Carving Decoy Heads

C

Capt. Frank Miller

Active member
I am getting back into decoy making and I need some advice. It takes me forever to carve the most basic head. I cut out the profile with a band saw, then use a knife and rasp to shape it. Any tips to speed up production?
Thanks
 
Try a coping saw to cut away most of the excess, then use the rasp.
Or if you want to go high tech, get a drum sander
 
I am just starting but use a very sharp 1" chisel and 6 or 7 mm gouge. Both full-size, not the intermediate or even smaller palm size. Of course power tools are faster and maybe even cheaper than a high quality chisel/gouge set.
 
I've been using a 1/3hp weecher and love it. Just remember if you're using aggressive tools
make sure you have extra shafts or you'll be back with your rasp!! The shafts hold up well with the
fine and medium tools.
Just my .02 John
 
Are you cutting out both profile and TOP views? It's a little trickier of a cut, but speeds things up immensely. Are you clamping the head into a vise or other fixture? Besides, what's the rush? Do a head in 15 minutes with a Foredom, or do it in 45 minutes by hand. Unless you are carving to make a profit, the noise and dust of the power carving machine probably isn't worth a lot of the trouble. Gonna set you back three large too, for the machine and burrs, maybe more.
 
Frank, where are you located? There are a number of decoy makers on this site, who can reduce the learning curve for you.. My first head took 6 hours and still ended up in the wood burner.

Utilize the help and tradition that is available through local makers.
 
I have been reading this thread. I know what a rasp, chisel and a gouge are. I have no idea what a weecher or a foreman is. After my boat is finished, I plan to start on making decoys.

Dave
 
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I have no idea what a weecher or a foreman is.
Click to expand...
Dave,

These refer to two different brands of the same type tool. The tool in question is a high speed rotating grinder similar to a air powered die grinder. These electric driven ones are equipped with a flexible drive cable that connects the motor to a handpiece which in turn holds the grinding burr. Numerous shapes and styles of grinding burrs are available for removing wood.
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You'll save yourself time & materials if you do some modeling. Use clay for heads (way harder to put materials BACK on wood than clay). Modeling in clay is fast & cheap. Doing this will help you get the shape you are looking for DOWN before you start ripping into wood.

Beachcombed foam for bodies.

I apply clay over a plywood profile of a head.
 
Hey, Gary,
man, that plasticene really clogs up the burrs on my foredom!
HEHEHHEHHE
Are you the Gary that messes with bob and sandy occasionally at the garage mahal?
 
Hey, i was curious to see whether you were the Gary from RI who was friends with Sandy Allen and Bob Barrow---Charlestown fellows.
Never tried foam--started with sugar pine for heads and bodies a long time ago--now, cedar, sugar and cork are pretty much fun stuff.
 
I cut just the profile with my bandsaw. Then I put it in a vise and use a back saw to cut away larger chunks then a rasp then a palm gauge. takes about 30 to 45 minutes. I've thought about geeting a fordom but I kind of like being able to listen to music or whatever and not have the noise and dust of a power tool. I'm just doing decoys for myself so I'm not to hung up on effeciency.
 
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