Decoy carving

A

Allen Chisholm

New member
I would like to try my hand at carving some birds,just not sure what type of wood is best and where to get it. Working decoys would be what I am looking to make, but do not know the types of wood that would stand up to the weather and would not crack or break down. Do you carve from one single block and if so where would you find a dealer to purchase these blocks.


Thanks Al
 
Allen over the years people have carved decoys out of different types of wood but manliy softwood I.E.ceder, hear in the UK its hard to get hold of ceder
so I use Pine the main thing is stay away from the hardwoods, it to heavy and its can be a pain to carve depending on the speices of the wood, Has for carving it out of one Block, I use 2 peices for the body 2x6, 1 for the head, and 1 for the Keel.
Its all about Building that Bond.
take care and God Bless
Eddie.
 
Allen, when I lived in Maine, I used to go partridge hunting and when we made camp, I would break out my chainsaw and cut up some dead fall cedar. Cut it in half (length wise) and let it sit in a dry place (garage/shed) till nice and dry (depends on your wood). If they are not dry and you carve them out, they can split whenn the winter comes, so make sure they are dried out. Cedar is soft and fairly lightweight. You can take wood off fast with cedar and it always makes the shop smell nice. I have made many gunning decoys this way. If you are wanting to do more decorative birds (burn in feathers/ crossed wings), you will need to get a "tighter" grained wood such as Basswood. For a decent size decoy, you will want about a 14x8x4 (Length/width/depth) block to be able to work with. You can go smaller if you are doing buffleheads, teal, woodies, etc. A quick internet search and even calling around your local area might find you some basswood or tupelo nearby. I have a few cedar blocks to spare if you are interested and would only charge you shipping. They have been halved and have been rough cut. I will have to go thru my shed to see exactly what I have and make sure they are cured and have not split. Let me know what kind of dekes you are wanting to make to see if I have blocks that are big enough for what you want. All of them have a duck of one kind or another inside of them if you take the time to whittle away everything that isn't duck. dc
 
Wood for working blocks can include basswood, white pine, sugar pine, cottonwood, and my favorite northern white cedar. These are just a few of the more common species. Another good choice for working birds is cork. The heads are still made from wood but the bodies are shaped from cork. Willy at the duck blind has some great videos and kit that can get you started. If you can contact a local carver that can give you some pointers ...............even better! Try your hand at it.....you wont be sorry! Good luck!


Jim
 
Allen, I did forget to mention cork decoys. Cork is much easier to work with and doesn't require the "fine tuning" with keel weights that wood decoys usually need. Cork shapes out nice, seals up and paints well and lasts for many years when treated and handled well. They ride the water beautifully and are not nearly as heavy as wood dekes if you work with black cork. You can use wooden heads or plastic and the decoy bodies can be built fairly quickly. I can usually knock out a six pack of dekes after dinner. I make and sell a cork decoy kit and I only mention this to help you, I DO NOT try to solicit business on this site. If you wish to make a go at your own "spread" of corks I will be more than happy to give you information on my suppliers and the different tools, materials that I use (it doesn't take many of either). dc
 
"dealer"? You don't buy decoy wood from no stinkin' "dealer". You need to find a SAWMILL in ME, NH, VT and buy some of the aforementioned Northern White Cedar. If you are lucky, you will find some 4" thick by 8" wide with no heartwood, or you can layer 2" thick boards as needed. You'll also need to buy or find access to a 14" bandsaw with a riser block, or a 16" bandsaw to cut out the side profiles. 3"x4" or 5" for the heads.

But to start, it might be easier to buy the kit for the cork bird from Willy at the Duck Blind.
 
I am in the same position. Do you guys that carve think it is easier to start with wood or cork? I will still be buying decoys from other carvers, but I would love to get good enough to "trade" a decoy or two. I was recently given a bandsaw that my stepfather owned and purchased just before he passed away. I dont know much about it. It has an adjustable platform...is this the riser block? He used it for his carving, so I assume it would be big enough for decoys. He carved decorative birds and mammals. It was made in PA by a small co. Tnt or something like that. I was also given some of his knives and a dremel. I just need to get the saw back to Ny so I can get started. I think making my own decoys will be a great way to spend some of my "down time". Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I didnt mean to hijack this thread, just thought I would ask some questions since we are both seeking the same answers. What do you guys think about a Foredom? I was thinking of buying one since I got almost everything else given to me.
 
Allen,

How are you equiped tool wise. You can rack up a heck of a bill on tools to try and carve one block and never use them again. Do you have a bandsaw (or a friend with one)? If not, it's not a bad idea to start with a cut out. Willy sells cork bodies and basswood heads, or if you prefer wood, I know Paul Rutgers has sold cedar cut outs from time to time. If you have a saw (and this would pertain to your question too Charlie) idealy you want at least 8" depth of cut to do most larger (Mallard sized) ducks. I had a 14" bandsaw without a riser when I started (6" depth of cut) and therefore the first two deeks I did were buffies (which were narrow enough to turn them on their side and cut the profile in my saw). Additionally I started with knives, rasps, spokeshave etc that I already owned. I picked up a piece of 4"x6" basswood at Woodcraft (paid through the nose) and I was going on my first deeks (once you get going on more, try to avoid buying retail!)

If you haven't seen them, here are a couple of tutorials:

http://www.mightylayoutboys.com/domino/mlb/MLB_resources.nsf?OpenDatabase&Start=1&Count=50&Expand=5.2

http://www.theduckblind.com/cyberclassroom/index.htm

Post up any follow up questions, there is always someone here willing ot help.

Chuck

PS Charlie, here is a riser block (new Jet beige) on my 14" saw (old Jet blue)

basswood004.jpg


bamdsaw006.jpg

 
Most carvers use Basswood because it cuts like butter with sharp tools. You could also use Cedar for the body and Basswood for the head. If can find some scrap Cedar boards from build materials, you can glue them in a stack to make a body. I plan on getting some Basswood in one inch thick boards. I am going to cut out centers on some of the boards as a prehollowing step. The cut-outs I will glue together to make a stack the make the heads from. One inch boards the right width is cheaper per board foot than buying a block.

.
 
Thanks everyone for all the information, I do have most of the tools including 14" bandsaw, just got two blocks of cedar from a friend in N.H. . Thanks again
 
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