Homer decoys- righting themselves, tricks?

Nick, my plastic Tanglefree decoys all swam upright less than 1000 yards away from you. Just saying. Lol
It was blustery out today!20230203_073915.jpg
 
Geez, am I the only one that hid out inside away from the wind today?!?!? Hope you guys did good!
 
Christ, what's it doing in CT today? -14 and blowing N about 30 up here near the top of Scribner Hill in Manchester, ME.

Up on Mt. Washington it's -41 and blowing 101, gusting 115 for a wind chill of -107.

Huddled up here at balmy -43 wind chill with a hot buttered rum and an extra sweater. Anybody hunting New England tomorrow is nuts!

Fun link here. https://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/KMWN.html
 
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The only thing we got was meeting a new person who lives next to the Audubon center who so kindly let us land on his property after watching us try to fight the wind for 20 minutes. Drove us to our trucks and told us about duck hunting the area 55 years ago. Very nice man, he has a little free library booth outside his front door -maybe I'll add a copy of "duck shooting" to it next time I drive by.
 
Tod do you have any suggestions on the extra Keels? I know you or Mike SID can mold me the lead, just wondering how I attach them
 
Nick Zito said:
Tod do you have any suggestions on the extra Keels? I know you or Mike SID can mold me the lead, just wondering how I attach them
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Do the current keels have any structure to take a screw? doesn't have to be much.

If the current keels are 1 1/2 inch WIDE, I'd rip a 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 board that was the appropriate length to match the current keels. Adding a 1 1/2 half depth to what you have (these are just numbers, but I'd add more than an inch, but less than 2 and match the added keel in width to what you have). In the new keels, drill from the top down 2 holes 3/4 in in diameter down to the point where it almost broke through, but didn't. Fill those with lead and screw up from the bottom into the body, using some construction adhesive, caulk or epoxy - the less to screw into the more I'd worry about adhesive. I'd use a hardwood, since it is more dense and you need less lead. If softwood, I'd use more and bigger holes.

I don't know how set up you are as far as a shop, but I'd be happy to bang out a bunch some afternoon with you.
 
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As per Steve, there is steel in the keel. Did you try drilling through the steel to see if you can add a wire and a weight?
If you can on windy days you could add the wire and weight. On calm days use without the weight.
I did that on plastic water keels. I liked the light weight but on windy days they would lay sideways.
 
Bill Ferrar said:
As per Steve, there is steel in the keel. Did you try drilling through the steel to see if you can add a wire and a weight?
If you can on windy days you could add the wire and weight. On calm days use without the weight.
I did that on plastic water keels. I liked the light weight but on windy days they would lay sideways.
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That is a really unfortunate design choice, especially in a decoy that may be used in saltwater.

Steve, any thought on what the steel actually is?
 
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