What's on your Work Bench ? MAY 2018

Steve Sanford

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
Good morning, All~

Turkey Season opens in a couple of hours - so I thought I'd post this rehab first.

A friend got this pair at a garage sale last Fall - with a bunch of other decoys. We do not know the maker.

They are big black-cork birds in fair condition. I was asked to repair and re-paint them - probably for a future life on the shelf.

CLICK to enlarge any photo.


View attachment sm 01 Foster - unknown Drake 01.JPG

Nice paint - but a bit muted to my eye.

View attachment sm 02 Foster - unknown Drake 02.JPG


Here's the Hen. Both heads are a bit too small for their nice, big, well-shaped bodies.

View attachment sm 03 Foster - unknown Hen 01.JPG

A longer tail insert would have prevented this fracture.

View attachment sm 04 Foster - unknown Hen 04.JPG

Here's the AFTER Drake.

View attachment sm 05 Foster Drake 01.JPG


I tried to make the head look a bit longer - with paint.

View attachment sm 06 Foster Drake 02.JPG


The Hen:

View attachment sm 07 Foster Hen 01.JPG


Tough to make this head look much larger.....

View attachment sm 08 Foster Hen 02.JPG


Sea Trials - very nice gunners in my opinion. Any ideas about the maker?

View attachment sm 09 Foster pair 01.JPG

All the best,

SJS








 
STEVE, THE MALLARD DECOY LOOKS LIKE ONE OF MY EARLY CARVINGS, A TAKE OFF OF AN AL MC CORMICK, I USE TO WORK WITH HIM AT THE NEW YORK SHOW SEVERAL YRS. IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN.
 
STEVE , MORE HISTORY ON THE MALLARD DECOYS, WHY I AM PRETTY SURE THEY ARE MINE, THEY WERE MADE OUT OF 4 IN BLACK CORK WITH A THREE QUARTER BOTTOM BOARD & A QUARTER IN" TEMPERED MASONITE TAIL, AS WELL AS THE PAINT JOB LOOKS LIKE MINE FROM 30 YRS. AGO.I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A NICKEL FOR EVERY MALLARD I SHOT OVER THEM.I WOULD BE WEALTHY,
VERY NICE JOB ON THE REFERB YOU DID ON THEM GOOD FOR ANOTHER 30 YRS.
KEEP THE CHIPS FLYING.
 
Paul~

That's an amazing coincidence! My friend got them with a bunch of factory Mallards and Blacks in Saratoga Springs - about 45 minutes west of us. He picked this pair for the shelf because they were clearly the "Queens of the Fleet". He will be thrilled to know of their fine pedigree.

All the best,

SJS



 
GEORGE, I FEEL I MADE THOSE 30 SOME YRS. AGO. THE KEELS WERE RAP AROUND KEELS, SO WHEN YOU WERE ONLY IN TWO FT OF WATER YOU DID NOT HAVE TO UNRAVEL 12FT. OF DECOIY LIKE VS. 2FT.
 
[size 4]Paul,

That's a great story on your decoys from way back! Must be gratifying to see them good for another 30!
Hope this note finds you well.

On another note, started off May with a coot cut from an old pattern Joe Wooster had given me and inspired by one of Joe's birds that went at auction in March.
Needed a steady hand to bore the hole for the dowel up through the thin neck on this one!! Managed to hit it center and not bore through the neck.



View attachment IMGP0331 (900 x 641).jpg




View attachment IMGP0332 (600 x 399).jpg View attachment c.jpg



View attachment IMGP0337 (600 x 399).jpg

Next bird for May started out with a bare bones pattern that left plenty of room to "freestyle" carve and improvise. It's kind of taken shape as I sketch and look. Got it to the point where it was time to attach the head and move on from there:




View attachment IMGP0352 (900 x 598).jpg
 
mc lob, its nice to look back on old birds we made in our early days & always surprized of where these old birds show up from 30 yrs ago & how bad they were compared to what we have learned to improve on of our work today, but yet harvested a lot of birds over those old decoys .i am glad the birds went to the right man steve sanford for a referbush job to make them look a lot better.
i like the most recent birds you are working on, the turned head with the wing showing is a classic looker.keep the chips flying.
health wise i am nursing a broken back right now,from 7 weeks ago, have a few more months to go from what doctors tell me to heal up, but at least been able to spend a few hours a week in my shop to do a little.
 
[size 4]Paul,

Was aware that you'd had a health setback, but didn't realize you'd broken your back. Had some disc compression issues that laid me low about 4 years ago so I know that back issues are not at all pleasant.Can't imagine dealing with that. Will keep you in our thoughts & prayers here.

Been meeting occasionally with the folks from my Ward NEA class a few years back. Nice to see that they've kept at it and have drawn in a few new people as well.
 
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Pat, where are you finding the rings and eye screws? I assume they are from a hardware store? Mucking about with some upper bays style dekes-hollow cork-and I have been using leather straps for line attachment loops. Noticed that all of my old stuff that still have remnants of the leather coops were replaced by a ring and staple. I like the ring and eye a lot more.
If you know, just drop me an e-mail
Thanks
God Bless
 
George - good to hear from you! I get the screw eyes with O rings from Bob Metrich, Decoy Rigs , Whiting , Indiana 219-659-8371. Take care and God bless !
 
Thanks. the only thing I could find here were hog rings and the hardware store I was at did not even acarry fence staples.[;)]
 
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