Can silhouettes be too big?

B

bob Petritsch

Active member
I used a pattern of a surf scoter from "Carving Duck Decoys"by Shourds and Hillman. As this was a life size pattern and I want an oversize silly, I doubled the pattern. I ended up with a silly with a body 26X8,with a head of 11X6. Together the silly would be 30x13 and a little. It looks like a battle ship.
I intended to use them in a set of sleds but am wondering if they are just too big.
I don't think I want to work out the numbers for a sled that does not have parallel sills. I think it will be easier to build the sleds with square corners. There is no current to speak of in Pamlico Sound so I shouldn't have to worry about sleds diving in the current.
Again, any comments would be appreciated.
 
From a guy who likes big decoys, doubled is big, but cool. The tapered sls aren't that hard, check out Nate's tutorial in the Carvers Corner.
 
I used to see the two man "goose" blinds down in Southern Illinois. The blind was a giant goose with louvered doors that would spring open when it was time to shoot. The geese slept all around them in the evening, didn't scare them a bit.


Dave
 
bigger the better. mine are usually dictated by wood on hand. There were times when chasing a cripple and we got down wind... pretty far. The oversized silos always show up first. So if you got the wood go for it

phil
 
as have said, probably not too big... You will need very large wood on the cross pieces to keep them afloat. 5/4 x 6 as a guess, using light buoyant wood.

I would not make sleds that are not angled. On top of look and function as a decoy when they nest angled stay together.
 
Just make sure you aren't making them so big that transporting/storing/handling them becomes a huge pain in the butt.


Dave
 
Just make sure you aren't making them so big that transporting/storing/handling them becomes a huge pain in the butt.
Click to expand...


That was my line of thought.
 
I tried big ones years ago, the size is fine with the birds. The problem was with the wind, if it is fighting a tide or cross-tide. A stiff breeze wants to blow them around in a very unnatural way. I still use oversize eider silhouettes on stakes for hunting on a beach. We put out a couple dozen in addition to the floaters and hide behind them. Works great, except for in heavy wind.
 
Agreed, I had "normal size" tri-boards years ago and they really needed some serious weight to anchor them if the wind came up. The more weight just added to the pain it was to load them, stow them, and transport them.


Dave
 
I remember the big goose decoy blinds a man would sit inside in S. IL. One pick up truck to haul each blind.
 
My boat is a Crestliner 1860. The front deck is 4X6 before the bow. The aft deck is also 4X6. Should have plenty of room to budgie down the silos. Thinking of using the corrugated plastic material they use for political signs. Went to my Republical area leader and he told me where to go after the elections to get some but I missed out and they were closed. Will have to buy some from a sign maker. Got a sample from the sign man and it took paint well.
I plan to make the sleds out of 1X3s and where the silis would go attach another 1X3. To that I will dado out a groove for the corrugated plastic. Should come in very light.
 
Well I was able to get some of those outdoor, plastic, waterproof signs. They were only 24X18 inches and I could not use my large pattern that was 36 inches long.
I reduced my pattern to 23 inches long by ten high and am able to get two silos per sign. I routed out a 3/4 inch deep groove in a 1X2 and it fit nice. The signs, when cut to shape are just about weightless, yet they appear to be strong enough to get the job done.
I will probably use gorilla glue to mount the silos to the boards due to expanding nature.
One problem I have is that the crosspieces will be only 12 inches apart. I hope they will be stable Enough. The patternhas a lot of overhang in the back and the head. To increase the distance would change the shape of the silo. i like the idea of not putting the silos parallel to each other and will have to work out the angle to put that in. I think I should put the wide part of the sled in the front, then I can launch them from the bow as I drift back and will be able to restack them as I pick them up from th stern, last to first.
I am disappointed in having to reduce them in size. They are not that much bigger than my largest decoys. I might bite the bullet and BUY some of the material from a sign maker and go with the 36 inch whoppers. They silos are so light I will try to use 1X2 for the cross members.if I do I will probably put in a 1/4 inch plywood bracket at each corner.
Again any comments would be appreciated. This is a work in progress and the R&D part is a lot of fun.
 
We use the super mega oversize huge flambeau goose floater/shells and love them. we will have 37 out on the water, not to mention the regular size dekes. I can't wait for early goose.
 
Hey Dave, where in So ill were you? I did 2+ years in Carbondale--Grad school=When we arrived in July of '66, there were still remnants of the National Guard there from a spring disturbance. Finished up in 69
Go Salukis
 
Pronounced KAYro. Had some good times in the area--Good Bass, both white and largemouth, but was a small game addict while down there. Finally caught the bug when we moved to Delawhere.
 
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