[Phaeton]

In the latest issue of WCI there was a section on Antique Style Decoys and I really liked the look so I ordered the book by Tom Matus and enough wood to carve 3 ducks.

http://www.foxchapelpublishing.com/p...ls.cfm?PC=1860

There were several ducks in the book that were carved in the early 1900s
style of the Caine brothers with the serpentine neck and I'm going to carve a few of them but I'm not sure if running the grain horizontal is the best way, I can see two break points, any suggestions?

.......Caines Style.....
When the circa 1910 mallard with the S-shaped neck by "Hucks" Caines
of Georgetown, South Carolina, -snip- for $189,500 (shown).
http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/articles/deco0300.htm


Bill

[AlArchie]

Just looking at that picture, it seems like there are three distinct pieces; the head, the neck and the body. The neck is the most problematic, but if you take a lne from the outermost upper right of the neck piece and draw a line to the lowermost lower left, and use that for your grain run, you should have the fewest weak points in the neck. The head is most likely pegged or dowelled to the neck and likewise the neck to the body for additional support. but you are right, in a piece like that, you WILL have a weak point or two...no way out, but you can reduce the stress areas by running the grain as consitantly as possible.

Al

[Phaeton]

Thanks Al,

That would be the way to do it, and I like the idea of using a dowel instead of wood screws.

Bill

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Serpentine neck? geez, I thought you were talking about one of my ol' uncles ex girlfriends?