Duck Critique-7th Mount

I still question mine after 40 plus years but I've been told that will always drive you to be better. Ok first you HAVE TO USE GOOD REFERENCES. Your correct the wings are to far forward the scaps that are next to the secondaries (Green wing feathers) should touch the side of the bird and slightly over the edges of the back. The tail feathers are opposite the outside of the feather shows the inside is under the next feather until you get to the middle feather that whole feather should show. These two adjustments will make you start to like your mounts. Hang in there we've all been there. Stay at it make each mount better than the last and try to not make the same mistakes. Good luck and keep showing us your work.

 

When you pin the flight web make sure your pin is at the very inside of the wing (arm pit) right where the wing meets the body. If not you can over stretch the wing out of shape. Then adjust the wing back and in until the scaps lay slightly on the back as we talked. The wing bones are not straight they have a V shape. When your done look to see if the ends of the scaps are both the same distance from start of the tail feathers if not bend one wing either forward or back so they match. If you use wire for your arch of the wings you will have room to use strips of cardboard (Cereal box) place one on top of the front edge of the wing and one under then pin. It will help make the front edge flat. You'll get there!

 

You should always be your worst critic. Never stop trying to make your mounts better. When you do stop that means you just don't care anymore. As mentioned above, good reference is your best tool. Your seventh bird looks better than your first. Wings and tail do require attention.

 

Here's a quick markup. The yellow lines indicate where your bones lie in the wing. Blue line indicates the correct "area" where they should lay. Maybe even closer to the body. The yellow highlight shows the difference between the wings. The tertiaries should almost touch the body. Think about this - if the bird was trying to take off, all of the air would escape through this big gap and it would have no lift capabilities.
Also remember all feathers are shingled. i.e. the left tail feathers 1, 2 & 3 are correct. raise 4 until it sits on top of 3 and under #5. Then repeal right side from the outside in. Then they are shingled like a roof. If you dropped water on #5 it would roll right down and off. Like....well water on a duck's back

 

Ur welcome and cuz you said the magic words, here's another

Gonna borrow Ms Brooke's pintail cuz, well she does such stinking good work!!


A lot of times I'll bring joint #3 in to #1 closing the wing, then swing #2 almost on top of the mannikin. Pin the flight web. Then hold #2 in place and pull #3 open until the web is stretched and stop. Then adjust the primaries to the amount of open you want by spreading them at #3. Hope that makes sense.

Look at where she has the tertiaries on this pintail hauling a$$...no air loss there!!

 

Tell ya what Man ... Your gonna be fine , looks like you have the most important part down the washing , drying , fluffing the down cus IMO this step makes or breaks a mount ... do it right and most everything will fall into place ... Now its just practice , mount one after another and soon you'll be were you want to be especially with all the help you can get here , we didnt get the free info back when I started people jsut didnt give secrets out like these days ... But to turn out work like Brooke , takes time lots of it cus Ill bet if you ask her she like most of us took a while to get where we are now ... Just takes a lot of birds the more you do the better you'll get ...