Novice decoy carver needs help

[chad austin]

My 14 year old son has taken an interest in spearing decoys and asked me last night if we could start making them. I have wanted to start carving them as well but now that he is interested, I would like to pursue this hobby. (We plan on spearing for the first time this season as well.) Can any of you guys give me a starting point whether it's books, DVD's, online or what ever. I really don't know where to start, the best types of wood to use, templates/patterns to use for different species, what equipment is crucial to have and what is just nice to have to make it easier. Are there any local supply stores where a guy can go and get supplies? I would appreciate any info you guys can help me with. We haven't decided which type of decoys we want to pursue (modern or old school/folk art) but any info on either one would be great. Thanks again guys, we look forward to your replies so we can round up the info and start doing this together.

[MJ1657]

I'm not a decoy carver but a bunch of guys on here will jump in and get you started.

A few of us from this site formed a new chapter in your area for the mdaa. We will be having a spearing outing once a month. Hope to see you out there.

[Gordie]

As MJ said we have got some great carvers on board here and welcome to carving.

[mrklean]

I use cedar, for guides i go online and find fish and print them off and just outline them on the wood and go from there. A good belt sander will be good a dremel is another thing. Im pretty new myself just started last year but its a good time your first few wont be pretty but after a few uglys they start to look better.

[BOUNCED]

There's a good article on the MI darkhouse site that should answer a lot of beginner questions.

http://www.midarkhouse.org/articles/holmes_buildingafishdecoy.html

[shamalex72]

I will second the article spearhead put up, lots of very good info. Also, start out simple. Don't try to get too fancy right off the bat. Work on the basics, like getting fins secured and proper weighting and balancing.

Have fun and don't get discouraged.

[chad austin]

Thanks for the replies, we will be doing a little shopping this weekend. Going to buy a small band saw, dremel, belts for the stationary belt sander and chisels to get started. I have some cedar from a previous project. I will post pics of the ugly's as they progress .

This is all about having another fun hobby my son and I can do together.

[merkman]

Some tips from what I know...

Stick with Cedar for the wood... it will hold up the best.

Make sure all fins are pinned or leaded in place.

Be patient when weighting and swim testing them.

Don't get discouraged if they don't turn out good to start with, they will improve with practice.

This is another link with some more info on weighting and swim testing decoys.

Click Here To Learn More About Decoy Troubleshooting

And just to let you know I don't carve decoys but I know people who do.

Good luck, and I hope to see the results (pics) posted up here as soon as you get some done.

I like to support the up and coming decoy carvers, so as soon as you have some saleable decoys let me know.

Thanks

[BOUNCED]

Don't get discouraged if they don't turn out good to start with, they will improve with practice.

They will, how long do I need to practice?

[Archerysniper]

I have a chunck of ceder laying around if you want to carve out of it. I only ask for 1 decoy in return.

[chad austin]

Archerysniper, that is really cool of you. I will take you up on that after things are looking like they are supposed to. I am still shopping for a band saw and also a flexible carving shaft that will accept 1/4"

[Archerysniper]

Chad,no problem I think they are 6x6 about 2 foot long just let me know and I will get them to you. I'm at wintergreens in Isanti the second Tue every month for our Darkhouse chapter meetings at 7pm and your more then welcome to stop by. I can also meet you any day at the bp in Isanti I will just throw it in the work truck.

[jasonmichalski]

On the wife's cell, so its hard to post. My first was with a pocket knife and axe. My second won second in a carving contest, with pet nail grinder. The last ten or so I used a hand forged knife and sheet of sandpaper. You don't need make to get started. Schenectady.com is a good site for supplies.

[jasonmichalski]

Hate cell phones jannsnetcraft.com I will post more next week I'm grouse hunting till Monday then back to work.

[chad austin]

Well my son Austin and I had a productive weekend. Knowing that we wanted a small work area, we cleaned out a corner in the garage to get set up in and started moving things in. Added additional lights and outlets to the area as well. I bought a small band saw, an electric lead pot and a shop vac to ad to the few other woodworking tools that I already owned. By Sunday afternoon we were ready to get going and cut a couple of blanks to start working with. Then it happened... my wife comes out into the garage and wants a blank cut for her as well, so long story short we end up going with her sketch to start with and here's the progress so far:

The lens on my phone was a little out of focus on the first shot but you get the idea. Keep in mind that no pictures were used as a reference, we thought we'd just wing it thinking that the first few would turn out less than desirable but it actually came out "ok". A little more refining and we will be marking the fin locations to get them cut in. I need to do a little research to figure out how locate where the lead should be.

[MJ1657]

Looking real good!

[jasonmichalski]

nice start. michigan darkhouse can help with the lead part I have found that leading and balancing are the hardest part of whole decoying carving process. Just take your time and some with swim better then others and everyone is differnt. Gills and frogs are the hardest. I use cs coating systems paint and clear when thinned down it sparys nice thought my VL3 and GFX100 airbrushes, but a good paintbooth is needed to get the vapor away from your lungs!

The book in middle has patterns and colors and is detailed on this subject but all three are very good books.

last decoy finished

First decoy finished

Good job keep at it.

[Archerysniper]

Heck better then I can do already. Mine always turn out looking like the wooden pickle the kid on bad santa carved.

[jasonmichalski]

One thing I picked up a month ago I like alot is a 1" belt sander/grinder I use it alot. I also picked up a old jewlers ginder/buffer that works nice on copper and brass.

[pikestabber]

I would recommend trying a few decoys with metal tails, too. With a metal tail, just leave a blunt end in the decoy then cut a slot for a piece of aluminum shaped as the tail--slip it in the slot and either epoxy it in or tack it in (I drill two small holes and tack it in with finishing nails that I cut to size (I tap them in with a punch so they do not stick out of the decoy at all then patch up the holes with wood filler...I don't recommend stapling fins as it often will split the wood). An advantage to the aluminum tail is that you can turn it left or right to make your decoy swim in two different directions (I usually turn it when my line gets too twisted and the decoy starts to spin, although using a ball bearing swivel will help reduce spin...some spearers turn it because they think the fish prefer it to go a certain direction but I have found no truth to that). In any case, the bigger advantage is that decoys with metal tails are easier to "tune." If it doesn't swim the way you want due to a tail that is the wrong size, you can easily trim the tail down or add a bigger one. Not so easy to do with wooden tails which you can't make bigger, and making it smaller requires carving into your nicely painted deke. Furthermore, when you first get started you will likely not have a knack for the extra lead you will need to add to counter the buoyancy of a wooden tail. It’s a lot trickier when you first start and it limits the “circle” you can have with a metal tail (bend it in more for smaller circles, straighten it out more for wide, sweeping circles). With a wooden tail, you get one direction and one arc.

One other investment I highly recommend is a wood-burning pen. It’s great for adding details like scales, eye sockets, gills, etc., but using a flatter nib is a great way to create and seal the slots for your fins which helps keep water out which prevents your wood from checking and cracking. Cedar is a great wood, white pine is a great choice, too. Don’t use basswood…ever.

Painting will have as many opinions as any other aspect of this hobby combined…you can do a variety of things and they will all work. You can do a variety of things that won’t work, too . I recommend using a higher quality acrylic paint and sealing with at least three coats of clear acrylic spray. That last part is very important…the more protection you have from the water and the tooth bites you are going to encounter, the longer your decoy will last. As a previous poster mentioned, be patient in your weighting/testing phase. The initial desire is going to be to paint that baby up sharp and give it a whirl. Nothing is quite so disappointing as spending hours on decoy only to find out it doesn’t sink at the rate you want (or at all) or swims backwards. Practice, practice, practice! Good luck, keep posting results. Keep asking questions. We all learn as we share and receive knowledge of this most awesome hobby !

[chad austin]

One thing I picked up a month ago I like alot is a 1" belt sander/grinder I use it alot. I also picked up a old jewlers ginder/buffer that works nice on copper and brass.

Jason,

For starters, thanks for the replies. I have a stationary 6" belt sander that we've been using a lot and I plan on getting a smaller one like what you have too, for the smaller work. I also plan on getting a dremel with the flexible shaft for polishing and small detail work.

[chad austin]

Pike stabber

thank you as well for the reply. I plan on getting a wood burning pen soon. I had planned on making metal finned decoys as well but hadn't taken into consideration all the dynamics that you threw out there so we'll see how they swim with the wooden tails. Either way, the time spent with my son is priceless. He is learning and having to take in even more than me as he is also using some of these tools for the first time. We are having a blast. Thanks again.

[chad austin]

And last but not least, thanks to MJ and Archerysniper. The wooden pickle comment had me rolling for about 10 minutes. (why did you paint it brown? I didn't, it's blood from when I cut myself carving that for you.)lol

[pikestabber]

Pike stabber

thank you as well for the reply. I plan on getting a wood burning pen soon. I had planned on making metal finned decoys as well but hadn't taken into consideration all the dynamics that you threw out there so we'll see how they swim with the wooden tails. Either way, the time spent with my son is priceless. He is learning and having to take in even more than me as he is also using some of these tools for the first time. We are having a blast. Thanks again.

I hope I didn't throw too much into the mix. Wooden tails can be a great option(and personally I think they look better), it's just a different process of sorts since you have more wood, you need more lead. You'll get the hang of it. And yes, the time spent with your son is something neither one of you will ever forget. Trial and error isn't just for beginners. I have carved decoys for over 20 years and I still screw up as much as I get it right . Have fun, don't get frustrated, and try to take notes/document/learn everything you can from the choices you make. And remember, making decoys is just half the fun...getting that first fish to come in for a look is a thrill like no other. If this bug has you, the spearing bug will eat you alive!

[jasonmichalski]

I used a cheap wood burner and made my own copper tips but I broke it and replaced it a few weeks ago with a colwood detailer and have made about 5 pens for it with differnt tips, it came with 2 pens and I would never go back. I like the wood tails I find them easier to lead on the smaller decoys ,but I have used lighter metal for the tail and found that the heavier copper was the issue, so if you use a meatal tail use the lighted metal you can find. I have two dremel with flexable shaft and a cheaper one I use them a little on each decoy but 90% is done by hand because thats what I like. I tried it every way once and found my style , so I sugguest you do the same at first try to change styles until you find what works for you and you and your son will be hooked.

two very differnt styles but I like them both the key is to just have fun.