Canvas decoy covering - very picture heavy

[Chuck J]

I have had a few questions lately about canvas decoys, since I was covering some, I thought I'd take some more pictures to show the steps. Sorry about some of the picture quality, I was trying to hold it and take pictures too.

First off, tools:

Frame:

Center the canvas:

Tack down the front with a couple of staples:

Stretch the canvas to the tail, keeping it centered:

Put a couple of staples under the tail (these will likely be removed later):

Put two or three staples on one side, just forward of halfway:

Stretch the cloth across the decoy:

Put two or three staples on this side as well:

Alternating side to side, middle to front, two or three staples at a time, stretch the canvas down and forward and staple it in place:

When you get to the front, you'll have to play with the angles some, but basically I fold one side, then the other to resemble a double breasted suit. First fold and staple one side:

You may want to trim back some of the excess material to make it easier to make the second side fold:

Fold the second side:

Staple it:

Trim it:

 

[Chuck J]

Stretch one side to the back corner, where the back and bottom boards meet:

Wrap the cloth around the back board, and staple it to the far side:

Stretch down the canvas and staple along the side, working from back to middle, typically you will get a pleat here:

Going to the back again, trim off excess, double the edge and staple it again:

Back to the pleat, play with the angle, to minimize the length of the pleat, staple the bottom edge:

Pull other side of canvas tight to the back corner, staple along bottom edge. When you staple along the back board, stay on the edge this time:

Pull other side of canvas tight to the back corner, staple along bottom edge. When you staple along the back board, stay on the edge this time:

Trim off excess, leaving about an inch and a half of material:

At this point you will likely want to remove the two staples on the underside of the tail, allowing you to get the canvas tighter:

Pull the canvas back, and secure it in a place where the staple are hidden:

Trim off excess under where the flap will fold:

Pound down the staples along the back edge of the back board (I like the round side of a ball peen hammer):

Fold excess material and tack along the back board edge:

Fold one angle, and staple where it will be hidden:

Test the second fold:

Trim behind it to lay flatter:

Double it under and tack it:

CONTINUED BELOW...

 

[TimJ]

Chuck,
You not only make a very nice clean looking canvas decoy you document it very well.
I need to make some more of them. As tedious as it sometimes feels to me to stretch and staple canvas, and take off and re-stretch and re-staple, it is very gratifying to see a decoy take shape from that wire and wood form.

Tim

 

[Eric Patterson]

Chuck

Taking pictures while you try and hold the work is never easy. Very impressive on both the canvas job and the photo documentation.

Eric

 

[Wispete]

Very good Chuck, A fine presentation.

 

[Luke Berkey]

Thanks for posting this. I think I may try one this winter. Probably a brant.

 

[Chuck J]

Thanks for the complements guys!

As tedious as it sometimes feels to me to stretch and staple canvas, and take off and re-stretch and re-staple,...

Tim

Great point Tim, I didn't really stress that there is a lot of trial and error involved in making these. Don't be afraid to pull out some staples and try stretching a different angle. The more you do, the better of a feel for how to work the canvas.

Chuck

 

[Rex Ruths]

Chuck, Thanks for the tutorial that helps alot. Great looking decoys.

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Chuck,

Nice tutorial,,,,,,,,, (now everyone on the block is going to have one).

Are you using stainless staples? What weight of canvas are you using and where do you go for a source?

I sure am glad to see that you are not using one of your good knives to trim the excess canvas. I can't imagine that running into an errant staple with the blade, would be good on the cutting edge.

[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]

Sew up the pleats with a curved needle:

Nice work, do you darn socks[/font] in the evenings?


Would you be willing the share your patterns for the frame pieces? Do you shape the wires by hand and eye or do you follow a bending pattern for each station?

 

[Chuck J]

Nice work, do you darn socks

NO, darn it!

As for the rest of your questions...

Just regular staples, canvas is 8 oz painters drop cloth, both from the hardware store. Lately I've been liking oil based paint, because it penitrates the cloth well, and seems to tighten it up beyond what the water shrinking does.

Wires are all shaped by hand...and alot of trial and error.

What pattern do you want...I'll trace it out on some newsprint.

Chuck

 

[Huntindave McCann]

If I am going to try one it might as well be a swan. That way when it comes out "butt ugly" I won't feel bad leaving it at home. Actually I figure I may treat the swan with a little more care than if I made a working goose. One of your earlier head poses would be fine ( I'll need the head/neck pattern as well as the frame pattern). Like I said , no rush.

I was thinking about making the head removable using an threaded rod and thread insert. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Chuck J]

Dave, I have so far been too chicken to try a removable head...you must get both holes aligned perfectly...but a machinist like you...should be right up your alley.

Yukon Mike did some, here are some pictures of his:

http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=48980#48980

I bought a metal rod...but that is as far as I got.

Chuck

 

[milburn]

Chuck, You are doing some really cool birds. The "How to" is nice. The hardest part for me is trying to get the wrinkles out. I find myself talking to myself a lot, sometimes ,not very nice. LOL Nice work. Keep it up. Rodney

 

[Chuck J]

Rodney,

Good to hear from you. I don't remember, are you shrinking yours? I think I remember you saying you used pillow ticking for your covering...that may be preshrunk. The easiest way I have found is to sit them on the driveway in the summer, hose them down, let them dry in the sun, repeat all day.

In the absence of summer, I think I will take them to work, put them in the boiler room and do the same repeated soaking.

Best
Chuck

 

[milburn]

I have tried wetting the material and then tack it in place. It makes it a little more pliable when the material is new. I don't sew mine, I just keep pulling until I get most of the wrinkles out. What ever works.

 

[Chuck J]

What ever works.

Ain' t it the truth

The late Doc May used to say something like..."There's no wrong way to make a canvas decoy"

 

[Chuck J]

Rest of the pictures:

Trim back the edges:

Edge banding to be tacked in place:

Sew up the pleats with a curved needle, I double or quadruple up the thread if it will fit the needle. Too thick thread is not very pliable and makes for not so neat stitch work IMHO: