Wood for decoys

[Geoff Pike]

White pine is a good alternative to Atlantic cedar, and I use it in heads and bodies. 2" thickness will do both on 98% of species.
A big caution with cedar is be VERY careful with your dust control either sanding or power carving. I became sensitized (think collapsed lung) and now can't go anywhere near it. Just be careful, which I was not.

 

[Ronald Bock]

I use spruce. Laminate the top and bottom after hollowing the two halves. Nice wood to work. These harlequins will see a rough life here on the AK coast. Seems to hold up very well. If you have a line on spruce, try it.

 

[Kevin Puls]

I use spruce. Laminate the top and bottom after hollowing the two halves. Nice wood to work. These harlequins will see a rough life here on the AK coast. Seems to hold up very well. If you have a line on spruce, try it.
View attachment 78217

I do actually have a place to get spruce. I can have it cut to any thickness I want. Thank you.

 

[jode hillman]

White pine is a good alternative to Atlantic cedar, and I use it in heads and bodies. 2" thickness will do both on 98% of species.
A big caution with cedar is be VERY careful with your dust control either sanding or power carving. I became sensitized (think collapsed lung) and now can't go anywhere near it. Just be careful, which I was not.

I too cannot use white pine.

Mine was not due to carving, but my allergy sensitivity came from using it in the cabinet shop. We had to do an entire house worth of White Pine cabinetry. Cutting it on the table saw in 90° August heat.

Even though I had plenty of fans running and wore a standard dust mask. The next time I used it several months later, I started to itch and had difficulty breathing. to this day I can't get anywhere near it without some sort of reaction.

 

[Don Mintz]

I really can't carve any kind of wood anymore. I was always careful and carved a variety of wood, had trouble with it all. Mostly basswood and white pine, but a few years of wood working with cedar boxes about did me in. I even carved a life size flying canvasback with cedar, it was a huge mistake. I have always worn a respirator, not just a dust mask, the cartridge kind and worked in an exhaust system, but still can't deal with wood, I have asthma. Once in a great while I relent on an urn and pay for it for a month, not doing that again. It's either carve synthetics or not carve at all. There really isn't anything I can't make out of synthetics, but it's a whole different approach from wood carving, the wood and cork guys don't really understand, but I really don't want to die just yet. Even carving synthetics I wear a fly fishing shirt with a hood and long sleeves as well as the respirator, safety glasses, goggles, ear protection and an apron to keep as much dust out of the house as possible, then straight to the shower leaving the shirt in the shop. I already have enough health issues, I don't really need any more.