Whats on the workbench in April.

Brandon Yuchasz

Well-known member
This site is the first place I go to when I log onto the computer in the morning. I have always loved the helpful nature of the site and the way we supporting other carvers and builders and encouraging them. In general when we have a disagreement it can be heated but seldom is taken to personal insults I logged in yesterday and had some new work to share in the month of April but honestly did not feel like contributing it to the thread. After thinking about it over the course of the day I decided not to let others petty behavior interfere with my enjoyment of other work of the sharing of mine.

Here is whats on my workbench in April.

The first were actually finished up for westlake's rig contest I had the distinction of being the first rig pulled out of the pool. Something that did not surprise me one bit with the stylized painting I used. Still if was fun to participate in the contest and meet other carvers. I have been waiting for a good sunny day to get out and take a few pictures to share with the group.

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They were inspired by two hunting trips I took to Ohio late in the fall and early in the winter of last season. I hunted on Lake Erie on both trips and although the weather kept me from getting to far out we had good shooting. The lake was absolutely covered with Common and later Red Brested Mergansers along with other assorted divers. Although the Mergansers certainly are not on the top of the list for table fare they did decoy well often time in large groups and I found myself shooting these "bonus birds". They are quite graceful if flight and I started thinking of carving a rig of them for Ohio. These six were my start of what eventually will be a rig of thirty six. Although my goal for this coming season is to carve half of those and finish the other eighteen the following summer.
Here is the picture from the day that planted the seed for these decoys.

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In addition to those I have two blackducks I have been painting on. This was them a week or so ago. I stared at them across the room for a few days when they were like this and considered just finishing them out in the simple paint. Since I had planned to do a more detailed paint though I eventually started the more detailed paint.
Here they are clean and simple.

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Here they are with the detail started. Still quite a bit of work to finish on them.

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Beyond that I have a small rig of teal in the sanding stage. Two woodies at the same point and lots of others in the design stage. April is shaping up to be a busy month for me as far as carving goes.

I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else is working on this month.

Brandon
 
Nice looking decoys, especially like the 'ger looking into the water! How did you prepare those in order to make them even remotely edible?
 
Waiting for a new book to arrive that will help me with the Sprit-boom rig for the BBSB, decided to try to make some hardware with some scrap Ipe.

A jamb cleat and a finger cleat. These are 4 1/2" long.

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My plan is to make all the hardware for the sail rig... but waiting on the reference so I understand how this really lays out, so more to follow in a few weeks.
 
Wish I had a decoy to contribute. I have a grout float and tile saw on my workbench right now along with trim paint and putty. Trim was final coated this morning, need to replace all the outlets and new faces on them over the mosaic tile in the kitchen. Later today new registers and cold air return vents, replace can lights and main light in kitchen. Tomorrow touch up and finalize stuff, may get the marble tile sealed too and put together the new kitchen table after cleaning the floor. Down to the little stuff.
 
Brandon, Nice job. You just made leaps ahead in your painting with those mergs. My favorites you have made!
 
Sounds like me, I have 2 replacement windows to go in, then trim out. Plus yard work, and working some repairs to the shed.
Seems like when I get the honey-do's list completed, she hands me a new list.
 
Brandon,

Great looking decoys, plenty of those buggers up north as well. Some mergs are on my checklist for the summer as well.
 
Brandon, really like the gooseanders. Have you got a closer pick of the drakes. Think they are some of the best birds I have seen from you. Well done mate.
 
Brandon, saw the merg rig in Westlake.... you should be proud of them, it was neat rig.

Gettin' pulled out first isn't always a bad thing! Don't even sweat it.
 
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Brandon, if I were judging those would have been the last decoys floating. Love the paint! Love the style!

I'm not getting much carving done either. We bought a 1960's fixer upper ranch last fall. I just gutted the master bath down to the studs. Discovered the shower pan and faucet had been leaking for quite sometime. It was a mess.
 
Brandon

Nice saw bills, I too saw them in the pool, didn't know they were yours.

Decoy wise, I have two BBWD and a ruddy to rig (finally finished painting them after WAY TOO LONG), have to recover a pair of swans I'm making for Tim Speight (I didn't like a wire on each after I shrunk the canvas), and I have a pattern I'm working on for a half dozen butt feeder swans (two for me, one as an interest payment to Tim, and 3 for Mike Trudel).

Otherwise, on my honey-do list, is a new dining room table and benches...we have a long narrow dining room, and we are going for something reminisant of the Great Hall in Harry Potter:

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Though not quite so long...

Chuck
 
Brandon, Nice work, glad I finally get to see an up close pic of the sawbills.

Love the Woodie Bob! Your stuff is certainly distinctive and I like how you always seem to be pushing the envelope.
 
Brandon,

Since they were pulled first, they are absolutely worthless...HEE HEE...If you can send them to Houston, TX...I will use them where no one will discriminate against the paint style...Nice birds...

Regards,
Kristan
 
Rodney Milborn asked me to post up this photo of a Buffy that was to be part of a Westlake rig.

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Neat Buffy Rodney...since it wasn't finished before the 2012 show, you could enter it in 2013...
 
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Nice work everyone. I've actually been making quite a bit of dust lately, just gotta figure out where my daughters camera is at so I can take some pictures.
 
Hi Brandon

I really like the stylized paint scheme on your Mergs.

I'd put them in my rig and hunt them any time.

Tim
 
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