Painting duck decoys.

[Jc44]

Had 145 duck decoys that needed painted so I decided to try it.  Only got a few mallards done.  What do you think of them.

[low97ram]

looks great....what kind of paint did you use?  i need to repaint mine (but no where near 145...lol)

pete

[Jc44]

looks great....what kind of paint did you use?  i need to repaint mine (but no where near 145...lol)

pete

I followed the instructions from http://www.takeem.com/tp.php then bought a few cans of matte clear coat to protect them.  I would also suggest painting with foam brushes they seemed to work better.

[full choke]

Looks good. 145 decoys is quite ambitious. The only critique I would make is to not bother painting the blue speculum. Do a google image search of mallards on the water and you will see far more images where the speculum is not visible. I think decoys look more natural without it. Other than that- enjoy your offseason project!

[jstanley]

iv always wondered about buying an air brush and trying to re paint deeks. im not much of a painter so idk if i guy could do it good or not

[akirkland]

Ever thought of flocking your old dekes? They look great and hold up really well. Pretty cheap too.

[Special T]

How well does the paint hold up? is it latex paint? I will be working on a simlar project soon.

[gaddy]

my only concern would be gloss. i painted a few of mine that looked great on a foggy overcast day, but when the sun cam out-WOW- had to pull them.
thinking of going for the flock, did a couple doz of my goose floaters with flock & it made a bid difference.

[Kola16]

my only concern would be gloss. i painted a few of mine that looked great on a foggy overcast day, but when the sun cam out-WOW- had to pull them.
thinking of going for the flock, did a couple doz of my goose floaters with flock & it made a bid difference.

It looks like you did a good job painting it, but the paint looks pretty glossy to me  Just my opinion.

[JJD]

Try some very fine emery cloth to take the shine off, not as good as flock, but it helps some.

[Jc44]

How well does the paint hold up? is it latex paint? I will be working on a simlar project soon.

I used a latex paint from Home Depot and it holds up pretty good once I put a clear coat on it.

[Jc44]

Ever thought of flocking your old dekes? They look great and hold up really well. Pretty cheap too.

Couldn't find any really good info on how to do it. If you know how or have done it before wanna shoot me some instructions and where to start?

[h2ofowlr]

You have a project ahead of yourself!  Time vs. Money?  I buy new or send them out to be done.

[sakoshooter]

JC44, That drake is beautiful but it's not supposed to be 'gloss' paint. Try the Cabelas/Herters decoy paint kits. Steel wool first then primer. I've had pretty good luck w/them over the years.

[Ned]

You have a project ahead of yourself!  Time vs. Money?  I buy new or send them out to be done.

Agreed.
 
I have repainted plastics in the past and then when the decoys are flexed or squeezed the paint fall off in pieces.
Now when mine get to the point of needing paint they become black and whites in a diver rig or givin to kids to start thier own spread.
The price of decoys is cheap enough its not worth the time or trouble to repaint them to me.

[EWUeagles]

JC what side of the state are you on? I have a decent set up and have flocked quite a few decoys the last couple years. If you were close you would be more than welcome to come over and check out the process. It's super easy just time consuming.

[Jc44]

You have a project ahead of yourself!  Time vs. Money?  I buy new or send them out to be done.

Ya but I like doing stuff like this during the off season it keeps me from going crazy till the next season.

[Jc44]

JC44, That drake is beautiful but it's not supposed to be 'gloss' paint. Try the Cabelas/Herters decoy paint kits. Steel wool first then primer. I've had pretty good luck w/them over the years.

It is all flat paint and a flat gloss.  I'm trying to find a way to make them less shiny.

[Jc44]

You have a project ahead of yourself!  Time vs. Money?  I buy new or send them out to be done.

Agreed.
 
I have repainted plastics in the past and then when the decoys are flexed or squeezed the paint fall off in pieces.
Now when mine get to the point of needing paint they become black and whites in a diver rig or givin to kids to start thier own spread.
The price of decoys is cheap enough its not worth the time or trouble to repaint them to me.

I am using a latex based paint with stretches and flexes with the decoys.  They last a lot longer this way.

[ICEMAN]

Jc, go soak that first decoy for a couple days in a bucket or kiddie pool, and then imagine picking it up, cramming it in a decoy bag, and tissing in the truck bed. See if the latex stands up to soaking and abuse. I would do this before I would try any more.

My experience with latex paint and most plastics is that they separate from themselves when wet.

[Jc44]

JC what side of the state are you on? I have a decent set up and have flocked quite a few decoys the last couple years. If you were close you would be more than welcome to come over and check out the process. It's super easy just time consuming.

I am located in Lynden.  North East washington

[JJD]

Holy crap!!  They moved Lynden, it used to be in the northwest corner of the state. 

lol

[duckkillerclyde]

Looks great but you can buy brand new hot buys for $20 a dozen at Dick's with a coupon.