2/28

Well less than a week to go before DU... we had our last meeting before the banquet...
All the carvers that I talked to are all trying to finish birds before the big night....

I got one more to paint and some minis to finish... looking foreward to seeing what everyone did for the show...
I'll take some photos of my birds before I enter them...

2/24

Well it is offical.. the rig is carved and has migrated to my house... will seal the keels this weekend and texture the birds,
this way I can float them and start the painting process...
Still have a couple of birds to finish for DU...
Shop was crazy last night... lots of folks..

2/21

Well another weekend is over... this weekend I worked on a Woodpecker for our DU contest.. this bird will go into Antique others and I will post a photo when it is done...

Also added a new cabinet to my paint room.. I needed more storage... so the cabinet is in and shelving is almost done... then I move all my crap back into and get ready to paint my rig...

Got a couple of birds to paint for DU also... Scaup and a Dovkie... float them Monday night, also help my great nephew Ben get a shorebird done for DU...

2/18

Here are some shots of the rig... I think I am done carving.. now onto the keels...

Busy night tonight, you can tell that DU is just around the corner... lots of chips flying to get those projects done...

2/17

Worked like a rented mule last night on decoys... Our local DU contest is just around the corner and Worlds is fast approching ...
Trying my best to have the rig ready for paint by the end of the month.... done have alot to do but everything takes time...
Going to work tonight for a little...
Got several DU projects underway...

2/12

Well another shop night... shop night is being well attended, not much going on here in winter...

Also our local DU is coming and Worlds is coming... Plus people just have stuff they are working on...

Here are a couple of shot of the rig as it is progressing...almost all carved and just got to do all the little things to finish them off... such as hollowing and strenghing some areas... all these items take time.. still shooting to have them ready for paint by March...

Also a photo of some of the guys working and doing what they do best at the shop is talking and solving the worlds problems...

2/7

Here are some shots of the Ringed Teal that I just finished for our local DU contest...

Every year the shop picks a catagory in the DU contest and everyone is encourage to make the picked bird..

This year the shop bird is any Teal.. so I decided to make a South Afican Ringed Teal just to be different...

Quite different than any other Teal that I have ever made... should be the only one there...

2/5

Another week has past... Shop has been very busy.. full house with many projects... Eagle, Woodpecker, Goose, Swan, Ringneck Duck, Shorebird, is just some the items that the shop crowd is making...
I'm still working on the rig.. also healing up after the drill press incident...

2/1

Here are some shots of the rig in progress...

Had a minor set back... While hollowing the drake Scoter, I started a fight with the drill press and the drill press won... just can't beat those machines.. they don't care... ended up with 4 stiches and some butterflies to hold the flaps of skin down...

Here is a shot of the drake.. still needs hollowed.. and a shot of the Razorbill...

will carve bill detail next time I'm at the shop...did get the eyes in the razorbill...

Also got the head glued on the hen and she is hollowed out... now time for some serious thinking about the keels and how you want them to float...