Wondering if anyone here carves decoys from foam? Thinking of giving it a try and I have a few questions?

1. Is XPS or EPS preferable? Can either or both be power carved with a dremel? Sandpaper or carving burs?
2. how do you "harden" the outer surface after you're done? Is it a coating? Heat gun? Just tile mastic and burlap?
3. Really any tips or info? I've been looking through some forums, youtube, etc. and not finding a lot of actual "how to"
4. I just want to try to make a gunning decoy to see how it goes. It is intended that it will be used

Any help or info would be appreciated... because I don't have enough hobbies already LOL

I have made several foam decoys out of Pink Foam insulation. I used a saw to rough out the shape, knife to get close, and sand to final shape. It's easy to work. I put coat of titbeond 3 on the foam, and a few sifted coats of sawdust. Hardens nicely and makes them very durable.

Carved from foam


1st coat of titbeond 3 and sifted sawdust


After the glue and dust harden


Base coat of uv mallard paint.


Blending coats and white. I only use UV paint for decoys


Proof is in the pudding 40

30

Very cool decoy carving. I may have to give that a shot some day.

Thanks Pintail!

This is very much the type of info I am looking for.

My son uses 2" thick, pink, foam. Layers up using Gorilla Glue I think and carves the heads out of bass wood. He then covers with tile mastic and burlap. He carves mainly diver ducks. For the long tail spikes on his Old Squaws he uses a couple 8" black zip ties. They look good and we have killed a lot of birds over them. He has also done some White Wing Scoters. They turned out very nice. We don't get many of them on Lake Ontario, but enough to make it interesting. He uses a Dremil and the wire carving burs.

Any pics of those decoys?

The talent on this website never ceases to amaze me.

Used a decoys unlimited mold with sugar like styrofoam bake in oven and put in bathtub of cold water.

I've made a bunch of sandhill crane decoys out of styrofoam board.

Don't know why I didn't find this link in my first searches but here it is for those interested

Making Foam Decoys Tutorial (Refuge forums)

That is an extremely impressive decoy that the guy in that thread makes. I don't know what the durability/longevity is but you have to admire the commitment and artistry to produce something that nice

I have killed truckloads of ducks over standard plastic decoys though, I don't see the advantage of the foam carved decoys other than a good feeling that something you created attracted the bird

Maybe that's just me trying to talk myself out of yet another hobby lol

That is so cool!

CD2 - I have enough store bought decoys to shoot ducks over LOL. I just want to say I made one and killed a duck over it LOL

I'll start doing this for taxidermy stuff soon, nice to see it brought up here.

OK, apparently you can make canvas decoys too?!?

This is Cool

Slydogx, I'll see what I can do. I don't have any pictures at the moment and the kid and his wife just moved into a new house and are in the midst of building a 30x60 pole barn so who knows where his decoys are. I'll work on it though and get back to you.

I’ve burlapped and restle coated a lot but never carved them. Duck hunters refuge is a good source for info

Made these decoys several years ago just about Ike the guy in the video, though I am not the artist that he is. Start with the pink foam, after carving then burlap and mastic, then paint. Decoys are not super tough and I kinda baby them when hunting over them.
Foam is extremely easy to work with, I think this was 2” foam that I Gorilla glued together and then glued to the base board. Most shaping was done with a file and pad sander.

Very nice Tray

I make a bunch. 2 layers of 2" s/m foam (below grade rated stuff) the head is 1/4" plywood sandwiches between 2 layers of 1 " foam. tho keeps the head and Bill from being to fragile. I shape it all with knives and saws and finish with a rasp. then paint with tightbond woodglue and sprinkle wood shavings onto it. and then multiple coats of tightbond3 mixed 50/50 with water over that. then paint as desired. I use tremclad oil based paint. oh I also put an ash keel on them. I just make gunner decoys. fast and dirty. but very effective.