A BAKER's DOZEN - Finishing a batch of Al McCormick Black Duck Heads

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
Good morning, All~


This past Fall - and holiday season - has been flat-out at Pencil Brook Farm (and Boatworks and Decoy Infirmary....)


This past Tuesday was the end of looming/overdue deadlines for me - when I mailed off this outboard cover for this Mariner.



sm 1 Tuffin South Bay - motor cover pattern.jpg



After finally fixing the dreaded "lower thread tension" on my SailRite sewing machine, I was able to complete this cover - from Sunbrella and polypropylene webbing.


sm 2 Tuffin - Motor Cover DONE.jpg



Because of my sewing machine troubles, it could not be delivered to Long Island with this South Bay the week before.



Tuffin South Bay - portrait 3.JPG



Another delinquent project was the finishing of 13 Black Duck heads - either made by Al McCormick or to his plans.


1 sm 1a Al McCormick - Grass I - 27 February 2013 -0 8x10.jpg



Most Long Island gunners know the name Al McCormick as Mister Decoy. For several decades he made - and more important helped many others make - some exceptional gunning decoys. He was especially famous for his Black Ducks - THE puddle duck on Long Island. This bird has a re-painted head.



2 AM - Black Duck Hogh-head FULL profile.JPG



Here is Al's paint - on a bird he signed - and is a prized member of my collection. Spray on the crown and cheeks, a brushed on eye-stripe - and NO glass eyes. (NOTE: Al used black cork for the bodies and filled all of the crevices with a slurry of cork dust and varnish.)



5 McCormick Sleeper - head closeup oblique BRIGHTER.JPG



Although I never worked with Al, I did visit his basement workshop and watched him create decoys for many years at the U S National Decoy Show. I have, though, re-painted scores of his birds for others. Here are some McCormick Broadie-beaks with my paint.



3 Six AFTER.jpg



Here are some McCormick Standard Blacks - again with my paint.


6 - Zamp McCormick Blacks 10-16 BRIGHTER A.JPG



Here are some of his later Humpbacks.


7 - McCormick Humpbacks.JPG





Someone - maybe moi ? - put eyes in these Standards.


8 - McCormick Black Duck Pair - repainted by SJS.JPG



BTW: Here are the Behr paints I use (shown on a Wildfowler Superior Model with a scratch-painted face). Al had stock Benjamin Moore colors he used - but this old brain cannot recall the names. Maybe Tudor Brown for the bodies???



sm Black Ducks - BEHR PAINTS.JPG



As you will see, all of the 13 heads in this project are the same posture - what Al called his Bull Heads. It is unusual only because Al carved many head postures. Note at the top of the page his recommendations for the mix in a perfect rig. He does not show a profile view of his No. 10 Bull Head (at upper right).



4 - Black Duck head patterns for 24 decoys.jpg



Stay tuned.....


SJS
















 
Part 2


I put this job off for a long time because I was uncertain how I would do it. Al always used Red Cedar for his heads. He had his own techniques - and even specialized tools - that he used to shape the brittle and stringy wood. I knew my usual X-acto with a No. 22 blade was not up to the task of re-shaping the birds. The owner wanted glass eyes installed and the backs of the heads rounded. Al left the backs square so they would be mortised into his bodies.


I began by sanding the bottoms of each head on my belt sander.


Montecalvo 1 - Sanding bases on belt sander.JPG



This allowed me to draw the shape on each.


Montecalvo 2 - 13 heads with bottom markings.JPG



The centerline will be handy when the owner and his nephew attach the heads to their bodies.


Montecalvo 3 - Base markings.JPG



Each was trimmed on the bandsaw.


Montecalvo 4 - trimming head shapes.JPG



All 13 now trimmed.


Montecalvo 5 - 13 heads trimmed.JPG



The next step is locating the eyes.


Montecalvo 6 - head trimmed closeup.JPG



I put blocks on the drill press to simplify the eye boring. I used a 7/16" bit.


Montecalvo 7 - boring eye sockets in drill press with stops.JPG



The center line is needed for the re-carving.


Montecalvo 8 - before carving - fat through eyes and asymmetrical.JPG



Ready for carving - to achieve symmetry and to make the eyes look right.



Montecalvo 9 - before carving.JPG


This next step involved a New World for me - power carving. Note the bit in the hand-grip of the "Foredom" (actually a Pfingst given to me by a friend). It took some getting used to - but proved to be just the tool for getting through this tough Cedar. It could do heavy removal and also fairly fine smoothing.


Montecalvo 10  - Head 1 after carving.JPG



More to come....


SJS











































 
Part 3


Finish sanding was done by "stropping" with belt sandpaper in the vise - then by hand with conventional sheet paper - down to 120-grit.


Montecalvo 11 - Head 1 after sanding.JPG



The eyes get set in water-soluble wood filler. Only a bit of filler was needed elsewhere - as on this bill. The eyes are #10s. Others may have noticed a supply chain shortage with eyes of late. I used up my supply of these eyes on this project. My usual source has a wait list - but I have ordered more since from another.



Montecalvo 12 - Head 1 eyes and filler.JPG



Here's the head ready for sealing with Spar Varnish. The head markings are just ink - to tell me if I'm on the right track. The bill paint is final, however. It'll be protected by 2 coats of Satin Spar Varnish.



Montecalvo 13 - Head 1 - bill paint and ink markings.JPG



I numbered and signed each head - because these were gifts. The head bottoms then got their sealing coat of Spar Varnish.



Montecalvo 14 - Head 1 - numbered and signed.JPG



Here's a birds-eye view of BEFORE and AFTER - or, actually, AFTER and BEFORE.



Montecalvo 15 - Head 1 vs uncarved.JPG



An oblique view.


Montecalvo 16 - Head 1 vs uncarved oblique.JPG



The Spar Varnish sealing the head.


Montecalvo 17 - Head 1 - sealed with Spar Varnish.JPG



Once the base coat has cured, a few chalk lines guide my brush.



Montecalvo 19 - Base coat and chalk lines.JPG



Head # 1 all done.


Montecalvo 18 - Head 1 DONE.JPG



Drakes and Hens differ by bill paint.


Montecalvo 22 - Closeup of 2 DONE.JPG



7 Drakes and 6 Hens.


Montecalvo 20A - 13 DONE.JPG



I look forward to seeing them on their bodies - and ready-to-hunt.


All the best,


SJS










 
Excellent!

But a rig of 13 decoys? Might as well eat a banana while whistling on a boat whose name you have changed.
 
Jeff~


It's always helpful to apply science to our grand passion!


Saving grace is that I'll be getting 6 more for the rig - to finish as Mallards. Now I'm wondering if waterfowl like/don't like prime numbers....


Time will tell!


SJS

 
Steve,

As usual a very professional job, and lookin good.

IMO a pencil is the most important tool when carving, and centerlines a must.

Agree that Red cedar (aromatic) is much more friendly to a good rasp than a knife in my experience. The grain of the wood is very pleasing to the eye, has a good voice. Square back of the heads a sound construction method.


As for 13, it's just a number...[;)] Little bit of a back story. I recently had to get results for some very important medical tests. Dr's office called said "all we have available is the 13th, a Friday for your visit." I said OK what time? She paused, and then more or less said, some patients would not take that day. The results were good.


Best regards
Vince
 
What an enjoyable post. Thank you Steve, for the wonderful pictures and then telling us all about what you were working on.

Those are some great looking black ducks. Thanks for the background about Al McCormick.
Al

PS When you talked about prime numbers it reminded me of the day I was hunting at the flooded beaver pond. I found myself counting my decoys. I had 16 being used. Good grief, I quickly got into my bag and grabbed one more and made sure it was out with the rest. 17 was a much better number of decoys.
 
1975/1976 Al McCormick demonstrated carving cork black duck decoys at the U S nationals, could buy them for $15.
 
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