What's on your WORK BENCH ? - OCTOBER 2020

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
Good morning, All~


I'm still spending my available time on the Great South Bay Scooter - and a bunch of "long-handled implements in need of Turk's Heads"....


But George is still creating waterfowl facsimiles....


From the Bench of George Williams - another Ringed Teal:


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All the best,


SJS





 
Beautiful fall day. Had a little frost this morning, but the temp is sitting at 57 degrees this afternoon.

I did a little wood turning today. Well actually, I started turning this bowl back in April of this year.


When first put on the lathe, the log of Green Ash weighed 22 lbs.


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From there, I rough turned a basic bowl shape leaving the walls about 7/8 inch thick. The bowl at that point in time was very "green" and full of moisture. "Rough turning" had reduced the 22 lb. weight of the log down to 1025 grams or about 2.26 lbs. The journey has begun.


Over the next 5 months the rough turned bowl sat packed in shavings and sealed in a paper sack. When I took it out of the sack, it had dried down to a weight of 758 grams or about 1.67 lbs. It also, as expected, warped as it dried. If you look closely you can see where I penciled concentric circles on the eccentric face of the warped bowl blank. This is the reason for leaving extra stock during the drying process.


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Today it was time to true up the warped blank and expose what was still hidden below the rough surface


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That is all that is left of the log, all 421 grams of it, just under a pound (.928 lb)
Almost forgot, the bowl measures 9 1/2" diameter and 3 5/8" deep.
 
SJ Fairbank said:
Nice Dave. I wondered how long you have to let the green wood dry, interesting.

All depends on the thickness of the material. Left in a log form, probably about 4-5 years. Rough turned greatly reduces that time, but does allow the rough blank to warp and possibly crack.
 
Huntindave McCann said:
SJ Fairbank said:
Nice Dave. I wondered how long you have to let the green wood dry, interesting.

All depends on the thickness of the material. Left in a log form, probably about 4-5 years. Rough turned greatly reduces that time, but does allow the rough blank to warp and possibly crack.

In four-five years I'd forget what it was for! How much does kiln dried stock reduce the drying time? Or is drying time eliminated?
 
SJ Fairbank said:
Huntindave McCann said:
SJ Fairbank said:
Nice Dave. I wondered how long you have to let the green wood dry, interesting.

All depends on the thickness of the material. Left in a log form, probably about 4-5 years. Rough turned greatly reduces that time, but does allow the rough blank to warp and possibly crack.

In four-five years I'd forget what it was for! How much does kiln dried stock reduce the drying time? Or is drying time eliminated?

Kiln dying a raw blank would eliminate all drying. Also eliminates turning a bowl twice. Once for rough turn, followed by drying, then final finish turn.

I have a stack of "half logs" in my shed. This was early spring and I have added to it over the summer. Not an ideal situation as the stack needs better airflow than what my 3 sided shed provides. The ends have been sealed with paraffin.



View attachment BLANKS-MAY-2020.jpg

Half of this effort went to waste, because the crack in the crotch went too deep to be usable.
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Thanks, Bomber. Hope that the group of three will produce a few, IF we can get down there next June. God willing........[angelic][;)]
 

OK Patrick.

Dems some Bad Ass Acorn Eaters. [cool]


Check em out on da water.

Like the birds see em, at a distance, not from the hunters view point.

IF the flat paint holds water, and throws a glare (as usual), put a sheen on em.

Then they ARE slicker than $hit down a tin horn, hard working Decoys.


Jim S. knew the TRUTH.


my 2 cents
VP
 
Vince
Thanks that's a dead flat oil based varnish on them.
I have no idea if it will absorb water or not. But you do lose some of the paint brilliance.
Who's Jim S??

quote Vince Pagliaroli]
OK Patrick.

Dems some Bad Ass Acorn Eaters. [cool]


Check em out on da water.

Like the birds see em, at a distance, not from the hunters view point.

IF the flat paint holds water, and throws a glare (as usual), put a sheen on em.

Then they ARE slicker than $hit down a tin horn, hard working Decoys.


Jim S. knew the TRUTH.


my 2 cents
VP[/quote]
 


Patrick,

As I've stated before. I bought into the dead flat paint on gunning decoys. Until I carved a rig to use in Sask. with flat oil paint finish.

Long story short, as the morning progressed birds flared. I took a long walk up hills above the marsh we were hunting, and saw the water on the decoys was throwing a very noticeable glare.

Water throws a glare much like a mirror & glass, (refraction, etc.) that we have all seen while in the outdoors.


Maybe not a great example, but when ya see a well waxed vehicle, the paint does not throw a glare. The windshield (much like water) at angles, does throw one heck of a glare, that does draw your attention, and not for the better.

I found that flat surface paint held water for a very longtime. Especially if ya toss decoys (that's why the keel to help self right) even on calm days.

Decoys with a sheen shed water very well ASAP, and have a much less glare.

Seeing it with my own eyes, made me a believer.

How you get the sheen on your decoys is your preference, as they are your creations.



Jim S., is the late Jim Schmiedlin, 1945 - 2015.

A man of keen observation, detail, functionality, and intended purpose.

If one studies his decoys. You will note that his gunning decoys, have much more sheen than his decorative decoys. When in many cases it is the opposite.

That is the AH - HAA moment of truth.

As a Navy man he knew water, glare, and gunning conditions better than most.

Everything he did he thought through, from small details, to the big picture.


If you go to the facebook page dedicated to him, you will see some of his Wood Ducks... Killers.



Your decoys have style & quality that makes them standout. Hold on to that as long as ya can.


Best regards
Vince
 
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