up a quart of Fresh West System and got the roll of 60" cloth out.
We spent a couple of hours with John's new stanley block plane and a small sanding block rounding the ply corners for the fiberglass to make the turns. Because we used home building AC 1\4 inch ply we needed to fill a bit at the end grain edges and some of the nail spots where the bronze ring nails got set in.

Took the afternoon today to cloth the first hull. Just about a quart of resin after we did one fill coat over the original layup.

This one gets a coat of paint in two days and should be hunt ready for the early opener, sans cloth cover. (Mom is a bit busy to sew it this week).
A pair of burlap corn camo 4x12's from cabelas should work as long as the wind isnt howling.

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The second build was cut out last year and waiting assembly. We are going to stray a bit from the original build article on this one to try a few things.
 
We hunted the box this weekend after getting a coat of paint on and the head rest dialed.
No snap on canvass yet but the burlap worked awesome and this was a heck of a place for a junior waterfowler to take a morning nap in in a sleeping bag. Floated like a champ behind the bigger boat in the trees on the lake edge.

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It took about a quart of epoxy to double fill the weave and lay cloth all over the outside.
One sheet of 1\4 inch AC ply and some pine 3\4 stock.
A couple of small parts out of 3\4 ply and that is it.


I think the money and time are not going to compete with the power hunter type but the satisfaction meter is going on full power with the first build out.
If you want to get a great buy on one pick it up at Tuckerton.... I could not build it for that price if you count the canvass work.
 
Bob ,

That is one cool project !!!! What do you think it weighs total ? It must hide real well with the burlap and it would blend right in with the area we will hunt in Dec !! Hint Hint !!! Talk to you soon


Dave M
 
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