I might try my hand at a wood decoy this year. I assume I want cedar. I don’t know where to start trying to source it. I assume I want 3-4” stock. What are my options for wood species, thickness, glue thin board together, etc?
Wood for decoys
- Thread starter Kevin Puls
- Start date
Michael McCord1
Active member
What state are you in? There’s several different woods that are locally preferred for decoys and I’d bet a member here could point you in the right direction for finding a local supplier.
“Cedar” can be problematic- in Tennessee, cedar is eastern redcedar, a very knotty juniper that grows on droughty rocky soil and is completely unfit for decoys. Elsewhere it might be western red cedar or one of the white cedars.
“Cedar” can be problematic- in Tennessee, cedar is eastern redcedar, a very knotty juniper that grows on droughty rocky soil and is completely unfit for decoys. Elsewhere it might be western red cedar or one of the white cedars.
I’m in NE Ohio. Given that wood will be new to me I wonder if there are easier to find alternatives to start with that actually will float if I get one to work out.
Michael McCord1
Active member
Most of mine are carved from paulownia. It’s nonnative but works well with hand tools. I’ve also used basswood and tupelo but didn’t care for them with knives. White pine was ok but the ring density differed greatly between spring and summer wood. Not good with hand tools. Are you planning to use hand tools or power carve?
Are there any decoy shows close by?
Are there any decoy shows close by?
Tupelo is great if you are able to source it, it's a southern wood so might be difficult.
Basswood is good but gets fuzzy when sanding so can sometimes have problems with painting surface.
Cedar is fine if you know how to handle the grain and for certain style of decoys: like Currituck style and core sound are not bad candidates for it.
I've heard good things about white pine, do not use southern yellow as the growth rings will drive you mad. I have Never used white pine though.
Bald cypress is like cedar but for certain styles it's desirable. Great for doing wire and canvas birds.
Paulownia I have heard about, I believe it's called emperors tree as well, I have no experience with it but heard it carves good.
As far are thickness, I've seen people glue 3 pieces together to get what they need, or 2 pieces and hollow out before glue up. Have also seen a solid block that is bandsaws in half and then glued back together.
I would start with what bird you want to carve so you know how tall it's going to be, that will also help determine width of wood too.
Now the question is how do you plane on working it? Do you have a bandsaw? Are you planing to use a draw knife or spokeshaves, or maybe a hatchet? Do you have any carving knives or do you plan to go with power tools like a foredom or dremel?
Basswood is good but gets fuzzy when sanding so can sometimes have problems with painting surface.
Cedar is fine if you know how to handle the grain and for certain style of decoys: like Currituck style and core sound are not bad candidates for it.
I've heard good things about white pine, do not use southern yellow as the growth rings will drive you mad. I have Never used white pine though.
Bald cypress is like cedar but for certain styles it's desirable. Great for doing wire and canvas birds.
Paulownia I have heard about, I believe it's called emperors tree as well, I have no experience with it but heard it carves good.
As far are thickness, I've seen people glue 3 pieces together to get what they need, or 2 pieces and hollow out before glue up. Have also seen a solid block that is bandsaws in half and then glued back together.
I would start with what bird you want to carve so you know how tall it's going to be, that will also help determine width of wood too.
Now the question is how do you plane on working it? Do you have a bandsaw? Are you planing to use a draw knife or spokeshaves, or maybe a hatchet? Do you have any carving knives or do you plan to go with power tools like a foredom or dremel?
jode hillman
Well-known member
Kevin, you probably want to get a hold of Dwayne Ong from Michigan. I believe he comes to Ohio to deliver Cedar. Downriver Cedar is his business name. He sells northern white Cedar, which is what you want for Decoys.
If you come out to the East Coast, there is lots of Atlantic White cedar available here in New Jersey at places like the Tuckerton Show etc.
Standard thickness for duck Decoys is generally 2 inch, two pieces laminated together. This drys faster and is generally the most widely available.
Paulownia can be very good for bodies. The further north it grows the better. Southern varieties tend to have very wide growth rings which can create a ripple effect if not careful when carving and sanding.
Great info so far. I’m mostly a diver hunter so cans and readheads with a few others mixed in. I have a “full sized” bandsaw and a foredome. I’m not against trying a draw knife but I don’t really have the right kind of bench for that and want to dabble my toes in it before I invest too much.
Good idea about using 2” wood sandwiched together.
We have a big decoy show here in Ohio in March. There is always a vendor that brings big blocks of wood.
Good idea about using 2” wood sandwiched together.
We have a big decoy show here in Ohio in March. There is always a vendor that brings big blocks of wood.
Michael McCord1
Active member
You might pay a little more for “show wood”, but show wood will be hand selected by someone that’s using the wood for the same thing you are.
If you have a vice you can take a scrap piece of wood, drill 2 holes in it then use 2 lag bolts to screw it to the bottom of the decoy block. That will let you hold the block in your vice and work on it with a draw knife, rasp etc. When your done just cut 2 plugs and glue them in the lag bolt holes.
Nick Papavasiliou
New member
I think my experience echoes what a lot of others have said.
I’m thinking cedar is easier for me to come across here in MD than it would be in Ohio. But I started with a few beams that were a very lucky facebook marketplace find. Then found 2x6s at an exotic lumber yard for a much higher price. And lastly started making trips to NJ, picking up beams from a gentleman there.
I will say, if you just want to try it out, woodcraft will ship blocks of basswood and tupelo, but it would get expensive after a few birds.
I am not power carving except for a bandsaw, but I can see how basswood and tupelo would be better for that. Both were too hard for me to want to use knives on them much, but my sample size was only one or two blocks each.
I’m thinking cedar is easier for me to come across here in MD than it would be in Ohio. But I started with a few beams that were a very lucky facebook marketplace find. Then found 2x6s at an exotic lumber yard for a much higher price. And lastly started making trips to NJ, picking up beams from a gentleman there.
I will say, if you just want to try it out, woodcraft will ship blocks of basswood and tupelo, but it would get expensive after a few birds.
I am not power carving except for a bandsaw, but I can see how basswood and tupelo would be better for that. Both were too hard for me to want to use knives on them much, but my sample size was only one or two blocks each.
woodcraft is the only carving wood place I know of out here and I've given up on buying wood from them. The last two times I couldn't find any suitable tupelo or basswood. The tupelo was hard as a rock, I've had three tupelo quail roughed out for about 5 years that I just can't wrap my head around carving them, that used to be my wood of choice.. I'm convinced that the workers at the story cherry pick the good stuff. We had little carving store 30 years ago in Boise that I taught classes for and traded for wood, I found some pretty nice tupelo back then.
patrick mccarthy
Well-known member
Kevin
Jordan LaMay sells cedar, basswood and white pine, for decoy carvings He’s on face book, and will ship.
For my bodies I use cedar or white pine, for the heads basswood.
Jordan LaMay sells cedar, basswood and white pine, for decoy carvings He’s on face book, and will ship.
For my bodies I use cedar or white pine, for the heads basswood.
Circling back - I have a line on spruce and poplar. Dried, knot free, cut to specifications, and inexpensive. Thoughts?
Steve McCullough
Active member
I second Jordan LaMay. I have bought wood from him several times and he is great to deal with and his wood is excellent. He knows what carvers are looking for.
the spruce I have not worked with but I imagine it will be similar to cedar and will work for carving. The poplar I have used when I was just starting out because it's what I could get. I only used it for miniatures and duck heads and it wasn't terrible but once you use something like Tupelo you'll not want to go back.
Give it a go and you'll gain experience, doesn't hurt to learn on the inexpensive wood and you'll enjoy good quality carving wood when you get the chance to get it.
Michael McCord1
Active member
In the parts of the US, poplar means yellow poplar aka lireodendron tulipifera; in others, the populus genus, including popple, cottonwood, etc. Yellow poplar might grind ok but it’s harder than you’d want to use for hand tools. I don’t know that any of them are very water/rot resistant.
It’s tulip poplar.
Michael McCord1
Active member
I’d pass on yellow/tulip poplar. I’ve never heard of it being used to build a boat and basically that’s what a decoy is- a small, duck shaped boat.
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Darin Clark
Active member
White pine is a good alternative to cedar and easier to find in this part of the country, I'm in NW Pa. I've also heard it is less allergenic. I've got a good supplier in Tionesta, Pa.
Thanks, I’ll keep an eye out for some. That’s been my plan (white pine) to start since white cedar is not readily available right around me. The sawmill I visited had a lot of Spruce so I thought I would check on that option. I’ll keep searching.