Eider Rig Construction

B

Bill Embacher

Well-known member
Since this is by far the most work I've ever put into a decoy rig, I thought it might be cool to document and share it here. The rig is for 24 "E-Allen sized" common eider, with one lifesized king eider drake, Stellers eider drake, and Spectacled Eider drake, to be completed in two parts. I'm almost done carving the first part, 12 common eider and the king. I only use cork at this point for commissioned decoys, I've had too many issues with wood splitting/checking in decoys i've sold in the past, The cork carves nice, is durable, and no issues with splitting or checking obviously, nice and uniform throughout.
So here we go...please feel free to critique and comment. I'm always willing to learn from others!
First drew a top pattern that fit the size requirement, 6x18x11. To get that from the cork, I opted to use 3" and double it. From a sheet of cork I could get 4 that size (2 decoys) plus plenty of extra for other work.

Cut out the two halves, and screw them together with 5" deck screws

I guess i should mention I first carved all of my heads from Atlantic white cedar. Anyway, I never use a side pattern, I just hold my head to the body, and rough in some lines with a sharpie

bandsaw out the side profile, and then use the bandsaw to knock down the top sides.

Couple of different surforms get the shape close

Leave a lot of meat around the neck

and see how it all looks

take the screws out, and run the lower half through the bandsaw to get three halves......

cut the middle out of the middle

cut a tail from 3/8 pre-primed ply

glue and screw the middle to the bottom, and glue the tail in place

two 5" deck screws at different angles hold the head in place, I use tightbond 3 glue for everything

back to 2 halves, plus a keel from 2x3

Once the glue dries over night I remove all of the screws, except the two holding the tail in place. Now I glue and screw the top in place, using deck screws to hold it tight. I'll remove those tomorrow. The first few I used clamps, but i couldn't get nice even pressure and my gaps between the halves were ugly. The screws are easy to keep even pressure all around

Screws out, head and neck joint cleaned up with surform and then various rasps

Eyes in, putty pushed into the needed spots and where the halves meet. most of it will sand right off, just a precaution.

thats where I'm at, times 13...to be continued.
 
very nice. I've hollowed out some oversized birds leaving 1/2-3/4 thickness. No problem with squishing them.


Phil
 
you GOTTA do some Northerns in the second dozen....and at least one PACIFIC.....GOTTAAAA....


How much wt do you think the cut out results in?.....I've thought of that with Geese out here but it seems like such a small amount of wt for all the work....


I think you need a Razorbill and a Dovekie in a rig like that myself.......HOW NEAT WOULD THAT BE?......


Steve
 
thanks all.

Steve...I know I know....I gotta build a damn boat though, i gotta hit the lottery and quit my job is what i really have to do.

He already has one of my puffins....

I don't think it takes off too much weight. Its more that I hate waste, and would spend the rest of my days thinking about how many teal decoys were in the middle of that big eider right I carved....now i have a mountain of cork (literally about 5' around and 4' tall) of useable cork scrap. Post boat maybe I'll carve a 200 bird teal rig. or something.
 
Bill

After seeing the eider wings you submitted to the wing survey I am surprised you need more decoys. Nice work on the decoys but why would you want to put out 200 teal decoys?
 
haha, thats really cool that you saw my wings brad!

These are commissioned by someone else. Paying the bills...

I'd just sell the teal too!
 
NOW the cut out makes sense.....are you a Mainiac by any chance?.....Wasson would have called removing a future Teal from the inside of an Eider CUNNING.......I'd agree.....


A Northern and a Pacific would be just a matter of a little difference in the lobe shape....and color...EASY PEASY YOU COULD DO IT EASY.......


I wanna see the Puffin.......


Steve
 
not a Mainiac, Connecticut born and raised! I'll have to find a picture of the puffins I did, I still have some of the siloutttes in the shop I did too I believe.
 
"Cunning" must run in New England blood.....cause those Eiteals are cunning for sure....


Wasson did a bunch of Puffins to use for decoys for the re-introduction on Machias Seal......you do any of that or were yours just for somebody that wanted them in their rigs?.......


Steve
 
Good morning, Bill~

Nice birds and nice tutorial. I'll bet the hollowing helps the way they ride a sea.

A couple of questions:

1) What do you use for "putty"?

2) Any lead in the keels?

Looking forward to your signature, simple, bold paint scheme!

I think the rig needs a winter-plumage Black Guillemot................

All the best,

SJS
 
Continued thanks all!

Here you go Steve, I did it in 2012, I think I could do a much nicer job today

This morning I finished sanding the last 2. Man do I hate sanding, glad its done. Found a few little spots that needed attention from the putty, which is Elmers "Pro Bond Professional strength" wood filler as seen in the pic S.Sanford. I don't worry too much about it as it all gets sealed in, which I will get to tonight.

 
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