And yet another project - Burlapping Decoys

Dave Diefenderfer

Dave Diefenderfer

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Picked up a dozen canvasbacks and a dozen bluebills awhile back. These are Clinton and Decoys Unlimited foam decoys, with dense foam heads, close to Herters 72s I think. Got started on the first dozen this weekend. Removed the heads, and filled some major dings. Made a template for the burlap and got busy.

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Dried overnight in the house, but still damp, so I moved them outside in the sun to cure up good. Plan on the second coat this evening, and then they can cure for the rest of the week. I'll get the bluebills started this week too unless we get busy again on the layout boat work....

Apoxie Sculpt is on order to fix up the heads. Do I glue and sculpt up the heads to the bodies or make them turnable? I have the eye screws that were originally used.

Do I seal the bodies them with Kilz or Spar varnish or something else?

Dave
 
looking good. make sure you do not rush the drying process of the mastic, you have plenty of time before you need them.
 
Leave them in the attic for two weeks... or better yet, leave them there until September. The burlap is gonna soak up the Kilz so give that time to dry completely, too.
 
Dave,
I just finished a bunch of Herters,some new raw and some very well used after they are wrapped you can't tell one from the other. I used two coats of acrylpro,2 coats of water base spar,1 coat of kills 2 tinted primer and 2 coats of finish paint. I tried to stay with all water base latex paints on these just because they are styrofoam. I did use some oil base finish colors because i had it on hand. If you like to work with latex wally world can match almost any color you might need in exterior paint,quarts only.
Leave plenty of curing time between mastic and sealer. A fun project,back to black cork next year.
Bill.
 
Dave,
On burlapped birds, once cured, I've either soaked/primed with FME as a base coat or GAC700 if using the Goldens.
So........soak with FME and then paint them up with FME and we have all the colors you need. Ok...shameless plug. ;)
Lou
 
just finished about 80 herters 72s for a hunting companion. I put them in the hot attic of the shop for two weeks to cure the mastic. For a base coat used rustoleum flat black 2 coats. Let dry a couple more days. Used oil house paint from benj moore with Lous FME and turned out great Did a wash coat of raw umber over the hens and coated finished product with krylon 1311. Be careful with the 1311 in the humidity it will show a white film. I did a few with trestle coating and I like them better. I gave the birds to my buddy and to my surprise gave me a new in the box browning A5 stalker. nice bob
 
First dozen has 2 coats of Mastic, second dozen de-headed, and burlap all cut out. Plan to catch up the second dozen before I do any painting. Second dozen are all Bluebills. The heads all need a little work, Apoxie Sculpt arrived the other day. Need to order some eyes, and some eye screws. Looking at glass eyes from Van Dykes... some red, yellow, and brown.... Can drakes, Bluebill drakes and hens for both.

More pictures to follow when I have something new to show!

Dave
 
Dave...let them dry all the way.. I did 10 dz last summer and had them in the sun for 3 days.. Trying to get them dry!! Kilz is the primer I used..We guided over them all year and they worked great!!

The Diver Gunnin Rig!!




Redhead Gunnin decoy



Bluebill Gunnin Drake



Bluebill Gunnin Hen



Canvasback Gunnin Drake



Canvasback Gunnin Hen







 
Scott, 10 dozen!!?? Wow, a couple dozen is about right for me this year... though if I found 6-12 of the small geese, I would like to do them up for my sneakbox rig too.....

Just got the first coat on the second dozen this evening. In the house with the A/C they dry pretty quick. First coat is thin, exept in the dents and holds. Couple of these got shot pretty bad! Mastic and Burlap hides alot of sins.

Scott, what did you use for paints?

TIA, Dave
 
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