Humm, I finished up the colors on these last night, still need clearcoat, eye gloss and bill semi-gloss before they are done, done.

These Buffies are headed to PA this weekend:




And next was a challenge decoy. When I hunt Lake Champlain each year, I spend half the week up north with John Bourbon, and the other have with Kim Smith, hunting the southern end. Kim asked for a head back, displaying Whistler for the rig. John has carved several for his rig, but since I was trying something new, I made 3, one for each of us. Next time, I will place the head a little further back.





Dave Diefenderfer
Manassas, VA

"Once you set out to build a boat, throw away your square. And if you work on her after she's launched, throw away your level." author unknown

 Nice whistlers dave, gotta take a pic in the rig.

Very cool set of whistlers.
Just need to put a hen or two with them and every drake passing within eye-sight will drop in!

---

Carl
Mobile, AL
DHBP Member since 1998

"Life is too short to drink bad beer."
Disclaimer: This post and/or report is not a substantiation of or reflection on the true accuracy of the present surveying methods. It is only a report on or comment concerning local observation and/or results. Your results and observation may vary based on your location, local water conditions, food supply, weather conditions and migratory patterns "

Not exactly on my bench. But before work this morning I made a hose reel by chainsawing a RR tie and bolting the front wheel from my old Massey 135. High end woodworking I'm here to tell you.

Beautiful work, Young Man!


Susan and I look forward to your Northern Sojourn.


All the best,


SJS

Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

Eric,
If you had wanted to go "full redneck" one would have left the wheel ON the old Massey (jacked up and supported by a log) with the hose wrapped/draped over the bare wheel. I will admit yours's is a more compact solution.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

Dave

The old Massey is long gone so I can't do that. I do happen to have a log laying in the front yard. It's headed to my friend's sawmill. If you want to see some true redneckery come back to Alabama. Not far from my shop are a few yards with "decor" that you have to wonder just how it got there.

Eric

Eric,
LOL Saw some of that back in '88 when I scoped out, southern Missouri and northern Arkansas, looking to possibly relocate.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

You've been busy Dave! Looking good. Now that hunting season is here I'm hoping to be in the marsh a lot more.

Here's a project that was something different for me.




And a Sika deer painting my daughter recently finished


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I never know which is worse: the sorrow when you hit the bird, or the shame when you miss.
http://www.hillmandecoys.com
Mullica Hill NJ

Mr Hillman
Beautiful pintail. Your daughters painting is spectacular.

Dave
Nice job on the buffies and eyes those will be fun to hunt over

Jode, love that painting your daughter did.

Excellent work by all this month and it's only the 4th. I have not done much work in my shop since the middle of 2020. Towns of house issues that dragged on for months with floor joists and all flooring being replaced and some walls and electrical stuff. New heating and AC, the contractor collapsed my septic tank so had a new one of those installed and partial re-landscaping my yard.

Hunting seasons are in here though, regular duck comes in Saturday but I won't have time to get out, don't even have the decoys ready. But did get out deer hunting and shot on Monday evening, but the better hunt was Wednesday morning when Garland, my 8 year old shot his first deer. He was more than a little excited and he dragged it about 8 inches before asking for help. He made a perfect shot at 78 yards with a .223

So my workbench is my kitchen where I'm processing deer, he wants a lot of jerky so I'll be busy make that for him.







Teach someone to love something, and they will protect it. -Will Primos
Benjamin Pendleton
Northeast N.C.

All~


I just repaired one of my earliest decoys. I carved this Coot sometime in 1980 - when I was living in western New York, working out of DEC's Buffalo office. The Lake Plains (of Erie and Ontario) have some big marshes and so birds like Least Bitterns, Gallinules and American Coot. I carved a pair to add to my Mallard/Black Duck rig. All were hollow Basswood, painted with acrylics.







Its mate was a tucked head bird. I liked it a lot - but so did someone else. It was the first decoy I ever sold.


This bird is going to an old LI friend who collects Coot (freshwater, not sea duck i.e., Chalkbills and not Skunkheads or Pumpkinbills....) decoys. I had to repair the tip of the bill first.


As I was new to carving, I had not yet found good eyes. Today, I would use pinpoint pupils from McKenzie Taxidermy (which I think are made by Tohickon).







I carved a bit of details on the aft end.






I also tried the 2-horned keel for anchor line storage. I never have gotten used to them, though, so always wrap my decoys 'round their bodies - the way I learned as a boy.






I actually repaired the bill in time for last weekend's Duckboat Show. My friend liked it - but I did not. I took it back home to shorten the repaired bill by about an 1/8-inch....


41 years later, I am proud of the bird - but recognize that I carried the bill too far aft onto the face near the hinge.







All the best,


SJS















Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

nice looking pouldeau!

---

Carl
Mobile, AL
DHBP Member since 1998

"Life is too short to drink bad beer."
Disclaimer: This post and/or report is not a substantiation of or reflection on the true accuracy of the present surveying methods. It is only a report on or comment concerning local observation and/or results. Your results and observation may vary based on your location, local water conditions, food supply, weather conditions and migratory patterns "

 

Jode,


Like yer take on the Bull Sprig, it's yer style to the bone.


Man....Allison's painting got that special something that it is beyond words.

The best way I ever read it put is -

"If I could say it with words, I wouldn't need to paint." - Edward Hopper




Best regards
Vince











"Art does not reproduce what is visible - but makes things visible." ~ Paul Klee, artist, 1920

crackerjack poulet d'eau. Leave it alone and make a newbie!
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Jode,

Allison is tearing it up! Apparently the torch has been passed.

Finished this woodrow on Friday:












MLBob

"Art is like an ill-trained Labrador retriever that drags you out into traffic." (Annie Dillard)

....Here's to Joe Wooster, who made me realize that the useful could and should be beautiful; and who firmly believed that decoy carvers were the last free men in America.

https://www.facebook.com/KOOIdecoy?ref=hl

 

Bob,

Ain't it the truth...

The dedication on the bottom of the decoy sez it all.

Two thumbs up.


Best regards
Vince











"Art does not reproduce what is visible - but makes things visible." ~ Paul Klee, artist, 1920

Well I took a chair building class during our split so there was a chair on my workbench along with half a dozen retirement gift decoys and the world?s fanciest RV toilet paper holder. No ash trees were harmed in the making of the chair. Alder, Douglas fir and elm.

Brad,
Nice chair, did you turn the spindles?

Just an observation, head position on the decoys in the front row seems just a bit too far back. Maybe it's just the camera angle?

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

I actually did the spindles by hand with a draw knife, spokeshave and a block plane.


Maybe I will mount them there Dave. Kinda like those backwards Delta canvasbacks made by Duncan Ducharme.

A while back, someone posted about not needing anymore decoys so they were going to stop carving. GW jumped on the person and when I shared the same sentiment with GW, he jumped on me! So it took a while but I found a goal that is a bit different. I never paid a whole lot of attention to LL Bean decoys - for a variety of reasons. But a friend asked me to repair some of his Bean blocks and they got under my skin. Taking GW's advice to heart, I decided to carve a rig of Bean inspired blocks in poses and species that Bean never did. This will fix the toy solder look of the two basic factory poses and it has kept my interest. The deal was sealed when I found a case of BSC local for a price I couldn't refuse. Here are some pics of some redheads and mallard/blacks in progress.

TSimpson,
Love the preener and the sleeper. Can't wait to see them painted.

Zane

Fill those holes, hombre!!!!
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Whistler for upcoming western hunt

All~


Nice work all around!


Here are some Mallards From the Bench of George Williams:








My bench time has been focused mostly on boats - especially South Bay Duckboats.


I was happy to see the bottom in fine shape in this one - currently in my shop but rightside-up again as of this morning. She got a few cosmetic repairs and 3 coats of Lou Tisch's FME # 3 (Black Duck Body Color) below the rail.






I have yet to see this South Bay in person. I made lots of pieces for her - spray shield, flaop boards, thatch rails, motor board - but the owner installed them and then covered everything up with Salt Hay.






This one arrived last weekend. The owner will miss the season because of ankle surgery - so I'll be working on her in the depths of Winter. (same for South Bay #2 in background)







The same friend brought a gunning coffin that needs a bit of work. It was made from Sanford plans but not by me. It mostly needs new canvas - and will ultimately become a fund-raiser for South Shore Waterfowlers Ass'n.






I rehabbed these birds - 5 Beans Whistlers and 1 Herter's Broadbill - last Winter. Their owner will be stopping by in 10 days or so.






Back to work.....


SJS
Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com