Chucks Excellent Burlapping Adventure, Home (page 1)

Foam decoy construction by, Chuck Broomell

This adventure all began late last summer as I was dreaming of the coming duck season. I just wasn't thrilled at the thought of another season of hunting over a mix of the old “Plastic Soldiers” & my own cork blocks. Don't get me wrong the plastic dekes are good for many types of duck hunting but, being a
carver I wanted to be able to put out a large rig of my own blocks with
varied head positions etc.!

The Herter’s dekes are very popular around here but, alas, I'm saving money for a Scaup (duckboat) so buying the rugged Herter’s burlapped deke’s was out of the question. Tan cork has gone so high in cost that making my own blocks would also be quite expensive & time consuming & I’d be sleeping with Cody my black lab in the doghouse with that option! So, what I needed was a Decent Quality, Fast to make, & Cheap deke!

Thanks to the research of “The Great Canuck Gluemeister of the North”
Ian Feir & his “Partridge Creek” website & a few other posts & advise from others here & there I was well on my way! The following is how I did my burlap dekes. I did stray just a little here & there from “The Great Canuck Gluemeister”, but for the most part his procedure is what I used & since it is well documented on Ian's webpage I won't go into it here except for my slight deviations! Haven't got any painted & tested yet but the deviations I made, I don't believe, are that significant enough that they will change the performance that Ian has proven. This is one way, of many ways I'm sure, but it worked well for me!

As always critiques are welcome! That's how we learn!!! If you have any questions I’ll do my best to answer the one's I can.

$2.92…Herter’s Magnum styrofoam body… ($35 a doz.)
$1.00…approx. Wood for 1 head
$3.25…Head duplication charge ( The guy I use needs 8 heads per run)
$0.80…Eye from Sugar Pine
$1.00 …Screweye
$2.00…My best guess! Dowel, Landscape Burlap, Carpet Glue, Bondo, Poly Glue, sanding dust.

$11.00 Approx. Total for an unpainted custom, varied head position,
burlap durable, deke! $132 per dozen unpainted.

$14.17 for a Herter’s Ultimate styrofoam Magnum deke same head position,
& basic paint job. $170 per doz.

$16.67 for a Herter’s Supreme burlap Magnum deke same head position, &
basic paint job. $200 per doz.

Time is money ----- Time for one Herter’s – Feir-Broomell Hybrid Deke

2 hr…original head carving (head good for many, many dekes!)

0.5 hr…final carving & sanding after duplication (this is for cutting off the sprue on top of the head & cutting in all around the bill, you wouldn't need to do this, carvers get wacky with these details!!! Hehehe!!!!)

0.5 hr…Eye setting, & body carving to meet the head, head mounting, doweling, screweye

0.75 hr…Burlapping & primering

1.75 hr Total per deke for a primed bird not counting the original carving!

Onto the step by step construction............