Well, I ditched the 1 piece head/keel: too much wood, too much work.
Came up with this:
Beginning Product, a 38" section of foam oil boom insert collected from a local marsh. I get 6 decoys out of this one piece of foam. Cut decoy Blocks are 12.5" long, 5" wide and 2.5" high.
View attachment Boominsert1.jpg
Cut Block, I sand it a little to smooth the cuts & round the edges:
View attachment Blank1.jpg
Here is around 2 dzn blocks, used about 1/2 my collection of foam for this many:
View attachment BlankPile.jpg
Block with 1" pine head.
View attachment Block1.jpg
Block with 1" pine head & keel and coated with mastic. Head is held on with two dowels extending 2" into the decoy body & "glued" in with mastic, plus mastic-to-wood bond at the base. Keel is on with 2-3" deck screws and mastic to wood bond. Feels pretty darn solid.
View attachment Block2.jpg
Still debating to used burlap or not. The one without burlap feels pretty tough but I think that the burlap will make them very tough.
Comments? Questions? Advice?
Came up with this:
Beginning Product, a 38" section of foam oil boom insert collected from a local marsh. I get 6 decoys out of this one piece of foam. Cut decoy Blocks are 12.5" long, 5" wide and 2.5" high.
View attachment Boominsert1.jpg
Cut Block, I sand it a little to smooth the cuts & round the edges:
View attachment Blank1.jpg
Here is around 2 dzn blocks, used about 1/2 my collection of foam for this many:
View attachment BlankPile.jpg
Block with 1" pine head.
View attachment Block1.jpg
Block with 1" pine head & keel and coated with mastic. Head is held on with two dowels extending 2" into the decoy body & "glued" in with mastic, plus mastic-to-wood bond at the base. Keel is on with 2-3" deck screws and mastic to wood bond. Feels pretty darn solid.
View attachment Block2.jpg
Still debating to used burlap or not. The one without burlap feels pretty tough but I think that the burlap will make them very tough.
Comments? Questions? Advice?
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