BUNDY TIMES - DECOY LORE AT IT’S BEST!

WINTER 2009 – Pattern Time at Bundy Ducks

Hey folks, welcome to our newsletter adventure. Here we will be posting happenings at the wood shop, Bundy history, updates on new products and general topics of interest to us and, hopefully, you.

January and February are typically very slow months for orders here at the shop. So we have time to catch up on work we’ve been putting aside, like making new patterns and upgrading the condition of old ones. Winter is a time of drawing-in, resting, quiet time for reflection and study. The flower and vegetable gardens are laid-by. No more hoeing or weeding for now-no more fresh veggies either, but the canning cupboards are full and the freezers are stuffed. We sit back and think of the plans for the coming months. I prefer to mull over what to plant where, what to grow I’ve not grown before.

But the work at the duck factory calls me: January is pattern time at Bundy’s, cold days, long evenings afford time for indoor work. Some days are simply too cold for work in the big barn – our production building. On those days I stay home to catch up on homemaking or maintenance projects. By afternoon I’m free to daydream about new decoys. I have a personal library with multitudes of picture books, magazines photos and my own photography. I “read” these sources often. It’s very common for John or Jason to find me in my library with books and pictures scattered all around me, whilst, I’m pouring over these to define an attitude or posture of a new idea I’m working on. When I’ve had my fill of studying I put all away and only think, recalling the sights and sounds of my study.

Then I begin my pattern – it’s a chunk of wood really, nothing more. I shape it, carve it, sand it, and there it sits. Sometimes my first reaction is “this is a duck?” Often times the attitude isn’t right – I begin again and again. I have abandoned some patterns to the future, when I can do justice to a certain idea. Most times, especially when I can be in a relaxed frame of mind, the piece flows from the wood – as if it was there all along. Our most popular pieces have come into being in just this way: without effort. I know when they’re right – I’m content to look at the new prototype without feeling the need to add or take away.

Four years ago my son, Jason, and I collaborated on what turned into our new Medium Loon. Jason worked up the body, I did the head. We both were pleased with our teamwork effort. I am usually the only one that works on patterns so it was nice to have someone else help. When I get the prototype to suit me, and check it out with the men I give it to them. Jason jigs up the body in an oversized wooden cradle and runs a pre-pattern of it for carving. John centers the head with a large dowel pin that serves as a chucking point. He then makes a head block jig to mark out blocks with. He trims the head block and chucks them up in the big carver. First try’s are just that – sometimes very trying: I discover my curves and contours won’t work with the carving knives. I re-vamp the head a bit. John then carves a set of trial heads – always carved larger than needed so VB can amend the prototype if needed.

Meanwhile, Jason runs a pre-pattern of the body. He usually runs at least 3 so he’s got some to work with to get the kinks out of the pattern. He trims them up and sands them to see if they turn out as I planned. I’m like a mother hen at this point, hovering about to see if my vision comes true. Sometimes – back to the beginning! Most times all that’s needed is a slight adjustment so the carver knives can find all the contours. Thirty years ago pattern making was trial and error. As the years added up so did our expertise. Now we simply call up past experience in the first try instead of 4 tries later. With the bugs worked out the men carve the finished pattern in birch, good, tough pattern wood. We’re ready for production on the new piece now. Look out world, here we come! We have a new Green winged Teal pending – it’s ready for the pre-pattern stage, I hope to get the men inspired to work on it this week. I can’t wait to see my investment of time bear fruit!

This season’s weather is so up and down with cold or wet, ice or sun, it keeps us from focusing on our pattern work. I do have an idea on a Goldeneye, I’m gonna try to get it in production by March. John is trying to get a stock of walking stick block stacked up and a good selection of unique hardwoods ready for bodies and heads. I hope he’ll squeeze in time to work up the swimming duck patterns we’ve had on hold for a long time. Jason is working on making his knife handle production more efficient I think he has a secret list of new equipment he’d like to dedicate to certain steps in the process.

This winter slow time also gives us time to reflect on all the wonderful comments from customers during the year. It’s especially nice to remember the fun visits of customers from far away who made a special effort to come by and shop and visit. John loves to talk, so stories fly fast and furious during these visits!

We thank all of you that helped make our Christmas brighter with your patronage and your good wishes for the New Year. Keep your toes warm!