Will M
Active member
A while back I posted asking for advice on how to remove flocking from a cork decoy and at least one member asked for a follow up. Things have been busy so duck related projects have been on the back burner this year. Luckily the boss lady is vacationing in TX visiting friends for a week so the honey-do list can safely be ignored for a while and some of the many tasks to prepare for the season can be accomplished, which is convenient since the season is only 3 short months away from starting up here in Jersey. My first project was to get the flocking off this decoy so it could be prepared for a repaint (along with 2 dozen brant and about a dozen other ducks). The three suggestions thrown out to me for removing the flocking were to sand it, paint on a stripper and wipe off and to attempt to burn it off via a torch. I liked ideas 1 and 2 the best as they did not involve setting my "new to me" decoy ablaze.
Here is how the decoy came to me, flocking over the entire body save for the head, tail board and under the tail (the other 9 i purchased with him were all just paint). I believe the previous owner had good intentions to make the decoy less reflective with the addition of flocking however as evidenced by this photo the flocking actually gleams quite a bit more than the paint.
My first attempt to remove it was with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper. This made quick work of most of the flocking
The only significant work left after sanding the body was to remove some stubborn flocking and all of the flocking in the crevices of the cork. Using a 1" chip brush I generously coated the whole bird with paint stipper making sure to load up the cork voids. Then I firmly wiped with a rag that was all balled up so the rag could conform to the shape of the voids. I repeated this process several times and was quite pleased with the results.
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Minimal touch up around the body and some of the voids will need to be preformed. I am going to buy a stiff bristled scrub brush, I believe that may be the ticket to removing the last of the flocking from the deep crevices.
Also these decoys that I purchased are from the "Stony Hill Stool Duck Company" From Point Pleasant, NJ.
If anyone knows anything about this company I'd love to learn more. I'd also like to see the original paint scheme before I repaint this bird. I'd also like to see some original mallards if possible as I believe this decoy started as a hen mallard based on the paint I found underneath while sanding.
Here is how the decoy came to me, flocking over the entire body save for the head, tail board and under the tail (the other 9 i purchased with him were all just paint). I believe the previous owner had good intentions to make the decoy less reflective with the addition of flocking however as evidenced by this photo the flocking actually gleams quite a bit more than the paint.
My first attempt to remove it was with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper. This made quick work of most of the flocking
The only significant work left after sanding the body was to remove some stubborn flocking and all of the flocking in the crevices of the cork. Using a 1" chip brush I generously coated the whole bird with paint stipper making sure to load up the cork voids. Then I firmly wiped with a rag that was all balled up so the rag could conform to the shape of the voids. I repeated this process several times and was quite pleased with the results.
.Minimal touch up around the body and some of the voids will need to be preformed. I am going to buy a stiff bristled scrub brush, I believe that may be the ticket to removing the last of the flocking from the deep crevices.
Also these decoys that I purchased are from the "Stony Hill Stool Duck Company" From Point Pleasant, NJ.
If anyone knows anything about this company I'd love to learn more. I'd also like to see the original paint scheme before I repaint this bird. I'd also like to see some original mallards if possible as I believe this decoy started as a hen mallard based on the paint I found underneath while sanding.
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