# Help with decoy painting



## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

I have a couple decoys that I would like to paint and make as realistic as possible. I've seen a threads of few guys making their own decoys with foam and burlap,, I just ordered some blanks (Im not that handy lol) and was I wondering if someone might be able to give me a hand painting a decoy or two as realistically as possible. Thanks! 

The Gee

Ps- Im in the Ogden / Roy area.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Hey Gee, I've made a pile of foamers and I might have some advice to give. I get a sheet of 2" blue insulation foam and cut the bodies out if it with a bandsaw and a template, and then glue 2 of them together with Titebond 3 to make a 4" thick blank. I cut the bodies on a bandsaw but the foam is hard on blades, you can do it with a handsaw sprayed with WD40 too. Then I shape the bodies with a Surform drywall rasp, with some practice you can crank out a shaped body in about 10 minutes or so. Then I glue an oak or Trex keel on the bottom with adhesive silicone, Trex is expensive but I am lucky that I can usually scrounge some from work.

When I started out I did my first dozen or so with burlap and tile mastic, it makes a durable, hard decoy when it sets up but it is a ton of work. I've found that the best way is a process called trestle coating, what you do is take some Titebond 3 and thin it with water until it is about the consistency of latex paint, brush it all over the decoy then roll the decoy in fine sawdust and shake off the extra. Let it dry for a day or so and then do it again, when the glue is fully dry it makes a very hard-shelled and durable decoy.

As far as paint goes, I like to use Kilz oil-based primer for the base coat and flat Rustoleum for blacks. Other colors I use acrylics from the craft store. When they are done they get a few coats of flat clear rustoleum, a few light coats works much better than one heavy coat for some reason.

Starting out making some divers is usually a good way to go because they are easy to paint, usually just black and white with some highlight colors, and if you want you can get really fancy with shading the heads, etc.

The best thing to do when you are getting started is to get a decoy that you really like and try to copy that, until you get a feel for what the proportions and cut-away areas need to be. Remember that a real duck doesn't have any flat spots, so your decoy shouldn't either. The side pockets and the V down the back between the wings are really important areas to concentrate on. Duckboats.net has a really good resource section (and some amazing work to look at too) as well as workingdecoys.net. The great thing is you can make yourself a dozen decoys and all 12 of them will be a bit different, which makes a big difference in making them look good on the water. Plus there's nothing like shooting ducks over your own decoys!

Sorry I just reread your post and realized that you were asking more about painting, I think the best thing to do is get some cheap decoys off KSL or the DI and practice repainting them. As I said drake divers are usually the easiest to start with, just scrub them down good before you start and if you want to you can rough them up with some sandpaper. Look at some photos on Google or other forums to get an idea of colors, etc. As far as puddle ducks go mallards are pretty easy, I usually stay away from painting hens because they are by far the hardest! Good luck and post some photos when you're done!

Here are some photos of some that I've done:

Bodies being shaped


After being trestle coated


Magnum Bluebill


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Thats cool pumpgunner. How much does each decoy roughly cost?


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

Thats is AWESOME! How did you come up with the original pattern? Did you sacrifice one of your good ones for a pattern?


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks for the reply! You may also know,, where is a good place to get some flocking for decoys? I need to flock some geese heads during the down time.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks guys. Each decoy costs either next to nothing if I can scrounge materials up to about $3-4 or so if I have to buy foam, etc. I don't know if you save much money but I do it for fun and a hobby mostly. I made my patterns by just tracing an outline and messing with it until it looked right, and when I got a decoy looking how I wanted it I used it to make patterns, I only use a pattern for the outline from the top and shape the rest until it looks right. Gee-I haven't done any flocking but I know that guys get it from craft places online and that it's not very expensive. That's something that I've been wanting to mess around with too though!


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

That's really cool pump! Thanks for your input.  Where are you located? I'll probably be ordering some flocking in the next few days, maybe we can go in together on some and save on the shipping.


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I'm up in Logan Gee. Let me know what you find, I would love to mess around with doing some flocking.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

*Flocking*

forget it, just use rustoleum flat black paint.


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

Longgun said:


> forget it, just use rustoleum flat black paint.


I have actually heard that stuff is actually decent to use as the glue to hold the flocking on. especially if you can get it to thicken up a little.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

fact, it is great glue ... if you do indeed go with the flocking, be sure to get the Nylon, not Rayon. I think? :shock:


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## BlackCloud (Oct 12, 2012)

Just good old fashion spray paint and some tape , it's for sure not the best work but it's quick, easy, and affordable


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

Looking Good BlackCloud! Are these just all being repainted for the new season, or are these newly refurbished ones? 

I normally don't repaint my deks until the end of October thru the middle of November...


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## BlackCloud (Oct 12, 2012)

They were old mallard decoys and it was an easy way to add some new color to my spread without buying new decoys


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

BlackCloud said:


> They were *old mallard decoys* and it was an easy way to add some new color to my spread without buying new decoys


dont tell the redheads that! they'll never be able to live with themselves. :RULES:


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