Rehabbing LL Bean's Coastal Greenwings

[Steve Sanford]

All~


I have these 3 Greenwings and a dozen Black Ducks - all LL Bean Coastals - in the shop right now. The damage to these 3 is minor -but does allow me to show how I approach the eroded cork and other infirmities that need some attention to get them back into gunning condition.


Here are the 3 in BEFORE condition. The Drake is different from the Hens in construction details - not sure which are older.



View attachment Beans GWT 01 - 3 BEFORE.JPG



This Hen had the most erosion on her body - but all 3 birds had some.


View attachment Beans GWT 02 - Hen worst.JPG



The head was not loose - but that crack needs some care. And, the eyes are both missing.


View attachment Beans GWT 03 - Neck crack and missing eyes.JPG



These square-edged keels, although softwood, still pose a threat to new paint jobs on rigmates.


View attachment Beans GWT 04 - square keels.JPG



A few minutes with block plane, knife and 80-grit paper ease the offending edges. I also re-drill the anchor line holes with a 3/8-inch bit.


View attachment Beans GWT 05 - eased keel, cleaned line holes.JPG



Chines on any decoy made from black cork without a bottom board are especially vulnerable to wear.


View attachment Beans GWT 05B - eroded chine.JPG



The Drake's head is attached by a dowel that runs right down through the keel - where it is held with a screw and washer. The head attachment on the Hens is blind.


View attachment Beans GWT 05C - drake dowel detail.JPG



This Hen has gotten thickened epoxy pushed and spread into all voids - deep and shallow. I smoothed the wet epoxy as well as I could, then sprinkled fine sawdust over it.


View attachment Beans GWT 06 - filled Hen.JPG



Here's the Drake....


View attachment Beans GWT 06B - Drake headless but filled.JPG



Continued in next post....


SJS

 

[Steve Sanford]

Just a few more for now.


After an overnight cure, the birds are sanded with 8-grit paper. I've marked the line between the face and bill - to give it its proper orientation. I will burn these new lines in - along with nostrils and nails.



View attachment Beans GWT 07 - All sanded.JPG



The transition on any decoy's head/neck to its body is my favorite part. The Hens were done nicely at the factory. The neck flows onto the body as it does in life.



View attachment Beans GWT 09 - Head-chest transition.JPG



The Drake, however, suffers from an abrupt transition. It looks like the head was just stuck on a shelf.



View attachment Beans GWT 08 - Drake head-chest abrupt.JPG



Because the head is designed to removable (for repairs), I will probably fill this area with the same soft caulk that I will use to bed the head - and not thickened epoxy or other filler that would cure hard. Fine sawdust sprinkled onto the wet caulk will give a good substrate for paint.


All the best,


SJS

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

Steve, how do they float with the epoxy? How do you get epoxy to flow in the crevices?

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Rich~


I have seen no difference in trim - because there's not much epoxy - and - because it's thickened with fairing compound, it is low density. As you will see, I still seal the whole bird with Spar Varnish - after I insert new eyes, etc - to get into the crevices, fissures and voids.



Stay tuned!


SJS