Trying to improve with each decoy. Here is my take on the wireless canvas Canada Goose:
The canvas is stretched over the boards and secured with staples from a pneumatic stapler. The canvas is then painted with a mod podge decoupage glue/sealer to stiffen it a bit and provide some water resistance. The interior wood and bottom board are all atlantic cedar. The head/neck is some type of cedar -- maybe red? (I don't know for certain) It's very lightweight. takes paint well, and doesn't rot. The canvas is scrap from a paint drop cloth, although for my next decoy I am going to purchase some heavier material I found at a hobby/cloth store.
The bottom of the canvas is secured over the staples with a 3/4 inch cotton binding, applied with roofing nails. The bill and neck seam areas are painted with an expoy-paint mix. This is intended to strengthen the bill, and add waterproofing to the neck seam. I finally obtained a packet of 12mm acrylic eyes and applied them. You can see the vague outline of my painting plan on the canvas.
The canvas is primed with Zinser 123 primer.
I've applied the first coat of acrylic paint for a base layer. The paint scheme is loosely based on a Nick Sapone Canada Goose I currently have in my den. Nick Sapone is a well known maker of canvas & wire decoys here in North Carolina. He lives in Wanchese, NC on Roanoke Island.
My finished decoy. I applied an overcoat of decoupage to cut the glare and provide more of a matte finish. I sealed the bottom board with Thompson's water seal and added a 1-inch nylon loop for attaching the anchor.
This decoy measures 18 inches in length and is just over 12 inches tall. Based on my prior experiences with these kinds of decoys, I believe it will float well and move with the slightest breeze.
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