What's on your Workbench? MARCH 2023

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, All~


As detailed in yesterday's post, I helped a Young Student with a variety of decoy projects. He took most back to college when he left - but had to leave this cork Broadbill behind - because the thickened epoxy was too "unstable" for transport. It cured next to my stove.






The maker is unknown - but the bird was found in coastal New Jersey. It had survived at least one load of small lead projectiles....






It got new glassware on both sides of his head - but I filled only the shot holes that threatened the structural integrity of his bill. He has now been thoroughly sanded and enjoyed a soaking coat of Spar Varnish all over.







This job inspired me to commence some repairs on some of my own derelict Wildfowlers - all from the Quogue factory as far as I can tell. These divers are a bit larger than other Superior models I have. I have the Drake Broadbill to go with the Hen - but he needs only sealing and painting.






This brand shows on 3 of the 4 birds.






The Hen Canvasback needs her head re-attached to her body, but first I need to tone down that bump from the too-deep burning on her forehead - and excise the stray pellet and then fill the divot behind her port side eye.






The Broadbill Hen is missing quite a bit of her port side chine....






I have not yet sawn the prosthetic bill needed by Mr. Canvasback.






Never out of reach of my fussing, I "refined" the eye shapes on this Broadbill I made last year. He will be joining me at the LIDCA Show in Hauppauge on Saturday.






I likewise put the finishing touches - the Satin Spar Varnish - on this sweet Helmuth Rich Shelldrake. She, too, will be visiting Hauppauge in a few days - as will Helmuth, whom I have not seen in many years.







This Herter's Model 63 Wigeon - or at least my interpretation with a Bluebill head atop a Puddler body - is on her way to Jersey with 5 other 63s.






And, this Oldsquaw needed one of his tail feathers re-attached. The plastic rectrix had snapped off - and both rectrices drooped a bit. I reinforced both from below with thickened epoxy + 'glass cloth + a tongue depressor.







I need to check the label. I'm thinking John McLoughlin? In any event, that long-tail now sweeps jauntily upward - stronger than when first built.






All the best,


SJS

 

[Rod VanZile]

Steve,

I love the way you preserved the stray shot. Looks like a pretty tight pattern.

RVZ

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Tundra Swan decoy, Sugar Pine on Cedar, lettered and hanging hardware attached.

 

[Steve Sanford]

All~


More production From the bench of George Williams:


These "big ducks" still need their keels.....







And even though they are now comfortably ensconced within some shelving....they still need their keels.






These pin-tailed waterfowls will join them someday....with or without their keels.....






All the best,


SJS

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Oil paint on wine case lid ready to go.

 

[bob welsh]

Finished up 16 Widgeon. These were the Herters fat jaw style I got from Dave D. Went on 63 puddler bodies that were restle coated. I flocked the heads to add some texture before top coat. First hens of this species I have painted ever so pretty much winged it.

 

[MLBob Furia]

[size 5]Started paint on a pair of mallards this week.

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Twern't for the Geezer carvers/makers nothing would get done it appears. [wink]

Mighty fine work Gents

 

[george w]

Thanks for posting for me, Rooster. No keels until i get sprig painted. Anyway, i need few more degrees of warm before dragging the lead paraphernalia out of the shed into daylight Don't forget to spring ahead tonight!!!

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, George~


That Nor'easter surprised us with twice as much snow as had been forecast.....







Luckily, I had finished the faces on these 2 Wildfowler (Quogue) Hens before the power went down. I painted the body details by natural light.






These were gifts for a couple of grad students who have been radio-tagging Mallards and Blacks on Long Island - through Craig Kessler's Long Island Wildfowl Heritage Group. Once the power was back on Wednesday afternoon, I could photograph on the bench once again.






I also finished the LL Bean Hen to join the Drake I rehabbed earlier.






This light shows her "greenwing" to better advantage.






I also coated and oil-primed these 5 Herter's Suc-Ducs and their E Allen heads.






I used the snowblower 3 times over Tuesday and Wednesday. The tractor was needed for the especially dense, wet snow. I had purposefully loaded the wood box on her stern to give me plenty of traction. I'll be splitting that wood tomorrow. This photo was Early Morning Day 1. We got another 10 inches after that.....







And once my interwebs was back up, I received a note From the bench of George Williams:






All the best,


SJS

 

[Eric Patterson]

Not really on my workbench, more like on my sawhorses. The living space over the shop is once again getting some attention. I've got a long way to go but am making progress on machining the heart pine for the floor and ceiling. I find the smell of cut heart pine to be wonderful. Very sweet smelling. The basic process at this point is running one edge on the jointer to make it straight, ripping it down to boards of different widths, and stacking. Once that is done it will be time to plane the faces, then machine the tongue and groove. I'm getting a lot of exercise walking around the shop carrying 12' boards.

Eric

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Eric~


Great exercise indeed! I'm wondering how you handle such long and heavy boards on your jointer. Do you have - or rig - infeed or outfeed tables/rollers to take the weight and keep each board level?


All the best,


SJS

 

[MLBob Furia]

Twern't for the Geezer carvers/makers nothing would get done it appears. []

Mighty fine work Gents

Vince,

Some mighty fine stuff going on in your shop while you wait for the fishing to start!
With winter hanging around 'til the last dog is hung, we geezers have to retreat into our "spaces."[]

Finished up the spatter-painted mallard drake to that pair this week:

 

[Eric Patterson]

Steve

Having an 8' jointer really helps on longer boards. Getting started is the hardest part. I stand in front of the jointer and put one end of the board on while supporting the rest. Then I push it into the cutterhead, keeping downward pressure and making sure I don't rock it, and keep going. After a few feet half the board is supported and it gets easy. As the board exits the jointer I apply the same strategy. I do this on each board until the knives cut from the start of the board to the end with no gaps. I can take two boards out of the stack and put them edge to edge and see no daylight.

It's funny, there are those that argue they don't need a jointer. I couldn't live without. Give me a jointer, planer, table saw, and drill press and I can make out. Add a shaper, bandsaw, lathe, and a bunch of sanders and the capability goes up. Tack on a mortiser, tenoner, and dovetailer and now life gets easier with fast means to traditional joinery. My latest machine, a hauncher (box joint machine) is the cherry on top. My wish list for old machines is about empty, which is good because any more and things will be crowded. I think down the road I'd like to get a CNC router and take advantage of the latest technology, combining century old machines with state-of-the-art.

Eric

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Bob,

Thank you.

Mighty fine work coming outta yer shop as well. Tip of the hat to you my friend.

Old Man Winter started off a bit late but is hanging on for dear life here. What really irks me is the Smart Phone showing me "photos from last year on these dates" most of which I'm fly fishing. I'm already late out the gate, and at my age no time to waste. [wink] Cabin Fever is getting to almost "Here's Johnny!!!!" HHHEEeeeHHHHeeeeeeHHHHEEEEeee


Best regards
Vince

 

[Steve Sanford]

All~


Progress on the E Allen Mallard heads for the Herter's Suc-Duc bodies.






I was struck by the comparison of the Allens with the Herter's - which, coming on the scene in the early '50s, are still fine heads.






The Allen look great on the Model 72 body, to my eye.






Bodies are still mid-paint.....


All the best,


SJS

 

[Dani]

I got bored and had a small chunk of cottonwood bark and instructions on how to carve a tree in cottonwood bark. So, since I couldn't fall asleep last night I gave it a try.

I need to get some super glue because I popped a few little pieces off, but it was fun and fairly easy to do.