diy foam decoys
Float the decoy in a tub and add weight to the keel until the bird looks like it ought to in the water. Dixie Decoys, LLC is proudly owned by an active duty Marine. Chuck was a great friend and unfortunately passed away a few years ago. 1. Turkeys dig them. The foam expands and seals, deterring moisture (which can create mold) and pests from eating through your walls. Paint these wing bars so they are approximately twice as wide as their original paint job (i.e., 1/4 in. 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 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. While you're at it pick up some self hardening clay - the kind that will harden without needing to be heated in an oven. Actual Hen image printed on to durable 3DFoam. Homer Decoys are designed and built to last a lifetime and withstand the harshest of hunting conditions. Sanding can really make features stand out by creating sharp, precise transitions. Thanks. You can attempt to keep the wings attached to the entire skin or remove them prior to skinning. Finally, take your favorite decoy and adhere your dry skin to the outside using an all-weather adhesive such as Gorilla Glue. Another advantage of Heyday's HydroFoam construction is the fact that, unlike plastic, the foam allows for dimensional, carved-in detail. 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. Use black and white spray paint to give the decoy a convincing color scheme. 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. Homer Decoys are proudly manufactured in a small community located in Piqua, Ohio. If you remove the wings, you can pluck a few major wing feathers and attach them to the foam decoy when you drape it with your skin. Whether it is the first time applying flock to the decoys or to complete touche ups, these kits will meet your needs. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Johnson Once the pattern is ready, trace it onto the decoy and carefully start cutting off excessive material with a band saw. 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. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. 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. Carve a duck head from the basswood or find a plastic head online. If you are interested I may be able to get the diver mold I used back and loan it out. Pour salt or borax onto the butt end to preserve the fan. 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. Next, join the 10-foot sections of conduit using the butt-end connector. Because delicate skins dont always hold up to the rigors of the turkey woods, check out MOJOs Fan*Tom. 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. For the waterfowler on a budget, these 5 decoys you can easily be made at home. The warmer it is the quicker it starts to go. Dixie Decoys Drifter Sport Shirt. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Once the head is nearly complete, using Apoxie Sculpt, set the eyes and then finish smoothing the head and blending transitions. Because the HydroFoam material itself floats, and because it's so durable, weight is further reduced by hollowing out the entire decoy body. 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. The steps below are suitable for either wood or cork decoys, and even foam, with some nuances. Most of the difficulty in making your own hand carved foamer decoys is in the knowing how, you can find that at ded outdoors. Our SmoothMove Dual Keels on the bottom of the decoy creates less resistance in the water for better decoy movement and allows our decoys to sit flat in a field application or on ice. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Roughed Out Decoy Cutouts or Cedar/Cork Blanks, Bandsaw (necessary for those starting with a true blank), Dremel Tool w/ Multiple Bits and Sanding Wheels, Apoxie Sculpt (Used for blending joints, filling in mistakes, etc. Extra Features. Learn more . Strutting gobbler decoys are hot items now, and for good reason: They work. Foldable plastics. Hardens nicely and makes them very durable. [3] Flip the fan over and secure it to the stake with two 8-inch cable ties threaded through the holes drilled in Step 2. 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. Homer Decoys was recently sold to the Hash family and is now located in Conowingo, Maryland. 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. 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. 2. A two-part urethane foam decoy is derived when the two liquid parts are mixed, poured into a mold, and allowed time to expand and harden. I redid an aluminum boat couple years back and tried replacing the floatation foam. 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. Be like shooting any other foam filled decoy. Ask 10 different carvers what type or brand of paint they use and you will get 10 different answers. Using mostly garage or shop items, most carving newbies have everything they need already, keeping initial investments to a minimum. With a roughed-out or cutout kit, most of this work has been done for you. 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. This foam is far superior to the EPS type foam. Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. I want to start building a foam decoy spread and steadily replace my plastic decoys with them as I get groups of them completed. 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. I was wondering if anyone has done this and how it worked out? Your mold is awesome though and I bet you won't have to worry about it blowing away.lol. Most of the difficulty in making your own hand carved foamer decoys is in the knowing how, you can find that at ded outdoors. 1st coat of titbeond 3 and sifted sawdust. 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. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. | Its a simple task, but these holes really bring a decoy head to life and allow carving to commence. When working with the two part foam, how long does it take to start expanding. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Timber Camo 1/4 Zip. 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. (3) $54.99. [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. Next, add white paint on the upper rear tail feathers. This decoy, which sits on a foam-filled base, sprays water to create ripples and also simulates a mallard drake stretching its wings. Gee String Mark Kayser I am trying to think about the time it will take to get the top placed on the mold. Painting is a skill learned over time, so start simple and add more features as your skill increases. Here are step-by-step instructions for how. HydroFoam Mallards - Light as a Feather, Lasts Forever $149.99 - $299.98 HydroFoam Flocked Mallards - Light as a Feather, Lasts Forever $159.99 - $319.98 Save money by making your own waterfowl decoys. They make incredible Halloween decorations and are perfect for scaring away specific birds that can harm small pets and gardens. Start by taking off small amounts of material, remembering that once it comes off, it cant be replaced. DIY styrofoam decoy - aminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. Molded entirely from EVA foam, our HydroFoam line pulls double duty as both the LIGHTEST and most DURABLE decoy on the market. For a more pleasing look on the water, the decoy should be rounded at the bottom, starting up about 2 inches from the bottom. For the stake, use. If you have a streak of Bob Vila in you, then this next option might be more your style. Published Apr 3, 2012 11:50 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. These decoys are great for hunting crows, but many people use them in their backyards and gardens. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Draw a line around the center of the duck decoy. Motion. | Sunday is gonna be good. Start with the basics and work in whatever details your hands can create. Thanks for the information. Be especially careful when carving the head, especially around the bill, as it can easily start to look odd and can turn from duck bill to crow beak in just a few quick passes. Our decoys are proudly manufactured in a small community located in Piqua, Ohio from recycled materials and sold in Conowingo, Maryland. I have never used any two part foam to make decoys, I carve mine from foam and then burlap them. Combined with a light weight body, the rounded Dual-Keel design instead of a straight single keel allows a Heyday decoy to move much more freely when subjected to even the slightest breeze or current. Youre almost finished. Cool you put some thought into it cant wait to see finished product. 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. Blending coats and white. Our mission is to inspire the preservation of the sporting tradition. Think about a Croc that you can hunt over. Shave down the decoy equally on both side and use calipers to ensure dimensions are duplicated on both sides of the decoy. 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. Slowly and meticulously, begin separating the skin from the meat. Extremely lightweight, flexible, and portable. She used the cover of a grass waterway in the field to help hide her outline, and stalked 250 yards to . You must log in or register to reply here. Retail price is approximately $45. wide). Model: 69070. 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. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. 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. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. Proprietary Photoform process using actual imagery of a turkey. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Cut a keel from the furring strip and epoxy in place. 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). Published Aug 28, 2012 12:09 AM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. You are using an out of date browser. Can patch the hole in the head with apoxie sculpt if you want or just shape the foam. But theyre also pricey and a pain to carry. Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. And they can tell the difference. Get a large metal rod, about 10 to 12 inches in length and inch thick. Cinch another tie at the top of the stake as a collar to keep the fan from sliding off the top. Dixie Decoys Utility Pants $39.99 $79.99. I was thinking about filling some decoys with foam. We create working decoys of style, character and durability that will be worthy of passing down to the next generation. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. Web: https://homerdecoys.com, 2023 | Homer Decoys | All Rights Reserved. If you have any questions just shoot me a PM. I make my own foamer decoys, you can find how to information on dedduck.com. JavaScript is disabled. 1. 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. A real gobbler fan costs nothing and packs easilyand can be as effective as the full-blown fake. 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. It doesnt matter if its a gobbler or a hen; just make sure its legal. I have quite a pile of leaky plastic decoys (G&H M4Ms). Email: [emailprotected] Drape Cape If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. Hunting. Walking into the hole, you might forget they are there as our EVA foam reduces noise in transportation to an almost eerie quiet. Feb 3, 2019 - Explore Colin Davis's board "Foam decoy carving" on Pinterest. 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. Michael R. Shea I put coat of titbeond 3 on the foam, and a few sifted coats of sawdust. Though I'll stick to carving mine from the foam shipping blocks tsc gives me. Spray foam is a type of insulation that expands after you spray. Retail price is approximately $45. Of Decoy Flocking Kits in the USA. 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. No external heat source is required when making decoys of this material. Published Mar 8, 2010 9:02 AM EST, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Decoys can also be textured using a comb and some gesso, should that look be desired. We used great stuff to fill up some diver decoys and they ended up absorbing the water and sinking. Spring gobblers acute vision is legendary. The Fool 'Em Finish - yet another reason Heyday's lifetime duck decoys work so well. Decoy kits include items to create high quality work. After one or two base coats have thoroughly dried, start working in outer colors and details using appropriate colors and techniques. 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. Whether you're hunting duck or goose, we've got decoys for both. Thats why the current craze in decoysfield-ready taxidermy mountstrumps any store-bought foam decoy. Learn More Duck By It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks. While experts can make the details look easy, novices will find that painting intricate detail can be frustrating. Paint it and away you go. If you want to use the mold you made it will either need mold release or to be super smooth. http://workingdecoys.net/workingdecoysforum/index.php, Shotshell, Reloading, Ballistics, & Chokes. Trim the flesh and fat, being sure to remove the milky-white oil glands. 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. Step 1. That doesn't sound like much of a big deal, but if the wood expands, it can cause the decoy to split, crack, or even rot depending on how much moisture finds its way inside. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Neck Gaiter $19.99. If desired, additional and reference lines can be added to make it easier to keep things equal, especially in areas where rounding will occur. After the glue and dust harden. Scuff the PVC with sandpaper and spray-paint it a dull color, like matte black. To take it hunting, fold the fan in half or thirds lengthwise and stuff it in your vest. For acrylic painting, anything from exterior house paints to craft-store tube paints can be used, mixed and intermingled, making them a great choice. [1] Remove the entire fan by cutting around the fleshy base of the tail. I am considering . www.foamdecoys.com Pretty Crafty there. These centerlines keep things proportional by providing a good reference line so parts dont become asymmetric. Because these weights are positioned both low and wide, they make the decoys self-righting every time and offer maximum decoy stability in extreme weather conditions. If you don't want to bring your iPad into the bathroom, we can send you a magazine subscription for free! 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. In the past I have used a hot glue gun to patch holes with limited success. Like on a pontoon, Heyday decoys two keels work together to replicate true duck behavior and keep the decoys swimming straight without the unnatural side-to-side drunk duck darting that is characteristic of single keel decoys. Decoys can be made with lots of detail, or rather basic, letting the paint do the detail work. It also holds paint well. Once it's mixed you'll have a few minutes before it starts to go. BB - one of the best canvas decoy makers our state has ever known was Dr. Chuck May out of Murrells Inlet. On sale. Base coat of uv mallard paint. Here are several options to save you cash, yet give you the astonishing results a feathered decoy can offer. 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. We set the decoys in a warm well ventilated area, and let them set and dry for 48 hours. Homer Decoys are designed to withstand the harshest conditions possible. 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. | This is also a good time to at least begin fitting a keel, if desired, to the bottom of the decoy. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. 2023 Heyday Outdoor | All Rights Reserved. :thumbsup: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. Assemble at the hunting site. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Thread starter jeffc; Start date Apr 6, 2018; Apr 6, 2018 #1 J. jeffc Senior Refuge Member. Primos Photoform Leading Hen Decoy. 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. Joined May 14, 2001 Messages 540 Reaction score 160 Location Chillicothe, MO. A lot of the reason I got into carving my own foamers was back in those days all decoys were the same. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. It doesn't take as much as you'd think either. For the stake, use an 18-inch length of 3/4-inch PVC pipe. 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. wide instead of 1/8 in. Foam filling decoys. Plus, every Heyday decoy is painted in a photorealistic manner based on aerial images taken of real ducks. Power is provided by a rechargeable battery with a run time of up to 12 hours. A video teaching you how to burlap foam decoys. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. You will see it change from an amber brown to a light yellow. 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. Even the best carvers started out with basic decoys, so dont get discouraged if your first bird looks more cormorant than canvasback. The main thing to remember is that ALL details should be symmetric, and the decoy, if cut in half down the length of the body, should be a mirror image. :beer: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. You know of any reason not to use the canned spray foam? The goal is to have an all foam spread within two years. Won't hurt them a bit. If you run gang rigs and one sinks no biggie its attached to the line. ), Sealer: (wooden decoys- Traditions Multi-Surface Sealer, cork decoys- Traditions Cork Sealer).