Ten dollars apiece, and ultra-realistic true-to-life faux hens costing $130 or more. I may try it out on a cheapo and bust it open to see the results. 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. Assemble at the hunting site. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Because the HydroFoam material itself floats, and because it's so durable, weight is further reduced by hollowing out the entire decoy body. Won't hurt them a bit. DIY styrofoam decoy - aminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. And, even with the weights, a Heyday Decoy is still lighter than a traditional decoy. Learn more . Published Mar 8, 2010 9:02 AM EST, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. You are creating a parting line, which marks where the left and right sides of the mold will come together. This site also has many instructional articles to help sort things out, should you get stuck. wide). 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. It is still plenty workable as it starts to expand. 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. 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. Published Aug 28, 2012 12:09 AM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. :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. Decoys can be made with lots of detail, or rather basic, letting the paint do the detail work. Thats awesome man. Dixie Decoys Utility Pants $39.99 $79.99. 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. 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. 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. I only use UV paint for decoys. Thread starter jeffc; Start date Apr 6, 2018; Apr 6, 2018 #1 J. jeffc Senior Refuge Member. Your mold is awesome though and I bet you won't have to worry about it blowing away.lol. 2023 Heyday Outdoor | All Rights Reserved. Ask 10 different carvers what type or brand of paint they use and you will get 10 different answers. While experts can make the details look easy, novices will find that painting intricate detail can be frustrating. Best Turkey Decoys of 2023 | Field & Stream Tighten securely and wrap joint. This enticer employs feathers mounted to a stake that raises and lowers a convincing tom fan with the tug of a string. Join PopSci+ to read sciences greatest stories. Regrettably, taxidermy-quality decoys cost nearly as much as a finished mount youd display in your trophy room. For acrylic painting, anything from exterior house paints to craft-store tube paints can be used, mixed and intermingled, making them a great choice. Cool you put some thought into it cant wait to see finished product. Once the pattern is ready, trace it onto the decoy and carefully start cutting off excessive material with a band saw. Overall, have fun, get creative, and work to get better. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Learn More Spring By Store your decoys in temperatures between 56 F and 72 F. wide instead of 1/8 in. A video teaching you how to burlap foam decoys. Homer Decoys Bodies and Heads are made using all recycled materials in the United States. Extra Features. Be like shooting any other foam filled decoy. How to make Decoys: ScoterZillias Update 3- Decoys for - YouTube How to make your own waterfowl decoys | Grand View Outdoors It doesn't take as much as you'd think either. How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. Of Decoy Flocking Kits in the USA. Next, join the 10-foot sections of conduit using the butt-end connector. What makes HEYDAY decoys unique is the HydroFoam construction. Homer Decoys are designed to withstand the harshest conditions possible. [2] Drill four 1/8-inch holes in the butt end. Thats why the current craze in decoysfield-ready taxidermy mountstrumps any store-bought foam decoy. Published Jul 7, 2020 1:46 PM EDT. I like it! It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks. DIY Foam Decoy Tutorial - SCDUCKS.COM Here are step-by-step instructions for how. Michael R. Shea How to Make 3D Archery Targets: Easy Targets You Can Build While you're at it pick up some self hardening clay - the kind that will harden without needing to be heated in an oven. 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. Collapse it, fold it, carry it. 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. | Decoy Flocking Kits - Flocking Unlimited 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. Decoys can also be textured using a comb and some gesso, should that look be desired. Mark Kayser Homemade Foam Decoys -- Long / Pic Heavy | North Carolina Hunting and Proprietary Photoform process using actual imagery of a turkey. Finally, take your favorite decoy and adhere your dry skin to the outside using an all-weather adhesive such as Gorilla Glue. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. 2023 Grand View Outdoors All Rights Reserved Step 1: Preparation Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. It's easy to hook up your Texas Rig decoy anchors to your Heyday Decoys thanks to our built-in stainless steel, reinforced Easy-Attach Eye Bolts tested to withstand in excess of 165lbs. If you are interested I may be able to get the diver mold I used back and loan it out. 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. Published Apr 3, 2012 11:50 PM EDT, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. I put coat of titbeond 3 on the foam, and a few sifted coats of sawdust. 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. Even the best carvers started out with basic decoys, so dont get discouraged if your first bird looks more cormorant than canvasback. Just $1 per month . 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. Dixie Decoys - Investment Grade Foam Decoys and Sporting Apparel 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. Using mostly garage or shop items, most carving newbies have everything they need already, keeping initial investments to a minimum. Whether you're hunting duck or goose, we've got decoys for both. Motion. Retail price is approximately $45. 1. 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. I am looking at buying molds for making my own foam decoys. Thanks for the information. I have never used any two part foam to make decoys, I carve mine from foam and then burlap them. Dixie Decoys, LLC is proudly owned by an active duty Marine. Hunting. JavaScript is disabled. Model: 69070. We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Its a simple task, but these holes really bring a decoy head to life and allow carving to commence. Here are several options to save you cash, yet give you the astonishing results a feathered decoy can offer. All of this natural movement enhances realism making HEYDAY decoys more effective. If desired, additional and reference lines can be added to make it easier to keep things equal, especially in areas where rounding will occur. This story was originally featured on Outdoor Life. 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. No external heat source is required when making decoys of this material. Not long. Pour salt or borax onto the butt end to preserve the fan. 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. 2 part urethane used for molding decoys. Cut along the underbelly, making a slit from the anus to where the feathers end just below the beak. :thumbsup: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. How to burlap blank foam duck decoy bodies - YouTube In the past I have used a hot glue gun to patch holes with limited success. The foam expands and seals, deterring moisture (which can create mold) and pests from eating through your walls. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Duck hunting decoys dont have to cost you $150 per dozen. How to Make Your Own Duck Hunting Decoys | Outdoor Life Quick Paint Touch-Up for Mallard Decoys | Ducks Unlimited Web: https://homerdecoys.com, 2023 | Homer Decoys | All Rights Reserved. Cinch another tie at the top of the stake as a collar to keep the fan from sliding off the top. 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. http://www.nchuntandfish.com/forums/showthread.php?111654-Freshly-painted-redheads&highlight=foam+decoys, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rctVw5MkgvUkskrRtid5TA00Q&bvm=bv.137132246,d.eWE. It should be dry and ready for Steps 2 and 3 in two weeks. 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. If you removed the wings, glue a few wing feathers at appropriate locations. JavaScript is disabled. 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. :beer: I've also seen the $3 regular spray can foam from Walmart used. Learn More . Spray Foam Decor Is Having a Moment Among Designers and DIY'ers 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. Before he died, Chuck asked me to help clean up his shop and disposition a lot of his carving stuff once he passed. Wrap a layer of burlap over the foam. In all applications, paint or prime the entire decoy in one color, likely white or black depending on the outer color of the finished decoy; i.e., a white base for canvasbacks and black for black ducks. 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. Next comes the tricky part. Multiple positions; contented, feeding and breeding. 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. Foam filling decoys | Refuge Forums Hardens nicely and makes them very durable. This decoy, which sits on a foam-filled base, sprays water to create ripples and also simulates a mallard drake stretching its wings. To find decoy blank cutouts, parts, components and other items, check out the theduckblind.com. Johnson You would probably still want to burlap the finished product just for extra durability. 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. Learn More Duck By And they can tell the difference. This foam is far superior to the EPS type foam. Be sure that the parting line is drawn along the exact center of the decoy. 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. Join other outdoor enthusiasts who already get great content delivered right to their inbox. 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. |, Lynx Trail Cam Video: A Sound Like Youve Never Heard Before, Waterfowl & Retriever 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Whitetail Journal 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Bowhunting World 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Predator Xtreme 2023 Ultimate Gear Giveaway, Great Gear: Howa Hera H7 Bolt-Action Rifle. 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. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Drape Cape If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. Ended up turning out pretty well. A single 1/4" hole under the tail feathers. Turn a Heyday floating mallard decoy over and you'll immediately notice the HollowCore body. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Neck Gaiter $19.99. Sanding can really make features stand out by creating sharp, precise transitions. | 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. Pretty Crafty there. Those are some sweet looking decoys! 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. Dixie Decoys FrogSkin Camo Timber Hat $29.99. 2. 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. How to make effective duck hunting decoys for under $10 Just as silo decoys can create a sense of motion, so can multiple poses in decoys. Can patch the hole in the head with apoxie sculpt if you want or just shape the foam. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. 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. The weight of the foam decoy is less than half a pound. While aesthetics are important, dont get too wrapped up in making the perfect decoy the first time it takes lots of practice to turn a vision onto reality. Actual Hen image printed on to durable 3DFoam. Cut one end at a 45-degree angle so you can easily drive it into the ground. See more ideas about decoy carving, decoy, carving. 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. How To Mold Foam Duck Decoys - playassustentable I make my own foamer decoys, you can find how to information on dedduck.com. Start by attaching the head to the body in a predetermined location by using a screw or screws and some wood glue. How to Make Your Own Ultra-Realistic Turkey Decoy Trim the flesh and fat, being sure to remove the milky-white oil glands. How to Make Your Own Turkey Reaping Decoy - Ani-Logics Outdoors Because delicate skins dont always hold up to the rigors of the turkey woods, check out MOJOs Fan*Tom. For the waterfowler on a budget, these 5 decoys you can easily be made at home. Using three long heavy T-pins, tack the fan onto a large cardboard box, and push the pins all the way through for a secure hold. For true blanks, start by either drawing your own pattern or using one from a decoy pattern book. I also have my own magnum mallard mold that could be trimmed to more accurately depict a diver shape. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Its just $1 per month . If you have a streak of Bob Vila in you, then this next option might be more your style. So clear your Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. We set the decoys in a warm well ventilated area, and let them set and dry for 48 hours. 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. How to Make a Duck Decoy Mold | eHow Carve a duck head from the basswood or find a plastic head online. Power is provided by a rechargeable battery with a run time of up to 12 hours. They make incredible Halloween decorations and are perfect for scaring away specific birds that can harm small pets and gardens. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to share a little project I am working on. Primos Photoform Leading Hen Decoy. Homer Decoys was recently sold to the Hash family and is now located in Conowingo, Maryland. Base coat of uv mallard paint. After caping the turkey and removing all fat and meat, stretch the hide out on a sturdy piece of cardboard using tacks or pins. Hard high-tech composition decoys. I want to start building a foam decoy spread and steadily replace my plastic decoys with them as I get groups of them completed. Whether cork, wood or even foam, the tooling list for most decoy medias remains consistent. 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. It is much harder, thus more durable. 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. Cut a keel from the furring strip and epoxy in place. HydroFoam Duck Decoys | HEYDAY Waterfowl Hunting Great stuff is open celled foam and will eventually absorb water no matter how you cover it up. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Inflatables. For a more pleasing look on the water, the decoy should be rounded at the bottom, starting up about 2 inches from the bottom. Can patch the hole in the head with apoxie sculpt if you want or just shape the foam. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. A timing system is used to sequence the . Feb 3, 2019 - Explore Colin Davis's board "Foam decoy carving" on Pinterest. Thanks. 1can does about a dozen and it seems to hold up pretty well. Think about a Croc that you can hunt over. I redid an aluminum boat couple years back and tried replacing the floatation foam. 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. Homer Decoys can proudly say that we offer the most durable decoys on the market today. Whether it is the first time applying flock to the decoys or to complete touche ups, these kits will meet your needs. Homer Decoys - Foam Decoys and Decoy Heads - Made in the USA 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. The less dense the foam is the quicker is expands. Haven't done it myself but a hunting buddy hasn't had any problems with it. Molded entirely from EVA foam, our HydroFoam line pulls double duty as both the LIGHTEST and most DURABLE decoy on the market. 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. 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. Having the same tin soldier look in a spread can leave it looking lifeless, we call it a "dead spread". VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Once the head is nearly complete, using Apoxie Sculpt, set the eyes and then finish smoothing the head and blending transitions. | M.D. 1st coat of titbeond 3 and sifted sawdust. I plan to burlap these before painting and will attach a small keel just for a little weight. On sale. You know of any reason not to use the canned spray foam? You just mix it 50/50 and pour it in and the stuff goes a long way. 2. Start by taking off small amounts of material, remembering that once it comes off, it cant be replaced. You can attempt to keep the wings attached to the entire skin or remove them prior to skinning. Decoy Flocking Kits allow you to minimize glare, creating a realistic look from the sky. We did the molded decoy thing, but quickly grew out of that and progressed into carving decoys out of foam and wood. Carved from foam. The decoy doesn't move, making it slightly less appealing to real crows than motorized ones. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This texturing creates realistic shadowing for a more natural looking decoy. If you like easy, simply plunk down a credit card at a major sporting goods store for a Turkey Skinz. Like I said I have never made any decoys with it but I think it should work just fine. | Most of the difficulty in making your own hand carved foamer decoys is in the knowing how, you can find that at ded outdoors. Youre now ready for the field. You are using an out of date browser. The problem with the mold release is that it gets into the foam and makes it impossible to get the glue to stick. 15 Foam decoy carving ideas | decoy carving, decoy, carving - Pinterest How To Make A Turkey Fan Decoy | Field & Stream 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. How to Make Homemade Goose Decoys - Gone Outdoors If you have been hunting long enough you probably have some old decoys laying around. Making Foam Decoys - Getting Started | Duck Hunting Forum Cut out a foam or wooden head and neck and attach it to one side of the buoy. 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. 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. A forum community dedicated to duck hunters and hunting enthusiasts. Paint it and away you go. Moisture can seep in, leading the wood to expand. If you want to use the mold you made it will either need mold release or to be super smooth. Foam decoy mold | Michigan Sportsman Forum We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Gee String 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. 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. Decoy kits include items to create high quality work. Probably saved me from ruining a couple dozen decoys. 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. Get a large metal rod, about 10 to 12 inches in length and inch thick. 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. Heres how to put a birds tail feathers to work for you.