Thanks for the compliments! I guess I am doing something very similar if not exactly like what bow4elk does
The reason i decided to do this was not to hide the cameras from the critters but from people. I normally have my cameras on private land. I know, I know... it doesn't matter.
I've been lucky so far.
I've wanted to get bear boxes as well but have not yet.... Yep, I've had bears chew on my cameras as well.
I'm going to be hunting some public land in the very near future and thought I'd try to make them less visible.
Materials Needed:
Rubber gloves are helpful!
Bondo
putty knife
paper towels
cardboard
Foam brush
Painters tape
Craft paint
Mate black spray paint
Popsicle stick or thin stick
Here's what I did:
Cut and placed blue painters tape over the lens, motion sensor and the ir lights.
Make sure the edges are securely stuck to the camera body. You don't want any paint getting on those areas.
Get some Bondo and mix with the cream hardener. I like the orange colored hardener. I mix on a piece of cardboard.
If You've never used Bondo It's pretty easy. You can also use Bondo AND fiberglass resin and finely chopped fiberglass mat with the resin hardener.
I prefer not to because the fiberglass resin smells SO much more than the Bondo.
You can also get Bondo glass with the glass strands in it. I used straight Bondo because that's what I had.
Keep in mind this will add additional weight to the camera.
Mix up about a racquetball sized glob of Bondo with about an inch and a half worth of hardener. it should turn a pinkish/ orangeish hue. Important to mix evenly
Always scoop out the Bondo with a clean tool (no hardener on it).
With a stick or something about the size of a Popsicle stick start placing marble sized globs or so around the front and edges of the camera stay away from your taped up areas. You don't want to impede on any of the functions.
Keep in mind the peripheral vision need for the motion sensor etc.
On the flat surfaces I stay about a half inch thick, on the outer edges and corners maybe 3/8" try to break up the outline. The idea is to not let it look like a box.
You need to work fairly quickly, but its not exact so don't sweat it!
Kind of glob it on and move it around. You aren't frosting a cake so don't spread it or it will be too smooth. If it starts to set up stop. Clean off your putty knife with another putty knife or something like it.
While it's kicking take your gloved hand and rub the Bondo taking off the sharp peaks and edges, they should just break right off.
Mix another batch and continue. it will stick to itself so no worries.
If you don't like what you've done.... before its fully cured take your putty knife and pop it off
Mix and repeat placing all around the camera. I do all sides. Again make sure the case will open and the hardened bondo wont interfere with anything.
Keep in mind this is the technique I used for a pine/fir type bark. I'm sure you could do a birch bark type camo, by spreading or frosting the camera. Experiment!
It should be cured enough to paint in 15 or 20 minutes.
I sprayed a flat black camo paint over the entire camera ensuring all the crevices were filled.
Lay out a piece of cardboard to make your palette. Start with your lightest colors, squirt them out tans/ creams etc.
Take your paper towel and dip it into each color and start dabbing the paint on. Don't worry you can easily re- do any paint screw ups.
Don't overdo the paint, you want it subtle. You want blotches of color. Move on to the next darker color greys/ light browns. then to dark brown. You can mix and match colors.
I did some highlights of burnt umber and light green. with the corner of my foam brush.
A word of caution any grey/ white or black can have a blue tint in it, this can become really noticeable when place along side a true color. FYI.
Peel of your tape with a toothpick. It wont scratch the lenses. You are done.
All the items I already had laying around.....the paints I used are as follows:
Dk. brown
burnt umber
black
wedgewood green
butter pecan
brown
linen
These were small 2oz. bottles of acrylic paint that I got from Michael's
Good luck and lets see some pics
