Woodies to Wigeon - Model 63 Conversion - Now with BEHR paint lists

Steve Sanford

Well-known member
All~

NOTE: I still have not had the time to post a full Tutorial on my website - but I did put together these "diagrams" with the BEHR paints I use:


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Note: The back on the Hen is more likely AGING BARREL (PPU 5-2) - one shade lighter than the ESPRESSO BEANS (PPU 5-1) I used on the Crown and Primaries.

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Over the past year - and sort of on a whim - craigslist and I found a bunch of Herter's smaller puddle duck decoys, the Model 63s. While I had always used the oversize Model 72s, it had occurred to me that the smaller waters I hunt around here probably do not require big blocks. Maybe carrying in more smaller decoys would be a good idea - or at least fun in the process. I gunned over 10 re-finished Mallards and Black Ducks this past season. I got to watch lots of live birds in among them on many mornings and I must say - they are good-looking birds on the water - even if they are just a bit smaller than the real thing.

I gathered up a total of 35 (37?) Model 63s - most from around here, but I also got a bunch from near Burlington, VT. That batch had 3 non-Herter's heads in the mix - but also 4 "Wood Ducks".

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I put quotes around Wood Ducks because they did not pass my test. Herter's sold these decoys as Woodies - but they were Mallard bodies with Bluebill heads. Since my eye and brain tell me that Wood Ducks have nice big crests on their heads - and Bluebills certainly do not - that Something Must Be Done.

So, I decided to take advantage of the nice round heads and the short bills to make them into another species: American Wigeon.

There is a history here. When I first moved here to dairy country in the mid-90s, I decided to re-paint my Herter's Mallard rig. I had about 2 dozen Model 72s. Now that I was living away from the Atlantic Tidewater, I suspected I would need my cork Black Ducks less - and lighter Mallards more. In the midst of that project, I also re-painted some Herters for gunning partner Jamie Woods. In addition to some Model 72 Blacks, he also asked me to paint (re-paint ?) 2 Model 63s as Wigeon.

In their earlier years, Herter's offered just a few of the more common species and did a great job with each of them: Mallard/Black Mallard; Pintail; Canvasback; Bluebill/Redhead. (Their Geese were excellent likenesses, too.) They used 4 different heads on 3 different bodies.

Later, they added more species - but did not invest in species-specific shapes. They simply painted existing decoys with different colors. The Wigeon (Baldpate) was a Mallard in Wigeon clothing. I never found this to be satisfactory.....



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Prior to that time, I had carved a few Wigeon. I had worked out my patterns - of course paying special attention to the magnificent puffy head and delicate bill. One "mantel-piece" bird took a Best-in-Show in the last-ever U S. National Decoy Show on Long Island (1994). I gave one like it to Jamie for his 50th birthday.



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A few years ago, I carved a gunner for my own rig. It, however, wound up as a Traveling Decoy: Mr. Baldplate


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More recently, I carved a more stylized "mantel-piece" bird - painted with oils in a more stylized pattern.



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I used the same head pattern for all of these birds.



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So, when Jamie asked me to paint 2 Model 63s as Wigeon, I found it necessary to lop off (and then fill and re-shape) the distal end of the bill and provide a bit of the delicacy shown by this species. (Their short bills are an adaptation for grazing - both on leafy aquatics and field crops.) It made a more passable facsimile.



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And, when I found these 4 "Woodies" in the "bag from Burlington", the idea for my Woodie-to-Wigeon" conversion leapt to mind. That Bluebill head is close-enough - with the right paint.


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All of these birds had new head hardware. The original screw eyes had been replaced with eye bolts. The heads were all well-attached - but I did not like the way the eye protruded so far below the keel. I was concerned about damage to rig-mates.


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Also, I like to coat my foam decoys - for both a protective skin and the no-shine surface.


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So, I first removed the eye bolts. Since they are not stainless steel - and the cost or replacing them with s/s would be close to what I had paid for each decoy, I decided instead to use Rustoleum Cold Galvanizing paint. After an overnight bath in phosphoric acid, they got a quick coat of Cold Galvanizing. I did have a box of 1-inch s/s washers on hand, though, so the originals were replaced.


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I bored out a socket for each eye bolt - with the 1-inch Forstner bit on the drill press.


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When I began coating the bodies with epoxy, I made sure to give the inside of the socket a thorough coating. The bottoms of these birds were coated with epoxy+sawdust but the topsides and heads got epoxy+ground corncobs. Bill Clark had generously mailed me samples of both Fine and Medium. So, this is my first experiment with corncobs.


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The corncobs acted alot like the ground walnut shells I had just tried on a batch of Homer Oldsquaw. The texture is great - but the particles do not seem to absorb the epoxy like the sawdust does. So, once the initial coating cured - overnight by the woodstove - I coated the entire bird with oil-based grey primer.

I top-coated with my usual Behr latex paints. Moroccan Henna and Oxblood came in handy on getting the subtle reddish and pinkish casts so characteristic of Wigeon.


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The bottoms got a final coat of Behr Elephant Skin.


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And the eye bolts protrude just enough to get the anchor line in for its bowline.

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Here is one of the Wigeon I painted for Mr. Woods - about 20 years ago now.



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And here are the sea trials. The Four Wigeon are now rigged and ready-to-hunt.



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BTW: I am looking for a pair of Model 63 Pintails to add to my rig. Let me know if you have a couple you'd be willing to part with - especially if they are the early ones with flat bottoms (no keels).

All the best,

SJS






 
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Steve, wonderful work.

I repurposed a 4 pack of 63 mallards to early "pond jumpers". Here in the North our first half of season is many eclipse and juvies of all species.

The paint was non-descriptive, other than "mottled". What joy when those blocks were the focal point for those birds flying in.

Your paint skills are always impressive, and always an education.
 
Steve, amazing as usual.
If you ever come across more of the 63s I would love to know, Im looking to get a bunch made into buffies, I have seen them before and they look amazing. Buffies now are just too large in my opinion
 
Rich~

I just coated 3 more 63s with epoxy + fine corn cobs. I use the U S Composites Medium Cure #:1 epoxy + Cabosil to thicken it before painting the epoxy on. Then I sprinkle the corn cobs on. I think I am leaning toward fine sawdust for heads and undersides and corncobs for bodies.

Stay tuned!

SJS

 
Rob~

Last Fall, I kept seeing about 50 Model 63 Broadbill somewhere in NYC. I think they were $5 each - with lines and anchors! I could not think of a reason to buy MORE Broadbill stool, however - so I never pursued them.

I will keep my eyes open in the future.

All the best,

SJS

 
steve, I was wondering what the measurements are of the model 63 blk duck. I have 7 heads and bodies were in bad shape so dumped bodies after sandy. I down sized a mac decoy but head to body ratio is not looking right. any help appreciated thanks rick
 
Good morning, Rick~

Here you go:

Herter's Model 63 Mallard/Black Mallard Body

LOA 12-3/4"
Beam 5-7/8"
Depth @ back 3-1/2"
Depth @ chest (for head) 2-3/4"

All the best,

SJS

 
steve thanks big help. I had 14 half by 6 wide by 4 ht. the body looked like a lawn dart. I will cut it some then reshape just glad I didn't cut whole sheet of old blk cork up. the wind on the bay is wicked this am gusting to 50 plus mph. I will play in shop today thanks again rick ps. these are going to be back pack birds
 
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