The Ugly Duckling
Posted 10-30-2009 at 09:53 AM by Flintlocker
About a year ago, I started visiting The Refuge. It's a site similar to IS.com, but is dedicated to waterfowlers. I was particularly drawn to the Decoy forum. Carvers from across the country routinely show off their decoys. Some are first time carvers looking for tips, while others are truely masters of their craft. Some of the decoys on display there are almost too beautiful to put in the water. The daily display of talent, awesome and otherwise, inspired me to try my hand. Now, I'm under no illusions regarding my artistic talent, but I set out to try to produce my own custom Gunner.
Decoys are carved from a variety of materials. Cork, wood and foam are the most common. I chose to use foam. Plain ol' blue building foam. It's easy to get, and since I could get it from a building site I was working on, the price was right.
Although several companies sell decoy heads that are painted and ready to go, I wanted to make the head for my decoy. I really didn't have suitable wood for carving a head. And frankly, I wasn't sure I was up to that particular challange, so I cast the head for this duck with an epoxy/bondo mix. Making the mold for the head was pretty simple. I have an old Herter's Aqua Duck that I found in the weeds one morning. It was shot full of holes, but the head swivels. I pulled the head off, sprayed it with cooking spray,and encased it in layers of silicon caulking. After the caulking was cured, the head slipped right out. The mold produced an AWESOME looking head. It's heavier than I had hoped, but not so heavy it wouldn't work. Here he is, carved and cast.
Since foam isn't very durable, and won't take paint very well, foam decoys are clad in burlap. The body is slathered in vinyl mastic, then the burlap is stretched over the body and worked into any creases and folds carved into the foam. Another coat of mastic is applied, and the resulting shell gives rigidity and a nice surface to paint. It is not, however, waterproof. A couple of coats of exterior primer seals the decoy.
Now comes the scary part. Paint. I patterned this design (rather loosely I must say) on the Herter's designs. So with a picture from the Cabela's Catalog on the table, and a selection of Walmart acrylic paints to work with, I let loose my inner Picasso. (Hmmm, Picasso. Oddly appropriate)
This is the final product. The paint job will get a second coat after we float him this afternoon. He's a little lumpy and asymetrical, but I'm pleased with him. They will get better the more I do. My goal now is to apply the lessons learned on this ugly little duck, and have a full dozen to hunt over opening day next year. Next up, a surface feeder.
Check this link for a look at what a real carver can do:
http://refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=747559
Decoys are carved from a variety of materials. Cork, wood and foam are the most common. I chose to use foam. Plain ol' blue building foam. It's easy to get, and since I could get it from a building site I was working on, the price was right.
Although several companies sell decoy heads that are painted and ready to go, I wanted to make the head for my decoy. I really didn't have suitable wood for carving a head. And frankly, I wasn't sure I was up to that particular challange, so I cast the head for this duck with an epoxy/bondo mix. Making the mold for the head was pretty simple. I have an old Herter's Aqua Duck that I found in the weeds one morning. It was shot full of holes, but the head swivels. I pulled the head off, sprayed it with cooking spray,and encased it in layers of silicon caulking. After the caulking was cured, the head slipped right out. The mold produced an AWESOME looking head. It's heavier than I had hoped, but not so heavy it wouldn't work. Here he is, carved and cast.
Since foam isn't very durable, and won't take paint very well, foam decoys are clad in burlap. The body is slathered in vinyl mastic, then the burlap is stretched over the body and worked into any creases and folds carved into the foam. Another coat of mastic is applied, and the resulting shell gives rigidity and a nice surface to paint. It is not, however, waterproof. A couple of coats of exterior primer seals the decoy.
Now comes the scary part. Paint. I patterned this design (rather loosely I must say) on the Herter's designs. So with a picture from the Cabela's Catalog on the table, and a selection of Walmart acrylic paints to work with, I let loose my inner Picasso. (Hmmm, Picasso. Oddly appropriate)
This is the final product. The paint job will get a second coat after we float him this afternoon. He's a little lumpy and asymetrical, but I'm pleased with him. They will get better the more I do. My goal now is to apply the lessons learned on this ugly little duck, and have a full dozen to hunt over opening day next year. Next up, a surface feeder.
Check this link for a look at what a real carver can do:
http://refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?t=747559
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