Oil Boom Decoys

Carl

Carl

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With all the boom deployed as part of the oil spill response, we've got tons of the foam inserts from inside the boom scattered all over the marshes down here. I took it upon myself to clean up a bunch. Here is what a short section looks like, they are normally about twice as long when intact. They fit inside the upper plastic sleeve of the boom and keep it afloat. When storms came, the booms were tossed around & torn up and the floats came out.

View attachment FoamBlock1.JPG

Looked like they would make good foam decoys. So I started working on turning them into foamer bluebills this last weekend.
They are about 5.5" tall, so I cut them in 1/2 lengthwise, which makes a nice size block. Cut the blanks about the length of a G&H diver decoy. Made the front-end rounded & contoured the tail end. Bob-tails, no tail or bottom board.
Found some pine shelving & cut out a 1 peice head & keel. They are definately "blocky" but I dont think the divers will mind.
Here is the first one, still naked, no burlap yet:

View attachment FoamBlank2.JPG
View attachment FoamBlank3.JPG

I've got a pile of mastic left from a tile job three years ago, so I burlapped one, and took another blank and just coated with with 2 coats of mastic. No pics of the burlapped one but here is the one with just mastic (1 coat, I added another). Feels pretty tough, might try a few without burlap to see how they hold up.
View attachment FoamBlank1.JPG
 
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The mother of invention. Better watch out..... that foam could turn into cork and then cedar or cypress..... and then you wont want to hunt over plastic any more.
 
Boy, that would be great to have free supply of that to make simple diver shape and burlap for Scoters Or make a Michigan style coot w/burlap.

Gene
 
Carl, Nice going to make "lemonade" out of the mess you guys have. I'll be watching your progress on this one, looks like a match for my skill level.
 
Carl, I was thinking of those pieces all cut into rectangles, stacked in a trailer, then when it was time, driving out into a field, putting stakes through the foam blocks and using them as "Snow goose" decoys. They would work here for sure. The most important thing is to have "Lots of white things on the ground" Looks like you have plenty of white stuff!
Al
 
Thanks for the comment, guys. Definately making good use of a pile of waste, just wish we didnt have to go through an oil spill to get it. Will keep y'all posted on progress. I've probably got enough foam to make 2-3 dzn of these and could find more if I went looking.

One question on mastic: how long does it normally take to completely dry? Its been 2 days since I burlapped the one with the head and put a second coat on the blank. Both still feel "damp" and a little soft.
 
I always put fan on Burlap to speed up dry time. Yep it can take a while, humidity down south might add time. They'll go from wet flat look to bright white when completly dry.

Gene
 
Thanks, Gene.
I guess I will have to be patient.
Actually, we are enjoying our fall weather pattern, low (relatively!) temps and low humidity. Its 10:15 and still only 68 degrees. Much nicer than last week when it was in the 80s by this time in the morning.
 
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