Okay…I’m a virtual virgin to the decoy carving world.
To check a pattern for matching views, place a carpenter’s square on the top of the pattern and see if the views match from top to side. Using the breast and parallel line as a starting point, place the top view on the block, matching the centerline of the block with the centerline of the pattern. Many carvers like to paste a copy of the pattern onto a cardboard or Mylar sheet, making it easy to trace around the pattern.
Ron:I use the 3/16 4TPI Timberwolf blade when cutting anything from 1/4 inch basswood to 3.5 inch black walnut. I’ve cut olive, purpleheart, padauk, walnut, maple, basswood, oak, pine, plus others, and never had a problem as long as I didn’t try to push the wood too fast… and all this has been done on my little 9 inch Craftsman. The Timberwolf blades also track straight, unlike the Sears blades.
I’m in the market for a general purpose bandsaw blade. I do 95% of my sawing with a 1/4″ 4tpi 105″blade… usually the silicon blades from Tufftooth I use a 1/2″ 4tpi 105″ for re-sawing… the wider blade has more ” columnar rigidity” for resawing. Jim. I only use the thin kerf blade for bridge making and thin stock. I use a 1/4″ 6-tpi for thicker blocks.
Powermatic 1791216K Model PWBS-14CS Deluxe 14-Inch 1-3/4-Inch Woodworking Band Saw with Bearing Guides, Lamp, and Chip Blower, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase 60 watt halogen lamp built into the body, providing direct light on blade and workpiece while cutting. DELTA 28-206 Professional 14-Inch 1-Horsepower Woodworking Band Saw, 120-Volt 1-Phase Delta’s 28-206 14 inch band saw is a central shop tool for sizing rough stock, cutting patterns and jigs, and for radius and corbel cutting in woodworking, cabinet making and remodeling applications. Customer Product Review – I searched and searched and finally came to the conclusion that for the average home woodworker’s budget, there are three types of band saws.
According to Willy McDonald, a carving educator and waterfowl expert who operates TheDuckBlind.com selling carving and art supplies, you don’t need vast experience using woodworking tools to begin carving duck decoys. He’s an avid hunter/outdoorsman, and duck decoy carving provides him with a great outlet to explore his creative side and maintain his connection with nature. How To Learn To Carve Check your local hunting and sporting goods store for information regarding duck decoy carving classes.
best bandsaw for decoy carving Related Question:
What tools do I need to carve decoys?
The traditional way to carve a duck decoy is to use only hand tools such as a basic knife, chisel, and rasp, but power tools can make the process go much faster. Dremel tools and powered sanders are commonly used, but each carver will find a set of tools that suits them best.
What is the best wood for carving duck decoys?
You may prefer working with cedar over the more popular basswood, basswood makes a better decorative decoy, but cedar adds needed buoyancy to a strictly working model. A block approximately eight feet long and eight inches wide by four inches thick will provide enough wood for seven decoys.
What kind of wood are duck decoys made of?
Duck decoys were historically carved from wood, often Atlantic white cedar wood on the east coast of the US from Maine to South Carolina, or cork. Modern ones may also be made of canvas and plastic. They are usually painted, often elaborately and very accurately, to resemble various kinds of waterfowl.
Can you use a jigsaw like a band saw?
Jigsaws are, by definition, hand power tools that cut with a reciprocating motion and are generally used to make various curved cuts on thinner material. Can a Jigsaw Replace A Bandsaw? Jigsaws and bandsaws perform similar tasks, but the two are not interchangeable.
How much are duck decoys worth?
“The reason valuable decoys are so valuable is because 90 percent of them were repainted or had their heads broken off, so the ones that are left in good condition are the best ones and go for high prices.” According to Guyette, most of the decoys he sees in appraisals are worth about $100.
How do you make foam duck decoys?
How-to: Laminate the foam boards into a duck-sized block and start carving until it resembles the shape of a resting bird. Cut a keel from the furring strip and epoxy in place. Wrap a layer of burlap over the foam. Apply mastic and let it sit for 24 hours.
How do you paint a mallard drake decoy?
For drakes, paint the top of the head and down the back of the neck with satin black. Dry brush the edges to feather the black into the green along the upper sides of the head. Paint the rump and tail feathers with satin black paint. Then set the decoys aside for the black paint to dry.
What is the point of duck decoys?
A duck decoy is a device to capture wild ducks or other species of waterfowl. Formerly the birds were slaughtered and used for food. Decoys had an advantage over hunting ducks with shotguns as the duck meat did not contain lead shot.
Who invented duck decoys?
Duck decoys were constructed from reeds by Native Americans that lived during the Archaic period (2,000 years ago) west of the Colorado Plateau. Archaeolgists working in Nevada found nearly a dozen ancient duck decoys cached in Lovelock Cave, a large cave that opens up onto fossil Lake Lahontan.