# Duck!



## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

I finished work quite early last Monday so I decided to take a drive down to my favorite junk store, the Liberty Tool Shop in the small village of Liberty, ME. I hadn't been there for years, so I was due for a visit. It's one of those places where, if you're into old tools and stuff, you could spend hours picking through the shelves. I can't tell you how much stuff I've dragged home from there over the years.

Pretty slim picking this time, though. At first, anyway. I found a nice little bow saw which I'll keep in the car in case I see any wood when I'm out driving which could have stick potential. I found a small glass peanut butter jar filled with odds and ends which included three nice cane tips. I had just poked through the bin of files and rasps when I turned and saw a cool wooden box sitting on the bins opposite. It had "Schoodic Seafood" wire-burned into the lid, and had thin leather straps for hinges. I opened it and found nine duck decoy head roughouts. One was a dark reddish-brown which I think might be redwood. A couple smell strongly of cedar (although the box itself is cedar so it might just be absorbed odor). The others I think were basswood or pine, but I'm not 100% sure. Whatever they are, I thought they were cool so I snagged them. They all have the same profile from top and side, so I'm guessing they were done professionally and sold to someone who wanted to carve them, but lost interest or perhaps passed away before doing so.

I'm thinking I might try to finish them, add a collar of some sort, and stick them on a shank.


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## MJC4 (Mar 6, 2014)

Nice find. Suggest you start with the basswood as it will be the easiest and most forgiving to work with


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

Wow! That is a good pick. Congratulations!


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## Rodney (Jun 12, 2015)

Neat find!

The deep red one almost looks like mahogany.

Rodney


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

nice find

must be from a decoy maker

water fowl a favourite of mine to carve


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Yeah, I was pretty happy to have run across them. I'll have to watch the You Tube video on duck head carving that Gloops put on Cobalt's Interchangeable Toppers thread a few (dozen) more times before I attempt carving them.


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## cobalt (Nov 14, 2013)

if you decide to have a go at finishing them I would suggest you drill the the hole to fit a threaded bar , dowel or screw thread 1st

next stage I would use a very small drill bit to use to locate the eyes. This will ensure you get the eyes evenly set into the head

use a hand saw to trim the bill to the right size although they look already cut

also use the hand saw to trim the top of the fowls head back to about eye level . the top of the birds head is smaller than the cheak area

then just finish with either chisel or power tool

I f you want mallard patterns for the top of the head front view and side views I have them

they would make a nice brace of mallards . both duck and drake

the shape would also fit in with other species of water fowl such as a black bellied duck

but mainly have fun doing them and fit on to your favourite shank


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