Decoy eyes???

[Huntindave McCann]

Ok, I haven't done this before and I'm too lazy to look it up somewhere. I'm making some cork decoys with wood heads. When the head blank was still square, I drilled a pilot hole for the location of my eyes. I used this location as a reference when carving. Now I am ready to install the glass eyes I got from Willey at the Duck Blind.

What is the procedure used to set the eyes into the head? They are 9mm in diameter with no wire, just a flat back. I really need a step by step for this or a quick link to a tutorial.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MLBob Furia]

I really need a step by step for this or a tutorial.

O.K. Dave - Since you always say nice things about my decoys, here are some pictures from my "how to" file: I assume you've got the holes drilled for the eyes. If not, just expand your pilot holes with a spade bit that matches the eye diameter. Then get yourself some acetone and wood putty. You'll also need old artist paintbrushes (smaller size artists round + a finer tipped small detail brush). I also use some sanding sticks ( or you can cut some of the wife's emory boards to the shapes you find useful), and a small detail knife (mostly for scraping away excess filler). Fill the eye holes level with wood dough (plastic wood): Then set your eyes. You can play with the depth and angles as you do this. Check that they look equal and aligned from front & top. Then with the bushes and acetone, wet down the wood dough and shape the lid. I use the small blade to scrape and shape some, but do most of the molding with the small brushes and the acetone. Go outside if you can so you don't have to breath a lot of fumes (small amount of acetone poured in a little jar is plenty to set a pair of eyes).

 

[MLBob Furia]

Here's what it might look like after the lid is rough shaped with the paint brushes. You clean any mess off the eye and fine shape the inner rim of the lid with a detail knlfe. Scrape any junk off the center as well.



Now you go to work sanding and shaping. Here are some of the tools I use (Note the emory board). Folded bits of fine sandpaper work just as well.


Here's what the finished eye socket looks like. If you screw up, you just give it a good soaking with the acetone, pop it back out, and try again.



With sealer, texture, base coat and paint applied, your bird will look good

 

[Bob B]

Thanks Bob. I have been using a green epoxy putty, but the plastic wood looks better for ease of shaping.
Dave you are on your way if you are setting eyes. Got any pictures?

 

[Lee Harker]

If you use plastic wood putty..make sure you get the SOLVENT BASE putty..acetone doesn't work well on the latex based stuff and it is harder to work with since it takes forever to set up. I also like to put a goob of it halfway in the hole and let dry..that way when you push the left eye in..the right eye doesn't bulge out.

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Bob, Thanks a lot, thats is exactly the info I needed. I most likely will settle for a smoothing of the wood filler rather than a shaping of a eye lid but thats something to shoot for in the future. Even then, I don't think you will have to worry about me winning any ribbons over your work.

I wasn't sure if I needed to glue the eye in with anything other than or in addition to the wood filler, so you answered that nicely. I did install one set of eyes last nite just before going to bed. (before posting my question) After reading your response, I guess I didn't make any mistakes other than my newbie skill level.


Lee, I was using the acetone based product, didn't know it was available any different. I had thought about the eye pushing out, but hadn't considered plugging the thru hole. I was careful when drilling and used a flat bottom bit to hold depth. Then I could just bottom out the eye and hold it there when packing in the putty and eye on the other side.

Again, Thanks a lot guys. I'll post some pics when I get some camera shots from 20 yards out. hehe I got 5 of these Greenwings to paint and I have to have them done by June 30th for the Wisc. gathering. Can't let the painting cut into my fishing schedule so it may be tight. Also need to complete some trade goodies so I can come home with some of Rick's trout flies.

 

[MLBob Furia]

Dave,

That's the beauty of this method. You can opt to just go for smoothing out the transition from wood dough to wood. Shape what you want exposed with the eye bt using the acetone and pointy brush. The "lid" can be formed with the brish and the sandpaper.

Glad it was what you needed. I have yet another frond black duck soaking up some Val-Oil. No need to worry about me and ribbons. Stopped doing that gig a long time ago. That's back in the era when I was still enamored by stuff like this:



Seven-bazillion hours of work and all they can do is sit on a shelf in the living room. No thanks - just want to do those birds I can pitch into the Ohio now.