I can't believe that I am the one starting this months thread!

More Shopsmith practicing/learning with my dad. Tonight was mainly using the table saw part of the Shopsmith. So we started making bluebird boxes...my Shopsmith set up for crosscuts and his set up for planing and ripping.

Dani, worse thing I ever did was to get rid of my Mark V! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did mine. Glad to see you taught that dog to drive that yellow truck!

Dani et al~


Good weather for a heated shop....16 below this morning - but a nice, calm 9 above right now. I just plugged my tractor in so I can go out back later today with my saw. I've been waiting for the ground to harden up.


This Blue-wing left for DC earlier today. Made of hollowed Basswood, he weighed 13 ounces before being crated up for the journey.







This Herter's Model 81 Canada - from my own rig - needed it head re-attached. I gave it some fresh paint as long as it was so handy. Most of this rig also needs new anchor lines.






And this Herter's Model 81 Brant is from a Long Island friend's rig - painted by me over a dozen years ago, I believe. He/she needed a bill repair - and, as with most Herter's around salt water, I needed to make sure its cast iron ballast did not find daylight - and ultimately the bottom of the Bay. Epoxy + filler + light (6 ounce) cloth should keep everything together.







All the best,


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

Thanks Gene! I am enjoying my Mark V. I think though my dad is enjoying it even more than me. I have it at his house because he is ten minutes down the road from me and has a climate controlled shop. Makes it easy for him to teach me how to do stuff because he has all of his tools available (and lordy does he have a tool set to make a person drool). He has been busy with projects at his house and he is LOVING having his shopsmith set up for certain things and setting up my shopsmith for certain things. It is saving him lotsa time having two shopsmiths. I think he agrees....best $500 I have spent in a long time

 
Dani,

You might enjoy this.

Years ago I worked on a city street dept. in a western PA town. Once or twice a year we would pick up heavy and large items folks wanted tossed.

The boss said he got a call from a home uptown for us to pickup items and toss em in the dump truck. We got to the home, nothing out at the curb. Knocked on the side door and inquired.

Lady told us "The junk is in the cellar, I want it gone ASAP". Can't take it unless it's on the curb. "Go down and look please."

We were floored at what we saw. The woman's husband had a very tidy woodshop in the cellar. Many power and hand tools and a Shop Smith. If I recall he had recently passed.

The guy in charge of our group said. These tools are not junk, you should sell them. "Don't want the trouble just want it all gone." We can't take them out of your house but I can come back after work with my sons and fill my pickup. "OK, that's fine."

No BS, true story.











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

Got some painting lessons coming up, so trying to push myself with carving .
Current either black duck or mallard head on the bench

Oh man Vince.......I woulda thought I had died and gone to heaven if that had been me. Then thought....I need a bigger garage!

 


On and under the paint table, new and not so new... Goose decoy painting in progress.













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

All~


I completed the Model 81 Brant - with its new bill, reinforced keel and fresh outerwear. (The Model 81 Canada is mine. It got its head reattached - and fresh clothing as well.)







And, I melted the ends on the tarred nylon anchor line.






All the best,


SJS


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

Black Duck in progress

All~


Here is some recent BWT production From the Bench of George Williams






I have been assured these noggins will cap off a bunch of Mallards or Blacks sometime in the near future. How George will accomplish that task without actual center lines I'll never know......







Among other things, I have been rehabbing this pair of Shelldrake by Long Island carver Helmuth Rich.


They were in fairly rough shape and needed lots of epoxy and filler to make them sound once again. The cork had needed so much repair that I sealed each bird entirely with epoxy - and not my usual spar varnish.






Then, it turns out the Hen was significantly larger than the Drake. My OCD could not tolerate such an egregious anomaly. So, AFTER installing new eyes, I then swapped the new glass - and moved the red to the larger decoy and the brown to the smaller.






Here is the flat oil base coat. I suppose I could stop right there - this paint would do the trick in practice. (Although I would still clean around the eyes before hunting them.)







But, they will get a more refined topcoat soon.


All the best,


SJS







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

Steve, when i do the first layout, there i a smallish enter line, about 1 3/4" from each edge.. Those bills are an inch wide, so i do scribe a half inch line along the port and starboard side of each bill edge, allmost to the back. Instinct takes over from there. Just ground four after lunch--about all my hand will take before fatigue sets in.
Thanks for posting the pics
george@runamuckdecoys.com

You are the Decoy Monster Machine.

Salude!


Best regards
Vince











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

Son just finished his first bird

Good morning, Matt~


WOW!!!! Congratulations to your son. What a great way to begin !


SJS

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

Tell your son great bird. Burn all the info on the bottom [date, his signature]. Is it going to be a mantle bird or going in the rig? When my father in law passed, we cleaned out the house and found his first and second bird he carved. My mother in law wrapped them in towels and hid them in a cabinet. He was self taught and never hunted. Just a hobby and sold thousands, bought anew car, cash.

 

That's two thumbs Way Up.

The lad created a mighty fine Ringbill for his first decoy.

Mask, work glasses, Croc's, camo, and a Big smile. Alright!


Best regards
Vince











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

Great work Matt! Memories that will last a lifetime.
I hope it gets hunted at least once



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

Classy Jack!
george@runamuckdecoys.com

Very nice. Talented young man.

Matt

That is awesome! I hope he keeps at it because he's got talent. Give him a high five from duckboats.net. We approve!

Eric

Mat your son's smile says it all. Great job!!

your boy has done a great job with that decoy congrats!

Thanks guys

Yeah, we will hunt it when we get the chance

He wants to do a gadwall next.

He did an amazing job!