After the glue and dust harden. Items included are: flocking, applicator, brush . Once you get onto the process the carving part, basically the artistic part will take about 15 minutes per decoy, the rest of the process is more or less just knowing how and doing it. Once the pattern is ready, trace it onto the decoy and carefully start cutting off excessive material with a band saw. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to share a little project I am working on. Start with the basics and work in whatever details your hands can create. While experts can make the details look easy, novices will find that painting intricate detail can be frustrating. I started the heads while the mastic and burlap were setting, coating them in ultra-flat black, and hitting the beaks with flat white. Cinch another tie at the top of the stake as a collar to keep the fan from sliding off the top. All of this natural movement enhances realism making HEYDAY decoys more effective. By utilizing pre-made cutouts or kits, you can make decoys with minimal tooling investment, allowing anyone to whittle out a few special blocks for the upcoming season during drab summer months. No external heat source is required when making decoys of this material. Draw a line around the center of the duck decoy. Cut one end at a 45-degree angle so you can easily drive it into the ground. If desired, additional and reference lines can be added to make it easier to keep things equal, especially in areas where rounding will occur. I like it! You just mix it 50/50 and pour it in and the stuff goes a long way. It is much harder, thus more durable. To take it hunting, fold the fan in half or thirds lengthwise and stuff it in your vest. The steps below are suitable for either wood or cork decoys, and even foam, with some nuances. Using mostly garage or shop items, most carving newbies have everything they need already, keeping initial investments to a minimum. 2023 Heyday Outdoor | All Rights Reserved. The goal is to have an all foam spread within two years. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Probably saved me from ruining a couple dozen decoys. A good way to avoid the bill becoming disproportional is to carve the majority of the head before even rounding the ends of the bill. Start by taking off small amounts of material, remembering that once it comes off, it cant be replaced. Cut a keel from the furring strip and epoxy in place. Banded Birds - Black Ducks - 6, Mallards 19 (3 Jack Miner) BW Teal - 2, Wood Ducks - 1, 1 Ross and 1 snow Goose (Both reward bands) , Canada Geese - 15 (2 neck collars), Morning Dove - 1. As the wood smooths, start decreasing the grit size incrementally down as low as 250 to ensure that small defects and scratches have been removed. The problem with the mold release is that it gets into the foam and makes it impossible to get the glue to stick. A lot of the reason I got into carving my own foamers was back in those days all decoys were the same. Cost: $9 per decoy for a dozen or more You need: Pink insulating foam board, epoxy, burlap, mastic, basswood, furring strip How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. 1can does about a dozen and it seems to hold up pretty well. Johnson Learn More Duck By Think about a Croc that you can hunt over. When working with the two part foam, how long does it take to start expanding. Dixie Decoys, LLC is proudly owned by an active duty Marine. Some guys clamp the mold and plexiglass unit to a piece of shelving to force the foam to expand fully within the mold to get a slightly denser decoy. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Published Aug 28, 2012 12:09 AM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. With the mold volume now known, you can mix two part foam (8lb)and pour it through several 3/4" pour holes in the plexiglass in an exact quantity to minimize waste via overexpansion. You can attempt to keep the wings attached to the entire skin or remove them prior to skinning. Slowly and meticulously, begin separating the skin from the meat. wide instead of 1/8 in. The decoy doesn't move, making it slightly less appealing to real crows than motorized ones. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I plan to burlap these before painting and will attach a small keel just for a little weight. While you're at it pick up some self hardening clay - the kind that will harden without needing to be heated in an oven. It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks. It doesn't take as much as you'd think either. Pour salt or borax onto the butt end to preserve the fan. Moisture can seep in, leading the wood to expand. Published Apr 3, 2012 11:50 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Laying out decoys properly is imperative to the finished product actually looking like a duck. If you run gang rigs and one sinks no biggie its attached to the line. Keels can be attached with screws and glue or just screws alone, but should be left off until the bottom of the decoy has been primed with paint. US composites is a good source for the 2 part poly foamI'd get the 3 or 4 pound density foam, the 2 pound is a little bit light unless you just want a bunch of cheap decoys. The weight of the foam decoy is less than half a pound. These five homemade decoys are perfect for the waterfowler on a budget. | The warmer it is the quicker it starts to go. Michael R. Shea Having the same tin soldier look in a spread can leave it looking lifeless, we call it a "dead spread". Here are several options to save you cash, yet give you the astonishing results a feathered decoy can offer. Whether it is the first time applying flock to the decoys or to complete touche ups, these kits will meet your needs. FEATURED PRODUCTS Out of stock Puddle Duck Decoy Kit $ 150.00 - $ 165.00 Details Out of stock Goose/Brant Decoy Kit $ 156.25 - $ 171.25 Details Super Magnum Decoy Kit $ 156.25 - $ 171.25 Youre now ready for the field. The economy is bad, but the duck hunting this season should be goodreal goodif you can afford to hunt it. Be sure that the parting line is drawn along the exact center of the decoy. Like I said I have never made any decoys with it but I think it should work just fine. Primos Photoform Leading Hen Decoy. Once the two components are solidly attached and the glue has dried, use Apoxie Sculpt or another type of sculpting material to help blend the neck and body joints and touch up any big divots in the body. Ask 10 different carvers what type or brand of paint they use and you will get 10 different answers. Gee String If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. Even the best carvers started out with basic decoys, so dont get discouraged if your first bird looks more cormorant than canvasback. (2) The mold only cost about $12 to make and the cans of spray should give 1.5 or more decoys per can and each can was less than $4. [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. So clear your Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. While its still wet, sprinkle 20 Mule Team Borax liberally over the skin and let dry for a minimum of two weeks. But if you want to become a puppeteer, incorporate a stake that allows the decoy to move realistically when you pull a string, and be ready to defend your creationtoms will literally try to climb aboard. The fun thing about the foam trend is that you don't have to be too precise and it's super-affordable to DIY, yet it still looks like a very original, unique statement piece. Start this step by using 80- or 100-grit sandpaper to smooth the decoy, making sure to get inside all the nooks and crannies to contour the decoys shape. If you have been hunting long enough you probably have some old decoys laying around. You can shoot it, step on it, run it over with your truck, and our HydroFoam duck decoys will NEVER SINK because, unlike other decoys, every decoy in the HydroFoam line is hollow and does NOT rely on an airtight seal to stay afloat. Shave down the decoy equally on both side and use calipers to ensure dimensions are duplicated on both sides of the decoy. Sanding can really make features stand out by creating sharp, precise transitions. If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! The shape of the keel can be as basic as a rectangle or as detailed as a half-moon, but the important thing is that its size fits the bird. By utilizing pre-made cutouts or kits, you can make decoys with minimal tooling investment, allowing anyone to whittle out a few special blocks for the upcoming season during drab summer months. Decoy kits include items to create high quality work. And, even with the weights, a Heyday Decoy is still lighter than a traditional decoy. Once dry and set, we started the painting process. :thumbsup: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. Great stuff is open celled foam and will eventually absorb water no matter how you cover it up. You will see it change from an amber brown to a light yellow. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. This story was originally featured on Outdoor Life. Chris Philpot [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. I only use UV paint for decoys. Foam board; A realistic 13"x17" strutting tom picture; Two 1/4" wooden dowels; Gorilla glue/X-treme Elmer's glue; . Lance shows how to paint decoys to bulk up your spread for the fall. To touch up a mallard hen, use a small brush to lengthen and widen the two white wing bars on each side of the body (bordering the speculum). A video teaching you how to burlap foam decoys. This is a cheap way to reuse old. For true blanks, start by either drawing your own pattern or using one from a decoy pattern book. The cost of buying molds and the foam is going up everyday, but the cost of making your own carved foamers is still relatively inexpensive and for the most part can be done with materials you can buy or acquire locally. While decoys can be made a variety of ways, for the purposes of this instruction, the equipment list below focuses on generally available tools that you might already have around the garage, helping to minimize initial investments. This is also a good time to at least begin fitting a keel, if desired, to the bottom of the decoy. UpDate 3 on the "MINI" ScoterZillias: Something new, something different for the 2020-2021 Special Seaduck Hunting Season here in Maryland Seaduck Duck Hunt. Apply mastic and let it sit for 24 hours. It is important to remember that defects will become more visible once paint has been applied, so take some time to check and double check that every area of the decoy is silky smooth. However, I work at a taxidermy supply company and we make forms from two part expanding foam and the stuff is pretty easy to use. :thumbsup: I do own a few dozen foam filled decoys, they are in the shooting pocket, all the rest are elsewhere, seems to be working well. Removing the UpRight Weights transforms the decoy to an unprecedented level of "ultra-light." Front and rear stainless steel Easy Attach Eye Bolts that will never fail. Waterfowl Hunters are extremely hard on Decoys and Homer Decoys has tested our foam decoys beyond any condition you will ever use them in to ensure theyre the strongest most durable decoy available on the market today. It can be a challenge,. I am considering . Thread starter jeffc; Start date Apr 6, 2018; Apr 6, 2018 #1 J. jeffc Senior Refuge Member. :beer: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Once the head and body are carved to your liking, it is time to fit them together for final blending/finishing. Drill a couple 1 1/4" holes in the bottom of the decoy with a hole saw (fore and aft), and a 1/2" or so hole on the bottom of the head, figure out how much foam you need with the expansion rate, pour it in, trim off what comes out of the holes. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Learn more. For a more pleasing look on the water, the decoy should be rounded at the bottom, starting up about 2 inches from the bottom. In the past I have used a hot glue gun to patch holes with limited success. JavaScript is disabled. | Cool you put some thought into it cant wait to see finished product. Some sealers may raise the grain slightly, so make sure to knock it back down with small-grit sandpaper or even steel wool before priming. This decoy, which sits on a foam-filled base, sprays water to create ripples and also simulates a mallard drake stretching its wings. Ask Gabe Jerome. Once the roughed-out decoy is complete, begin refining the shape of the decoy by drawing half lines down the center of the body, side of the body, and around the crown of the head. wide). With over 20 years making decoys the hard way we understand what is it takes to create and make a durable economically priced foam duck decoy the right way. Power is provided by a rechargeable battery with a run time of up to 12 hours. This texturing creates realistic shadowing for a more natural looking decoy. I have never used any two part foam to make decoys, I carve mine from foam and then burlap them. I went back on my old foam decoy thread and realized I never did a step by step like you mentioned in that thread. Cut out a foam or wooden head and neck and attach it to one side of the buoy. Paint it and away you go. Every Heyday Decoy comes with a pair of UpRight weights which can be installed into the bottom of each decoy. Pour salt or borax onto the butt end to preserve the fan. First, acquire a freshly killed turkey. Chuck was a great friend and unfortunately passed away a few years ago. The splashing element, created by a hidden bilge pump, is adjustable via control flaps. Homer Decoys can proudly say that we offer the most durable decoys on the market today. Drill a couple 1 1/4" holes in the bottom of the decoy with a hole saw (fore and aft), and a 1/2" or so hole on the bottom of the head, figure out how much foam you need with the expansion rate, pour it in, trim off what comes out of the holes. Foldable plastics. For the waterfowler on a budget, these 5 decoys you can easily be made at home. Welp, go to Big lots in the summer and buy a case of the pool noodles, bundle them together and VOILA safety at its finest. Foam filling decoys. Heres how to put a birds tail feathers to work for you. I may try it out on a cheapo and bust it open to see the results. For most new carvers, it takes some time to figure out the perfect amount to remove with each pass, and this skill will be developed over time. And they can tell the difference. Our decoys are proudly manufactured in a small community located in Piqua, Ohio from recycled materials and sold in Conowingo, Maryland. Ended up turning out pretty well. Start on the top of the head, go down the neck and back and all the way around to your starting point. For new carvers, acrylic paints are the cheapest and easiest to work with, as oils require mixing, cutting and other aspects that require more extensive knowledge. Learn More Spring By 2 part urethane used for molding decoys. A few suggestions would be to not do the burlap method and restle coat them instead and use the saved cash on a few gallons of polyurethane foam. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Though I'll stick to carving mine from the foam shipping blocks tsc gives me. Homemade duck decoys can be painted to attract different varieties of ducks. Because the HydroFoam material itself floats, and because it's so durable, weight is further reduced by hollowing out the entire decoy body. Thats why the current craze in decoysfield-ready taxidermy mountstrumps any store-bought foam decoy. They make incredible Halloween decorations and are perfect for scaring away specific birds that can harm small pets and gardens. Feb 3, 2019 - Explore Colin Davis's board "Foam decoy carving" on Pinterest. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. You are using an out of date browser. Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Homer Decoys are proudly manufactured in a small community located in Piqua, Ohio. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Of Decoy Flocking Kits in the USA. I will check the site out. We did the molded decoy thing, but quickly grew out of that and progressed into carving decoys out of foam and wood. My wife had the decoy in the blind, so as soon as she stepped out she was covered up by the silhouette of the decoy. One of my friends that learned how to make foamers here at my shop won a decoy competition at rappahannock this year with his 20th foamer decoy. Hunting. This ready-to-use cured skin wraps around most foam decoys to give any faux bird the look of a shimmering, fully feathered hen or gobbler. In addition to reference lines, draw in eye channels on the head to help find the proper eye set location, bill details like nostrils or nails, and any carving details desired to the body like wingtips or side pockets. For many waterfowlers, carving their own duck decoys is something they have contemplated but never put into action. On sale. I am trying to think about the time it will take to get the top placed on the mold. Heydays symmetrical dual-keel hull allows decoys to deploy on the hard ground of a river bank, field, ice, or sand as tides let out without the lean you get from a single keel decoy. We are proud to be the official decoy of GameWay Farms. Store your decoys in temperatures between 56 F and 72 F. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Spring gobblers acute vision is legendary. How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Published Jul 7, 2020 1:46 PM EDT. It is still plenty workable as it starts to expand. Joined May 14, 2001 Messages 540 Reaction score 160 Location Chillicothe, MO. 1st coat of titbeond 3 and sifted sawdust. I redid an aluminum boat couple years back and tried replacing the floatation foam. If you have a streak of Bob Vila in you, then this next option might be more your style. Proprietary Photoform process using actual imagery of a turkey. I was thinking about filling some decoys with foam. Duck Hunting - FOAM FILLED DECOY ( DIY ) True Southern Waterfowlers 1.92K subscribers 3.7K views 2 years ago #duckhunting In this video I fill my older decoy with foam to help make them. Homer Decoys are designed and built to last a lifetime and withstand the harshest of hunting conditions. Here are step-by-step instructions for how. Once you get the amounts dialed in you should be able to mix and pour and have it out of the mold in 30 minutes or so. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tips, tricks, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! Once all details have been completely drawn out, drill the holes for glass eyes using a drill bit that is very slightly larger than the diameter of the eyes intended to be used, making sure they are parallel side to side and front to back. Decoys two and three are always better than the first. She used the cover of a grass waterway in the field to help hide her outline, and stalked 250 yards to . Thanks for the information. Series 72 Decoys While paying homage to the past, we take burlap wrapped foam decoys to a new level of excellence by using our tried and true wooden decoy heads, signature keel, and an upgraded airbrush paint job. Make floating decoys from foam buoys by cutting the buoy in half and attaching a wooden keel to the bottom to keep it floating properly. The foam expands and seals, deterring moisture (which can create mold) and pests from eating through your walls. JavaScript is disabled. Our mission is to inspire the preservation of the sporting tradition. Sunday is gonna be good. With an emphasis on traditional style combined with modern decoy technology, Dixie Decoys brings you waterfowl hunting gear that connects you with the past while providing all of the advantages today's sportsmen demand on the water. Save money by making your own waterfowl decoys. Extremely lightweight, flexible, and portable. This is the same material (a closed cell EVA resin) used to make Crocs. DIY styrofoam decoy - aminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. This enticer employs feathers mounted to a stake that raises and lowers a convincing tom fan with the tug of a string. Cut along the underbelly, making a slit from the anus to where the feathers end just below the beak. Wrap a layer of. Strutting gobbler decoys are hot items now, and for good reason: They work. You are creating a parting line, which marks where the left and right sides of the mold will come together. 2. I thought about doing this sometime to make Crow decoys since for whatever reason I hate to spend money on a decoy for a black bird. For the stake, use. A guide at Turkey Trot Acres in New York, Jerome uses a mounted, full-strut jake combined with one or two taxidermy-quality hens to lure mature toms even without calls. Next, join the 10-foot sections of conduit using the butt-end connector. A single 1/4" hole under the tail feathers. It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks. Dixie Decoys Utility Pants $39.99 $79.99. Only weighs 7 Oz. While carved decoys are certainly more expensive than manufactured plastic decoys, they add some nostalgia and a personal touch to an otherwise standard decoy rig. Homer Decoys are designed to withstand the harshest conditions possible. Carved from foam. Hardens nicely and makes them very durable. I put coat of titbeond 3 on the foam, and a few sifted coats of sawdust. To find decoy blank cutouts, parts, components and other items, check out the theduckblind.com. Haven't done it myself but a hunting buddy hasn't had any problems with it. Painting is a skill learned over time, so start simple and add more features as your skill increases. | 2. No chipping or peeling. Its just $1 per month . I want to start building a foam decoy spread and steadily replace my plastic decoys with them as I get groups of them completed. Email: [emailprotected] Regrettably, taxidermy-quality decoys cost nearly as much as a finished mount youd display in your trophy room. Just $1 per month , Lure in big gobblers using a home-made turkey fan decoy, By Thanks. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. A real gobbler fan costs nothing and packs easilyand can be as effective as the full-blown fake. Once sanding is complete, seal the decoy with an appropriate sealer for the media (see list above) with a minimum of two coats before moving onto paint. Just as silo decoys can create a sense of motion, so can multiple poses in decoys. Once you get onto the process the carving part, basically the artistic part will take about 15 minutes per decoy, the rest of the process is more or less just knowing how and doing it. I also have my own magnum mallard mold that could be trimmed to more accurately depict a diver shape. Retail price is approximately $45. This allows the carver to have a better bill-to-head size reference and the head shape to be representative, allowing the bill to essentially flow out of the head. http://workingdecoys.net/workingdecoysforum/index.php, Shotshell, Reloading, Ballistics, & Chokes. If you have any questions just shoot me a PM. Turn a Heyday floating mallard decoy over and you'll immediately notice the HollowCore body. Just $1 per month . We set the decoys in a warm well ventilated area, and let them set and dry for 48 hours. Inflatables. Step 1. Decoy Flocking Kits allow you to minimize glare, creating a realistic look from the sky. M.D. Once the head is nearly complete, using Apoxie Sculpt, set the eyes and then finish smoothing the head and blending transitions. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Hat $29.99. Pretty Crafty there. Be like shooting any other foam filled decoy. Carve a duck head from the basswood or find a plastic head online. If you want to use the mold you made it will either need mold release or to be super smooth. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Neck Gaiter $19.99. Scuff the PVC with sandpaper and spray-paint it a dull color, like matte black. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. While fine feather details are great in hand, from a distance, they make absolutely no difference to the birds so dont get hung up on them if things arent perfect right away. Then, skin the turkey out. The reason for this is simple: They dont know where to start or where to get materials, and eventually their time gets occupied with other projects. Once it's mixed you'll have a few minutes before it starts to go. Hard high-tech composition decoys. Won't hurt them a bit. Because delicate skins dont always hold up to the rigors of the turkey woods, check out MOJOs Fan*Tom. After caping the turkey and removing all fat and meat, stretch the hide out on a sturdy piece of cardboard using tacks or pins. 1. It protects the lining of your house, and can even assist in the heating and cooling of your house during those unbearably cold or hot days. www.foamdecoys.com In order to make a decoy that doesnt look like a head and body were just screwed together, make sure that, during carving, you frequently mock-fit the head and body together to ensure their profiles are suitable matches for one another. Just let them drain and fill the holes with a squirt from a hot glue gunIf you are really OCD drill out the hole a little bigger to remove the rattling shot, that can be a game in itself :lol3: .Just a warning, that 2 part expansion foam is an absolute mess. Use black and white spray paint to give the decoy a convincing color scheme. Duck hunting decoys dont have to cost you $150 per dozen. Retail price is approximately $45. Learn more . VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. All media carves differently, with cork being the easiest for newcomers to start with, and foam being the cheapest but requiring the most work after carving to create a rugged outer shell. Collapse it, fold it, carry it. Drape Cape If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. You know of any reason not to use the canned spray foam? We create working decoys of style, character and durability that will be worthy of passing down to the next generation. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. Not only will they never sink, but HEYDAYs HydroFoam makes for a lightweight duck decoy that is more durable and quieter than any plastic decoy, thus making it easier and more enjoyable to transport, deploy, and pack up.