On the Bench 2025

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creedsduckman

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Very nice!!! What did you use for the bottom board?
Thanks. Bottoms and tails are just 1x pine shelving from home depot. Heads are white pine and keels I have no idea, that was just some board a friend had when he passed. It was too hard to carve so I'm just using it up.
 

Nick97

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All looks great :tu Ive been out of town for a little while now, but eager to get back and finish up as much as I can before the season starts.
 

WHUP ! Hen

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creedsduckman

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You are a better man than I Gunga Din, the first rig I carved was with that black chit, never again.
I've got about 60 gunners in my garage, only gunning rig I've made, all black cork. Yep its nasty but poor people got poor ways. I started messing with it in about 2007ish. At the time I was just starting making decoys and didn't know anywhere to get wood big enough for bodies, I could find head stock here and there. I could/can order cork shipped to my house. It's easy to work with few simple tools. Black cork is cheaper and lighter than tan and at the time I liked the old school look of black cork. Now I make a paste to fill the voids because I can paint better than back then. I now have a source for lumber big enough for bodies so I'm not sure if I will order more cork when I run out. I've never messed with tan cork. I wouldn't mind trying some one day.
 

WHUP ! Hen

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My experience with black cork was 40 years ago, they looked great and worked great. I have used tan cork and it’s ok but far too heavy. I hollowed it out like I do with wood and they are still fairly heavier than hollowed wood but they work ok.
 

NWRINGNECK

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Started carving .. to make a GE rig.. in 85. My late partner and I made over 200 BSC gunners. Darn fine rig. Still have nearly all of them. Since then graduating up ??? ;-) to tan cork .. heavy but nice .. and some wood .. heavy unless really hollow but also nice. Probably 300+ decoys now.

Best and easiest rig is BSC. Killed birds over them for 30-40' years and could still be used. Advantages ... Nice and light, basic block painting even over the cork voids worked fine and if sealed properly never took on water.

Nasty to work with especially if using power. Saw to shape and rasp not so bad. Still make a few BSC. For newbys BSC = "Basic **** Cork"
 

RedDog

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I've actually always liked the old school look and feel of black cork. Still make decoys from it every now and then. For me I think it dates back about 50 years ago when I found an old LL Bean black duck decoy out on the marsh. I still throw that thing out once or twice a year and hunt over it.
 

creedsduckman

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Those look niiiiiice....I do love some black cork. Did you fill the main voids or just have some good cork to work with?
Fill em. I make a paste out of cork sealer and cork dust. I'm always a little torn because I like the old school look of cork but I can do a better paint jobs and I feel like it gets sealed better if I fill the voids.
 
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