Lou Ureneck
Member
I have a collection of old cork decoys that I continue to use, but some are beat up --- cracks and even small pieces of body missing. Does anyone have advice on techniques and materials for repairing cork decoys? Thanks, Lou
Repairing cork decoys
- Thread starter Lou Ureneck
- Start date
Lou Ureneck
Member
Thanks. I'll try it. I have some of both.
benp
Well-known member
If you post some pictures of the damages then you might could get some specific repairs. You might can try searching the forum too, Steve Sanford has posted some pictures of repairing cork birds, might be in one of the monthly work bench threads.
Some instances might be better to cut a section out and replace it with new.
Some instances might be better to cut a section out and replace it with new.
Bill Ferrar
Well-known member
I rebuilt several over the summer.
There was no best way.
Some needed tailboards replaced
Some needed cork replaced.
The ones with chunks of cork. I squared off then glued cork in place with urethane gorilla .
With smaller chunks or voids and made a peanut butter mix of sawdust and bond tite 3 glue.
One thing I did to all was sealed then painted with several coats of primer and paint.
This season we will see how well the repairs hold up.
There was no best way.
Some needed tailboards replaced
Some needed cork replaced.
The ones with chunks of cork. I squared off then glued cork in place with urethane gorilla .
With smaller chunks or voids and made a peanut butter mix of sawdust and bond tite 3 glue.
One thing I did to all was sealed then painted with several coats of primer and paint.
This season we will see how well the repairs hold up.
Lou Ureneck
Member
I will do that. Thanks.
Lou Ureneck
Member
I'm searching for him and his posts now. Thanks.
Lou Ureneck
Member
Good tips, thanks. Appreciate it.
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Good morning, Lou~
I probably have a bunch of cork repairs scattered throughout my posts here at duckboats.net. These (below) on my own website focus on painting but include some repairs.
Whenever possible, I replace cork with cork. I cut out whatever I need to and bed new cork with thickened epoxy (epoxy + fairing compound). For shallower repairs, I use thickened epoxy (a very stiff mix) then sprinkle cork dust on the surface before it cures.
If you post photos, I can offer more specific thoughts.
As you will see, I am a proponent of Spar Varnish (not spar urethane) as a sealer. Black cork dries out to where it can crumble into oblivion. To continue hunting such decoys, they need a soaking coat of Spar Varnish or Linseed Oil, then new paint. Expensive marine varnish is not needed. I get oil-based Spar Varnish at my local hardware stores for about $18 per quart. I prefer the Satin to the Gloss if I can get it.
I prime over the Spar Varnish with flat oil paints - usually Rustoleum. I will be rehabbing 3 LL Bean Greenwings shortly and will post my process. Their bodies need shallow filling - not major reconstructive surgery.
https://stevenjaysanford.com/painting-goldeneyes-tutorial/
https://stevenjaysanford.com/re-painting-l-l-bean-coastal-blacks-and-mallards/
Hope this helps!
SJS
I probably have a bunch of cork repairs scattered throughout my posts here at duckboats.net. These (below) on my own website focus on painting but include some repairs.
Whenever possible, I replace cork with cork. I cut out whatever I need to and bed new cork with thickened epoxy (epoxy + fairing compound). For shallower repairs, I use thickened epoxy (a very stiff mix) then sprinkle cork dust on the surface before it cures.
If you post photos, I can offer more specific thoughts.
As you will see, I am a proponent of Spar Varnish (not spar urethane) as a sealer. Black cork dries out to where it can crumble into oblivion. To continue hunting such decoys, they need a soaking coat of Spar Varnish or Linseed Oil, then new paint. Expensive marine varnish is not needed. I get oil-based Spar Varnish at my local hardware stores for about $18 per quart. I prefer the Satin to the Gloss if I can get it.
I prime over the Spar Varnish with flat oil paints - usually Rustoleum. I will be rehabbing 3 LL Bean Greenwings shortly and will post my process. Their bodies need shallow filling - not major reconstructive surgery.
https://stevenjaysanford.com/painting-goldeneyes-tutorial/
https://stevenjaysanford.com/re-painting-l-l-bean-coastal-blacks-and-mallards/
Hope this helps!
SJS
Lou Ureneck
Member
I'm no cork expert -- though I'm learning a lot fast from this forum -- so I can't say. I can say that they are all LL Bean coastal black duck decoys.
Lou Ureneck
Member
Steve, This is very helpful. I checked your previous posts and looked at your website and work. It's mpressive, for sure. By acclimation, you seem to be the forum's go-to guy on decoy repair. Thanks for your thoughts. I will post some pics.
Lou
Those would be made of dark cork. If you need some chunks for repair or to grind into dust for filler I can send you some loose pieces.
Eric Patterson
Those would be made of dark cork. If you need some chunks for repair or to grind into dust for filler I can send you some loose pieces.
Eric Patterson
Lou Ureneck
Member
Eric, That's very generous of you. Many thanks. Here's my address. Let me know what I owe you, postage, etc. Again, thanks.
Lou Ureneck
83 Ivy Street No. 22
Brookline, MA 02446
Lou Ureneck
83 Ivy Street No. 22
Brookline, MA 02446
Steve Sanford
Well-known member
Lou~
FYI~ Bean's decoys are made from a material known variously as black cork, brown cork or refrigerator cork. All cork products come from Cork Oaks that grow mostly in Portugal and Spain. The thick bark is harvested for the cork.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_suber
The bark is ground into fairly coarse chunks into a slurry, heated, then pressed into molds to make a product of uniform thickness. Before modern petroleum-based insulation, ice houses and other refrigeration plants (e.g., fur storage) kept cool with refrigerator cork.
Back in the day, most gunners bought their black cork from National Cork Co., in Keyport, NJ. For decoys, it must be sealed to prevent it from absorbing water when in use.
A different cork product is known as white, tan or bulletin board cork. It is ground much more finely and bound with a chemical binder. It is much denser, can hold considerable detail, and requires less structural reinforcement.
The earliest cork decoys were made from unprocessed slabs of the cork bark. Such slabs were often pinned together with dowels to make suitable body sizes. Natural cork slabs were also used in the earliest life preservers for flotation. Life jackets salvaged from beaches after wrecks often contributed to decoy rigs.
All the best,
SJS
FYI~ Bean's decoys are made from a material known variously as black cork, brown cork or refrigerator cork. All cork products come from Cork Oaks that grow mostly in Portugal and Spain. The thick bark is harvested for the cork.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_suber
The bark is ground into fairly coarse chunks into a slurry, heated, then pressed into molds to make a product of uniform thickness. Before modern petroleum-based insulation, ice houses and other refrigeration plants (e.g., fur storage) kept cool with refrigerator cork.
Back in the day, most gunners bought their black cork from National Cork Co., in Keyport, NJ. For decoys, it must be sealed to prevent it from absorbing water when in use.
A different cork product is known as white, tan or bulletin board cork. It is ground much more finely and bound with a chemical binder. It is much denser, can hold considerable detail, and requires less structural reinforcement.
The earliest cork decoys were made from unprocessed slabs of the cork bark. Such slabs were often pinned together with dowels to make suitable body sizes. Natural cork slabs were also used in the earliest life preservers for flotation. Life jackets salvaged from beaches after wrecks often contributed to decoy rigs.
All the best,
SJS
Lou Ureneck
Member
Steve, Thanks for that -- fascinating. I didn't know any of it, except that cork had some connection to Portugal.
Michael B
Active member
Steve, can you explain why spar urethane should not be used (or if that is a mischaracterization, why spar varnish is better)?
I have quart of Helmsman Indoor/Outdoor Spar Urethane that I have been using and I wonder if I've been making a mistake that I'll find out about down the road. Thanks.
Mike
I have quart of Helmsman Indoor/Outdoor Spar Urethane that I have been using and I wonder if I've been making a mistake that I'll find out about down the road. Thanks.
Mike