Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, All~
I am multi-tasking about 10 different orders right now - mostly gunner rehabs. This batch includes" Beans, McCormicks, Herters, Wildfowlers (Old Saybrook and Quogue), Ken Harris, Down East Sport Craft.
View attachment Work Bench - 31 January 2020.JPG
These are old Herter's Model 81s. They began life as Brant in the late 1960s. I replaced the factory heads with my own Pine Canada heads in the early 80s - and hunted them for many seasons, both on saltwater and on rivers hereabouts. I am rehabbing them for a customer. They have new plywood tail inserts (longer than the originals - which I think helps overall proportions); epoxy + Homer Coat skin; and will get flat keels (Mahogany with lead ballast). The original molded-in cast iron keels rusted and flaked from the salt; some had almost broken free of their foam surroundings. Prime coat is flat oil; topcoat will be Behr latex house paint.
View attachment Herrters Model 81 w SJS heads and tail inserts.JPG
This pair of Ken Harris (central New York State) Whistlers needed rhinoplasty. The Drake just needed everything glued back together; the Hen needed a new prosthesis.
View attachment Ken Harris Whistler Pair - head-to-head - John Fraser.jpg
New paint was restricted to the bills and heads.
View attachment Ken Harris Whistler Pair - John Fraser.jpg
This head is a bit of a whim. It is carved from an Al McCormick pattern (his No. 8). We will have a small tribute to Mr. Decoy at the March 7 Long Island Decoy Collectors Annual Show. As did Al, I began with Western Red Cedar.
View attachment McCormick Head - No 8 profile carved.jpg
I will be finishing it "bright" - probably with several coats of varnish after I sand it to a fare-thee-well. Instead of paint, I will suggest some of the details with burning.
View attachment McCormick Head - No 8 quarter carved.jpg
More on the "Al McCormick Tribute Head" in a separate (later) post.
All the best,
SJS
I am multi-tasking about 10 different orders right now - mostly gunner rehabs. This batch includes" Beans, McCormicks, Herters, Wildfowlers (Old Saybrook and Quogue), Ken Harris, Down East Sport Craft.
View attachment Work Bench - 31 January 2020.JPG
These are old Herter's Model 81s. They began life as Brant in the late 1960s. I replaced the factory heads with my own Pine Canada heads in the early 80s - and hunted them for many seasons, both on saltwater and on rivers hereabouts. I am rehabbing them for a customer. They have new plywood tail inserts (longer than the originals - which I think helps overall proportions); epoxy + Homer Coat skin; and will get flat keels (Mahogany with lead ballast). The original molded-in cast iron keels rusted and flaked from the salt; some had almost broken free of their foam surroundings. Prime coat is flat oil; topcoat will be Behr latex house paint.
View attachment Herrters Model 81 w SJS heads and tail inserts.JPG
This pair of Ken Harris (central New York State) Whistlers needed rhinoplasty. The Drake just needed everything glued back together; the Hen needed a new prosthesis.
View attachment Ken Harris Whistler Pair - head-to-head - John Fraser.jpg
New paint was restricted to the bills and heads.
View attachment Ken Harris Whistler Pair - John Fraser.jpg
This head is a bit of a whim. It is carved from an Al McCormick pattern (his No. 8). We will have a small tribute to Mr. Decoy at the March 7 Long Island Decoy Collectors Annual Show. As did Al, I began with Western Red Cedar.
View attachment McCormick Head - No 8 profile carved.jpg
I will be finishing it "bright" - probably with several coats of varnish after I sand it to a fare-thee-well. Instead of paint, I will suggest some of the details with burning.
View attachment McCormick Head - No 8 quarter carved.jpg
More on the "Al McCormick Tribute Head" in a separate (later) post.
All the best,
SJS