What's on your WORK BENCH ? - March 2020

Not my prettiest work ever but maybe it will hold until the carpenters arrive. In the wee hours of last Tuesday my town was hit by an F4 tornado. 18 died in our community and many were children. We were fortunate to come away with no injuries but a roof from another struck ours with enough force to break through the roof and ceiling trusses. Who knew you could have too many roofs?

We tore the sheet rock down, sister the broken truss we could get to, and hoisted a plywood scab to cover the hole for the time being


View attachment 7A277931-6941-4890-B19B-942B753FAA35.jpegView attachment EFEA7FD0-C2F7-4922-9971-0121D7AF5848.jpeg
 
Nice work Dani! Thats up there with the coolest stuff ever posted to the Work Bench!!
 
Thanks, Vince, I am waiting for three packs of Smooth-On Rebound 25 to make a head and body mold of that redhead drake; why the neck seam is so visible-the head isn't attached. There are 10 hen scaup, three black cork birds, and 7 tan. Another 14 drakes waiting for sealer and gesso prior paint. Next time, I will get the flash working, since these two were the best of six very dark images.
 
Nice gunners.
Had the same experience with Rustoleum latex, not flat enough.
 
Good morning, Dax~


Great profile! I will be looking forward to this bunch - one of my favorite species.


All the best,


SJS

 
Tom - Steve Sanford has done a lot of research for exact decoy paint colors using Behr Flat Latex. If you do a search the information is on this site and his also.


Joe
 
Tom et al~


Happy shopping!


Here are a couple more projects - that I brought back from Long Island....


A good friend wanted this bottle opener painted as a Black Duck.



View attachment Zamp Opener BEFORE 1.JPG



In fact, he wanted it ".....just like the one that I shot at the East Lead back in the 70?s ....over my first rig of Harold Haman decoys."


View attachment Zamp Opener BEFORE 2.JPG



We here at Pencil Brook Decoy Infirmary aim to please, but.....


View attachment Zamp Opener STRIPPED 1.JPG



...after scrubbing with lacquer thinner, then some time with the wire wheel and some steel wool....


View attachment Zamp Opener STRIPPED 2.JPG



We now agree it should be left "bright" - maybe some metal polish followed with heavy furniture wax. I believe it is cast from pewter - but maybe it's just pot metal. Our staff Metallurgist is AWOL.....



The next project - actually I've been shaping another Shovin' Oar whilst dabbling with whatever decoy project strikes my fancy as I move about the shop - is the first of a dozen LL Bean Coastal Black Ducks.


They are in very good condition but need some fine-tuning and a good coat of paint to protect them for continued use.



One of the 12 had a busted tail. It was easy to repair as all the pieces were still available. These Coastals do not have a long enough tail insert. Sad they never learned from Al McCormick.....


Heavy thickened epoxy (epoxy + fairing compound) did the trick. No clamping - other than gravity - was needed for the overnight cure.


View attachment Wiemann 01 - rump repair.JPG



Here is the underside.


View attachment Wiemann 02 - undertail.JPG



I made sure the seam had plenty of "squeeze out". I let it cure "proud" and will shave it flush with a knife then fair it with 100-grit.


View attachment Wiemann 01A - rump repair.JPG




I have not seen notched keels like these on Beans before - but they are well done. I am, though, enlarging the anchor line holes to 3/8-inch.


View attachment Wiemann 03 - larger anchor line hole.JPG



These keels weights were added - but spin a bit. I will re-attach with 2 holes each, countersunk so the heads will be flush.


View attachment Wiemann 06 - ballast with single screw.JPG





Continued......



SJS







































 
Beans rehab continued.


I do not know the vintage of these Coastals - but the bill shape is a bit...."untoward"????




View attachment Wiemann 05 - bill as is.JPG



So I set out to set things right. Re-carve the bottom of the bill and move everything aft....


View attachment Wiemann 05a - bill marked up.jpg



Re-carved and re-burned....


View attachment Wiemann 05b - bill carved and burned.JPG



My "test paint" - a thin coat of latex to check results. Most of it will get sanded off before I seal with Spar Varnish then prime with Flat Oils. I do not plan to fill the original nostrils or bill-to-face lines. They will disappear once in the rig.



View attachment Wiemann 05c - bill with test paint.JPG



Back to the Shovin' Oar....


SJS











 
Steve- those ?funny? bills are ?preeners ?. That shape allows the head to turn so the bill hits the back. BTW, my brother Gary purchased that pair of McCormick style reprints you had on your table, beautiful work!
 
Tom~


Interesting...4 of the 6 in the shop have the upright head with the "preener" bill shape - but all are facing forward. They dp not have the old multi=position heads with the pin. They are held on with a single deck screw. I will expereiment and see if I can make one into a preener.



The 2 others have the lower heads - but with the same bill shape. It almost looks like these are shaped so the head could be tucked down onto the breast - but there is still a gap.


Any idea of the vintage? The notched keels have LL Bean branded on their bottom surface.


Glad your brother got those Jim Caramore Black Ducks. Do you know Jim?



See you soon,


SJS

 
Good morning, Dax~


Excellent! I especially like the fact that you caught that little squaring at the back of the head.


The ice is (mostly) off my ponds so I could stage some sea trials yesterday afternoon - before this Brant migrates to North Carolina. She's hollowed Atlantic White Cedar and floats right on her lines.



View attachment FMD Brant - sea trials 01.JPG



She has my idea of a gunning paint job - with just enough "extra effort" on her back and sides.



View attachment FMD Brant - sea trials 02.JPG



As a gunning decoy, I wish I had sawn this bird about a half-inch beamier at the waterline on each side. Her cross-sectional shape is life-like now but she would ride flatter if a bit wider. Of course, the seas are not too lumpy on the Hemlock Swamp this time of year - a light chop on Great South Bay would be the real test.



View attachment FMD Brant - sea trials 03.JPG



All the best,


SJS

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top