carving decoy heads

[rick ervin]

what do people use to hold the heads of their decoys while carving put it in a vise or just hold it in hand i use a rasp file

 

[rick ervin]

 

[george w]

hand--you might want to pick up a rotary rasp that goes into a drill---That will give you a bit more control?

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

Borrow a good pattern and rough out with a bandsaw. If your starting out try a good carving knife and take it slow. If you've carved before get a foredom and go to it. I carved with a knife for a few years then saved for a foredom. Learned alot carving by hand slowly. Had a World Class carver give me a few tips. Cut off anything that doesn't look like the bird?????

 

[Andy Grant]

I made a fixture to hold th heads in a vise. That sounds pretty fancy, but it is a 2x2 block of wood with a screw hole in it. Then I the same size diameter and thread screw that will attach te head to the decoy to hold the head to the block.

Where the neck of the head touches the block, I glued a small scrap of sandpaper, rough side out. The screw goes through the center of the paper. When tightened down the sand paper keep the head from spinning.

 

[rick ervin]

yes thats what i need thank you

 

[rick ervin]

 

[Nick Buda]

Now that's a good idea Andy. Glad Rick asked, this will be helpful for me!

 

[Glenn Sweet]

I basically use the same thing but I taper the top of the block so its smaller then the base of the neck and I put two finish nails in the top of the block cut them off and sharpen so the head wont spin.