What's on your WORK BENCH ? - February 2020

One additional book to read
The Art Spirit, by Robert Henri
This stuff is nothing that can be done via committee!!
Enjoy. It isn't the end that's important, but the getting there.........
 
Good morning, All~


One more off The List....


This Bean's Coastal came to me in good shape. The tail insert needed filling and fairing but the decoy was otherwise sound - even the head had no wiggle. So, it got my usual sealing with Spar Varnish, priming with Flat Oils, then topcoat with Behr latex.




View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 01.JPG



The low-head looks nice in this Preener posture, in my opinion. The bill was on the short side, so I made this one a Hen. The bill is finished with a protective coat of Satin Spar Varnish.



View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 03 - head.JPG



In have recently mixed up a "Black Duck Body" color from Rustoleum Flat Brown and Flat Black (about 5:1). So, I use the flat oil primer coat as my topcoat for most of the bird.


View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 04 - stbd oblique.JPG



The head and bottom are primed with duckboat paint - Pettit 3303, Dull Dead Grass. The topcoat and details are painted with my usual Behr sample jars.


View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 05 - head.JPG



I like the flat lead ballast nailed to the keel. I have eased the edges of the keel - with knife, block plane and sandpaper - before sealing and priming to protect the paint on her rig-mates.



View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 06 - bottom.JPG



Here is the true profile - port side. Ready-to-hunt!


View attachment Weiman Beans Preener 07 - profile port.JPG



All the best,


SJS









 
I (like you) am a fool for Black Duck, that's a nice one. I see that you're going a little bigger with that dark section on the bill lately. I'd like to experiment with adding some of that back detail to my stool, right now they are all just flat black.
 
Paisan, nice variations on a theme of an oldsquaw. Tou make a helluva nice traditional canvas bird, fella!
A question. Is the beat wood one in the foreground of your making? If so, it really comes off as an oldie![;)]
 
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Good morning, Mc~


Yes, I put a full "saddle" on this Hen - more like a Mallard than a Black. I see such markings only in the young-of-the-year females - and then I put a full adut speculum on her. I can see the wary Black Ducks flaring even now....


re the back markings: I do think those paler tertials are important species identifiers to other Black Ducks. I can pick them out even at first light when I have birds swimming in my rig. Certainly not critical for gunning purposes.



All the best,


SJS


 
I found some light white cedar 2 x 8 at Lowes. I found four 12' boards almost clear in the bundle. That is not the usual case. When using most white cedar I drill 1-1/4" blind holes into the base board to lighten heavier wood. The pattern decoy I made some years ago I hollowed. With the Wiley cork top half these are light and will ride the water beautifully. The hen has balsa top board and it is light as well. View attachment BuffleheadSSWD.jpgView attachment BuffleheadSSWC.jpg
 

Steve,

Thank you.

Canvas covered decoys are some of my favorite gunning decoys. They take a licking and keep on ticking.


Best regards
Vince
 
[size 4] Sealing a bunch of stuff with Val-Oil, so I "turned" to other things while all that stuff is drying.

Spent yesterday turning a bunch of wood duck whistles after sorting through a box in the "wood library" that had a variety of interesting blanks. Always glad I save the odds and ends from nicely figured wood. I found workable blanks of English walnut, Tigre-caspi, Mora, Pecan, & Salt cedar. Shaping & fitting the soundboard is always a bear, but these all tuned up nicely.



View attachment IMGP3965.JPG



View attachment IMGP3966 (2).JPG
 
Super sharp Bob! Shotgun shell bases look like they may be oldies off paper shells?!??

MLBob Furia said:
[size 4] Sealing a bunch of stuff with Val-Oil, so I "turned" to other things while all that stuff is drying.

Spent yesterday turning a bunch of wood duck whistles after sorting through a box in the "wood library" that had a variety of interesting blanks. Always glad I save the odds and ends from nicely figured wood. I found workable blanks of English walnut, Tigre-caspi, Mora, Pecan, & Salt cedar. Shaping & fitting the soundboard is always a bear, but these all tuned up nicely.
Click to expand...
 

Bob,

You never cease to amaze me with all the projects, and varied artistic interests you always have going on.

You are one busy guy, doin' what the Lord intended you to do.


Man O Man that hen Acorn Eater is one beautiful gunning decoy.

In my book the most gorgeous of all hen puddle ducks, and ya did the lady justice.

Them's some fine looking calls also.



Best regards
Vince
 
Thank you Tod & Vince.

Tod - the brass is from plastic duck-load empties. It's actually easier to separate them from the casing than those on paper.

Vince,
I think we'd both be lost without the pursuit of the "process." Speaking of which, I started what is turning out to be a great read: It's called "A Craftsman's Legacy - Why Working With Our Hands Gives Us Meaning" by Eric Gorges. Got it through the free i-Pad book app linked to our local library.
Gorges is a welder/bike builder (think Harleys)/metalworker, but his profiles of craftspeople of all sorts and the resulting reflections on creating and doing the work are spot-on. I can't help feeling that there are a whole lot of people who frequent Duckboats who would relate to this book.
 
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MLBob Furia said:
Thank you Tod & Vince.

Tod - the brass is from plastic duck-load empties. It's actually easier to separate them from the casing than those on paper.

Vince,
I think we'd both be lost without the pursuit of the "process." Speaking of which, I started what is turning out to be a great read: It's called "A Craftsman's Legacy - Why Working With Our Hands Gives Us Meaning" by Eric Gorges. Got it through the free i-Pad book app linked to our local library.
Gorges is a welder/bike builder (think Harleys)/metalworker, but his profiles of craftspeople of all sorts and the resulting reflections on creating and doing the work are spot-on. I can't help feeling that there are a whole lot of people who frequent Duckboats who would relate to this book.
Click to expand...

Are they steel base or can you find solid brass? Hunting the salt I?m all too aware of the abundance of brass plated steel.
 
tod osier said:
Are they steel base or can you find solid brass? Hunting the salt I?m all too aware of the abundance of brass plated steel.
Click to expand...

[size 4]Ah, probably steel with whatever Winchester coats or blends it with. My reference to "brass" was generic. That is a brass screw eye though [smile]
 
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