Making stuffed ducks. DIY duck hunting scarecrow

Homemade stuffed decoy ducks: manufacturing secrets

Waterfowl hunting is perhaps the most popular and widespread. It is more accessible than others, since bodies of water - lakes, rivers, swamps - are available everywhere. And in terms of the number of trophies, hunting waterfowl will give odds to any other species. This is especially true for wild ducks. Not only an experienced hunter, but also a novice can shoot a hefty mallard, nimble teal, slender pintail or swift goldeneye. But attracting such birds and making them land on the water is not so easy, and shooting at them in flight is not always effective.

That is why most hunters use a stuffed decoy duck in this matter. They install it on the water, and they themselves hide nearby. Ducks flying over a pond notice their “relatives” and often sit down next to them. This is where the real hunt begins. And in order to feel all its excitement and add another trophy to your collection, it is not necessary to buy a bird figurine; you can make a stuffed duck yourself.

How many and what kind

It is not difficult. The main thing is that the dummy looks natural, is made in the pose of a resting or feeding duck and has a color close to natural. A stuffed animal with an unnaturally set head, tensely frozen on the water, or very vaguely reminiscent of the bird it is supposed to represent, is unsuitable. It will only scare away “relatives” flying past.

As for the size of the stuffed duck, many hunters have different opinions. Some believe that it is preferable if the dummy is 1.5-2 times larger than the original.

Interesting. Due to the peculiarities of their vision, these birds cannot assess the correspondence of the size of the stuffed animal to true living ducks. But such dummies will be more noticeable to a flying flock. As practice shows, ducks approach them more often and more willingly.

On the other hand, carrying a huge bag full of stuffed animals with you on a hunt is not entirely convenient. However, there should be a lot of them, because the number of decoy ducks is even more important than their size. Experienced waterfowl hunters claim that the more “individuals” are planted, the higher the likelihood of a successful hunt, because numerous flocks very rarely join 2-3 birds swimming alone in a pond. But you shouldn’t take too many stuffed animals with you. Otherwise, you will have to spend more time landing and collecting them than on the hunt itself. A “flock” of 10-15 ducks will be quite enough.

Important! They need to be planted at a distance of at least half a meter from each other, since birds sitting closely are evidence that they are alarmed and are about to take off.

If there are a large number of dummies, the following sizes will be optimal in all respects:

• length - 27 cm;
• width - 14 cm;
• back height - 7 cm;
• tail length - 4.5 cm;
• head height - 6.5 cm;
• neck width - 4 cm;
• head thickness - about 3 cm;
• beak length - 3.5 cm.

The stuffed female will be slightly smaller. Its length is 24 cm, width - 12-13 cm, all other sizes decrease in the same proportion.

What breeds of ducks should you have stuffed? If you go hunting in the fall, then all those that nest and stop at this reservoir. In spring, there is no need for a large number of ducks. A variety of “gentlemen” are well attached to the decoy mallard, so for “society” a couple of stuffed teals will be enough for it. For more information about where and how you can hunt in our region, see.

What can you make stuffed animals from?

You can make a stuffed duck for hunting from many different materials, including:

• polystyrene foam boards;
• penoplex;
• plywood;
• wood;
• polyurethane foam.

Each of these dummies will have its own manufacturing features, advantages and disadvantages.

Making a stuffed decoy duck from a polystyrene foam board is very simple. Sometimes for these purposes they take ordinary polystyrene foam, which is also made on the basis of polystyrene. Both types of material can be easily found in the store. Making such a dummy will only take a few hours.

For this you will need:

• a sheet of foam plastic with a thickness of at least 2 cm;
• Super glue;
• acrylic paints;
• putty.

In addition, for the work you will need paint brushes, a stationery knife, a pencil, and sandpaper.

First you need to find a suitable image of a duck, print it and cut out the template. In the process of working, you should first transfer the entire bird onto the cardboard, then only its wing. Using the resulting patterns, you need to cut out the required parts from polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam, 2 pieces of each. The elements of the body should be glued together to form a three-dimensional bird figurine, and put it under a press.

After the workpiece has dried, it should be given the desired shape, adding some things to make it more similar to the original. You can achieve the desired result using a regular stationery knife.

It is imperative to attach a keel to the bottom of the workpiece, which will allow you to install a small load and give the scarecrow stability in strong currents. A piece of plastic pipe is quite suitable for this.

All irregularities on the stuffed animal can be eliminated using sandpaper. To get an ideal surface, you should putty all the joints and wait until the figure is completely dry, and you can proceed to painting. For this purpose, it is advisable to use colors characteristic of the ducks being hunted.

Penoplex (a type of extruded polystyrene foam with a characteristic brick color) can also be used as a basis for the dummy. It is produced in the form of sheets 3 and 5 cm thick. This material has a higher density and strength, so cutting out blanks from it and giving them the desired shape will require some effort.

The sequence of actions when making a stuffed duck from penoplex will be almost the same. The body and head are drawn on a sheet of material by hand or using a cardboard template and then cut out. Depending on what kind of duck scarecrow you want to get at the end, you can use pieces of different thicknesses. For example, to make the body of a female, one sheet of 5 cm will be enough. The stuffed animal of a male is larger, so it is cut out of two parts. One of them will serve as the base, so it is made thicker and larger in area. The second, thinner one, is glued on top.

Next, using a knife, the body and head are given the desired shape. All roughness and irregularities are removed using sandpaper - first coarse-grained, then fine. You definitely can't do this with a knife.

The head and body are connected using a self-tapping screw. After this, all that remains is to paint the bird figurine and equip it with a weight.

The easiest thing to make is a stuffed duck made of plywood. However, it should be remembered that this material is short-lived; under the influence of water it quickly becomes unusable.

The most important point when making stuffed animals from plywood is the realistic profile and natural coloring. This is the only way to attract “relatives” flying past. From one sheet of material you can cut out several bird profiles that will imitate different poses. The edges of the parts should be thoroughly sanded, and then hot drying oil should be applied to the entire surface of the workpiece. This will protect the figure from quickly getting wet and allow the mixture to lie more evenly.

You can paint stuffed animals using regular oil paints. To prevent the surface from becoming shiny after drying, you can apply a little gasoline to it and wipe with a dry cloth.

At the end of the work, the duck profiles are placed on small boards 20-25 cm long and up to 2 cm thick. In this form, they are placed on the water, having previously been equipped with a load.

It is recommended to make wooden stuffed ducks from linden. It is light, easy to process, and practically does not chip. It is better to prepare the logs for the figurines in advance and let them dry thoroughly. The optimal length of such a workpiece is 30-35 cm, diameter - 18-20 cm. It should be peeled from the bark and split in half, each part will make one stuffed carcass.

First you need to make templates, transfer the outlines to the workpiece and remove excess wood using a chisel or knife. Then cut out the head of the bird, make a hole at the bottom and insert a small stick into it, pre-lubricated with glue. It should protrude a few centimeters outward. A similar hole should be drilled in the neck on the body, this stick should be inserted there and the two parts should be connected.

Having done this, you can proceed to the final finishing of the stuffed decoy duck. All irregularities should be removed with a rasp and sandpaper, puttied, the surface of the workpiece should be coated with hot drying oil and dried. You need to drive a metal loop into the bottom of the blank, closer to the front edge, in order to be able to anchor the scarecrow anywhere.

After this, all that remains is to paint the bird figurine, choosing the most suitable colors and shades.

These figures look very realistic. Making a stuffed duck from polyurethane foam is quite simple; you just need to follow certain recommendations, which should be discussed in more detail.

• How to arrange stuffed decoy ducks for hunting

Materials and tools

The work will require very inexpensive materials:

• boards or fiberboard;
• a piece of foam;
• building plaster or alabaster;
• polyurethane foam;
• plastic bag;
• hammer, saw.

Important! On average, one 750 ml can of foam is enough to make five stuffed ducks. It is best, of course, to calculate it in such a way as to use it up to the end. If you're lucky, you can use a cylinder that was left on hand after the repair and construction work carried out the day before. Otherwise, you will have to buy professional foam and a gun for it, since reusing a regular “installation” is impossible. The only thing left to do is throw away the unused cylinder.

You need to start with a casting mold. To do this you will need a box and a duck figurine. If desired, you can do without the first one by adapting any dense box for these purposes.

You can make the box yourself using boards or fiberboard.

A duck figurine can be cut out of foam plastic. A simpler option is to use a ready-made stuffed animal, for example, made of rubber.

The size of the box or drawer should be slightly larger than the bird figurine, otherwise the casting mold will require too much plaster. You shouldn’t take a very tight one either, otherwise the structure will turn out to be fragile and short-lived.

Now you can proceed to making the mold. To do this, you will need to take plaster or alabaster, add water to it and mix well until a homogeneous mass is formed. The duck figurine should be coated with graphite or any other lubricant, rich cream or vegetable oil so that the plaster does not stick to the surface.

The working solution must be poured into a prepared box or box, and to prevent it from leaking out, place a plastic bag on the bottom. The duck should be drowned halfway in plaster, held there a little until the mixture hardens slightly, then removed. After complete hardening, you can take out the plaster with the impression from the box, and make the second half-mold in the same way.

It is imperative to check whether there are any defects on the surface, and if there are any, eliminate them using sandpaper or plasticine.

The mold is ready, you need to lubricate its halves with the same grease so that the mounting foam does not stick, and you can cast the decoy duck figurine. To make it more durable, you need to make an additional wire profile. You can also attach a sinker to it.

Both forms are filled with foam (80-90%), wire is also placed there. Before the mass begins to harden, the two halves need to be connected, a load placed on them and left for a while, for example, overnight.

Then the excess foam is cut off and the workpiece is removed from the mold. Now the stuffed duck should be finalized, giving it smooth lines and a certain smoothness. You may have to use foam again to fill any voids that have formed.

Oil paint should be used for painting as it does not destroy the foam. Its only drawback is the long drying time. You can paint it at your own discretion, but if you approach this work with imagination, you can make an excellent stuffed animal that is almost impossible to distinguish from a living duck.

A few words about the sustainability of homemade stuffed animals

The natural appearance of the bird is wonderful. But a decoy duck should also resemble a living one in its behavior - this is an indispensable condition for a successful hunt. To do this, it must float correctly on the water, not fall on its side in strong winds or waves, and not bury its beak in the water.

This is not difficult to achieve, you just need to know how. You can, for example, make the scarecrow have a wider underwater part. Its stability with a slight wave will increase significantly, but with a strong wind the bird will fall early.

To solve the problem, you need to make the stuffed animal ballast, which will help it float on the water. It can be permanent or removable, lead or water-based.

Permanent ballast is made from two small pieces of lead weighing 50-100 g and a wire bent at an angle. The design looks very simple. Pieces of lead are attached to the top of the wire, and its ends are attached to the bottom of the scarecrow. The structure will move freely along and thereby prevent the duck from falling to one side. True, pitching cannot be eliminated in this way, and the bird can easily fall forward or fall backward.

Temporary ballast is done a little differently. A plate with a thread is attached to the bottom of the scarecrow, into which a copper wire with two pieces of lead is screwed before landing on the water. This design will not allow the figure to swing in any direction. There is one inconvenience - the ballast will have to be removed and then hung again. And it won’t be possible to use it at shallow depths - the minimum wire length is 15 cm.

For these purposes, a water balance is suitable, which is a small open box that is attached to the bottom of the stuffed animal. The design has several holes through which water flows in and out. This is an almost perfect balance, it 100% solves the problem with pitching, but slightly increases the size of the stuffed animal.

Among the simpler devices that allow you to hold the bird in the desired position, you can use a sinker tied to the bottom, a tightly closed bottle, or a sealed tin can with an attached eyelet.

The stuffed ducks discussed above are one of the simplest designs. At the same time, in stores you can find more complex and interesting models, including mechanical ones, capable of moving and creating the illusion of the presence of a real bird. They sometimes cost quite a lot, so not everyone agrees to buy them. In fact, there is nothing complicated about them. It is enough to show a little imagination, and everyone can make something similar, for example, a stuffed duck with wings flapping in the wind.

You can use the same penoplex as a manufacturing material. The body, head, legs and tail of the duck must first be drawn on paper. Those who want to make their task easier can take measurements from decoys available from fellow hunters or in the catalog of an online store. The design is transferred to penoplex, individual elements are cut out using a jigsaw.

Parts consisting of two parts (for example, the body) are glued together, as in the case of making a simpler model, protected with a stationery knife, and then with sandpaper for painting.

Then the fun part begins - assembly. There are a lot of secret “chips” here. For example, to attach the head to the body, you can use a regular handle with a cap. A hole is drilled in the duck's body and a cap is glued in there. Part of the sawn-off handle is attached to the head in the same way. Only the area that will be covered by the caps should remain outside. Holds perfectly!

The paws can be secured with toothpicks, the tail can be inserted into a specially made cut. To install the wings across the body, you will need to drill a hole and insert an aluminum tube into it. It will protect the penoplex from rapid wear. The wings themselves are cut out of ordinary cardboard. Then “cocktail tubes” are sewn onto them, and the threads are glued with superglue. To give the wings a smooth bend, cardboard blanks are screwed onto a pipe. You can put them on a regular steel rod by installing small furniture plugs along the edges.

All that remains is to paint, and the homemade stuffed duck with flapping wings is ready.

Another “secret”: when making a scarecrow, you need to drill a hole in the lower part of the bird’s body and insert a small piece of plastic pipe. This is where the pole will be attached, on which the duck will “sit”.

Tested in practice! Such a miracle bird is accepted as one of its own not only by its “relatives”. Even hunters, emerging from the reeds, raise their guns, thinking that they have scared away a live duck!

In a word, making a stuffed animal with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. This exciting activity is worth devoting several hours to. If you follow all the recommendations, any of the options proposed above will be successful and effective.

Video about how many decoys you need for duck hunting:

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My friends and I go out to hunt waterfowl almost always with stuffed animals. I have a sufficient number of my own floating stuffed ducks, but I didn’t have a single stuffed duck with flapping wings, and I’ve seen them in use by other hunters more than once. Having estimated the price in the online store, which was no less than 4,000 rubles apiece, I decided to try to make it myself (I have experience in making floating stuffed animals).

As a material, I decided to use Penoplex insulation, a sheet 5 cm thick. I took the dimensions from a stuffed mallard duck bought in a store and made patterns on sheets of paper (torso - 2 pieces, head - 1, paws - 1, tail - 1). Then I transferred the contours of the drawings to Penoplex and cut them out using a manual mechanical jigsaw. Penoplex is very easy to process.

Then I glued the body from two halves (I used Liquid Nails glue). After the glue had dried, I roughly cut out the body with a utility knife, cutting off the corners and smoothing them out, making rounded shapes. I also processed the head blank. I cut the blank for the paws lengthwise to get a thickness of about 1 cm, made the paws from two parts, then glued them together (it’s easier this way), I also cut the blank for the tail lengthwise to get two parts 0.5 cm thick, processed it and glued it them on cardboard in the shape of a tail on both sides.

Afterwards I treated it with a fine sandpaper for painting.

To attach the head, I used a fountain pen with a cap (the cap and pen fit together and hold perfectly). I drilled a hole in the neck and glued the sawn-off part of the pen there, so that only the part that was covered by the cap stuck out, and glued the cap itself into the body of the duck.

In the lower part I drilled a hole for attaching the scarecrow to a pole and glued a small piece of plastic water pipe there (15mm in diameter, about 5-7 cm long)

I drilled a through hole across the body to install the wings and glued an aluminum tube into it. I made a cut in the tail section to attach the tail (all tubes are necessary to strengthen the holes, since Penoplex will quickly wear out from frequent friction).

Now I'll move on to making the wings. I made them from a regular cardboard binder. I cut out the pattern from paper and transferred it to cardboard. I spotted an approximate outline in a picture of a finished factory-made mechanical stuffed animal on the Internet. Next, you need to sew the “cocktail tubes” to the cardboard and glue the threads with superglue (I tried to glue them, but it didn’t work because they came off in the wind.) The bend of the wing was made by screwing a cardboard blank onto the tube and checking for rotation, in short, I was experimenting.

All that remains is to paint all the parts. I used acrylic paints, you can apply white primer, then the colors will be brighter. The wings were covered with 3 layers of spray paint so that they would not absorb moisture.

Connect them into one whole. I attached the paws to the body using toothpicks, gluing them into the legs, and simply sticking them into the body when assembling. To attach the wings, I used a steel rod, which I took from an old indoor clothes dryer. You will also need two furniture plugs, which act as a stopper to prevent the wings from flying off the rod when they rotate.

Making one stuffed animal cost me less than 100 rubles.

Stuffed animals made using this method were tested on a pond. It turned out believable, I even saw how other hunters, coming out of the reeds and seeing my stuffed animals, jumped up to shoot, thinking that they had scared off the duck. I transport it in a box and assemble the prefabricated parts on the shore before entering.

Traditionally, duck stuffed animals are made from. Linden is best suited for this. It is light, easy to process, and a little itchy. Blocks for stuffed animals need to be prepared in advance. Without removing the bark, let them dry thoroughly and only then begin processing.

Depending on what kind of stuffed duck you are going to make, the blanks should be from 30 to 35 cm in length and 18-20 cm in diameter. They need to be cleared of bark and each split lengthwise into two halves of equal thickness. Each will produce a stuffed carcass, while the heads are made from separate pieces of wood.

Having cut out two templates from thick paper or cardboard, depicting the shape of the future stuffed animal from the side and bottom, their outlines are transferred to the workpiece and, using an axe, chisel or knife, all excess wood is removed. The dimensions of the workpieces are shown in the table below. Then, also roughly, the head is cut out and in its lower cut, having previously made a hole in it, a stick is inserted onto the glue, protruding outward by 2-2.5 cm.

Templates for making stuffed ducks.

In the section of the neck on the body of the stuffed animal, a hole is drilled for this stick so that the head can be connected to the body. Having done this, they begin the final finishing of the stuffed animal with a rasp and sandpaper. All cracks and irregularities are puttied, the stuffed animal is coated with hot drying oil and dried. A metal loop is driven into its bottom 4-5 cm from the front edge.

If duck stuffed animals are made from foam plastic (only hard, finely porous varieties are suitable), the sequence of these operations does not change. There is only no need for an ax and a chisel - enough.

A good duck decoy should float completely level, without any roll. To do this, even before painting it is necessary - if necessary - to balance it by driving pellets into the bottom of the stuffed animal from one side or the other. After the stuffed animal has dried, you can begin painting it. Oil paints are best suited for this.

In this case, it is absolutely not necessary to reproduce the pattern of individual feathers; you just need to correctly convey the coloring features characteristic of this type of duck with color and contour. Hunting with stuffed animals is carried out either in the spring or in the second half of autumn, that is, during periods when all or some of the drakes are dressed in their main, bright attire.

Therefore, some of the duck stuffed animals need to be painted under the drake. To prevent stuffed ducks from shining after painting (which always frightens those flying up to them), you need to wipe them with a cloth soaked in kerosene or acetone.

Duck stuffed animals can also be made from polyurethane foam. But to do this, you first need to make a plaster mold, using a ready-made (can be rubber or plastic) stuffed animal as a template.

Based on materials from the book “DIY Fishing Tackle and Hunting Equipment. Manufacturing and repair."
Storozhev Konstantin.

Using duck decoys to attract birds during hunting is a technique invented long ago by experienced hunters. You can purchase this wonder either in a specialized store, or make it yourself. The second option is more economical because most of the materials are available and do not cost a lot of money. You can make not only simple options, but also complex ones, for example, a mechanical stuffed duck.

What is the use of a stuffed animal

This device is necessary in order to attract the attention of birds flying past. It is most practical to use stuffed ducks in the spring, because it is at this time that drakes, feeling the call of nature, begin to look for a mate for procreation. In the autumn months, when forming flocks for flight to warm countries, it is also advisable to use them.

In order for the hunt to be successful, it is recommended to follow the following rules:

• The bait should be installed in an open place where there are no dense thickets. This will ensure excellent visibility for live ducks.
• When placing the dummy, it is worth considering the location of the shelling. If the purpose of hunting is, then it is best to opt for shallow water, and if we are talking about a diving bird, then a deeper part of the reservoir is ideal.
• It is recommended to form a small group of stuffed animals, setting a distance of about four meters between them.
• When landing fake birds, it is also worth considering how strong and in what direction the wind is blowing, as this will have a significant impact on where the ducks land.

If you follow these simple rules, you can achieve significant success in hunting.

Foam plastic as a material for making stuffed animals

To make a stuffed duck with your own hands, you can use the well-known polystyrene foam. You can find the right material on any construction market, and the production itself will not take as much time as it seems.

Before you begin, you need to prepare the following things:

• foam plastic with a thickness of at least 2 cm, because thinner pieces have disadvantages: the slabs may begin to crumble, and the buoyancy properties will leave much to be desired;
• superglue (When using nitro glue, damage to the material occurs);
• acrylic paints;
• putty;
• paint brushes;
• a simple pencil;
• stationery knife;
• sandpaper.

First of all, you will need to find a picture of a duck and print it in a format so that it is as close to natural size as possible. Failure to follow this advice will lead to the fact that living birds will not pay any attention to the dummy.

1. Templates are cut out from the printed pictures. The contours and wings are transferred separately onto thick cardboard.
2. Cardboard patterns will be needed to work with foam plastic to cut out parts. You need two parts, from which the body and wings will then be formed, also in the amount of two pieces.
3. The parts are glued together to produce a three-dimensional dummy, then the workpiece is placed under the press. For better bonding, it should be left overnight.
4. A utility knife is needed to give the stuffed duck a more realistic shape. Smooth bends are made in the right places; if necessary, details are added to get the perfect craft.
5. You need to attach a keel to the bottom of the workpiece; a metal-plastic pipe will do here. If the need arises, you can easily install an additional weight that will help the stuffed duck gain stability in the water.
6. To remove irregularities you will need sandpaper.
7. The joints are removed using putty, and then the stuffed animal is left to dry.
8. Acrylic paints will help bring the layout to perfection, but you need to use colors that suit the breed of duck you plan to hunt.

This is the first option for making stuffed ducks for hunting.

Plywood scarecrow

This type of blank is one of the simplest options for making a stuffed duck. However, simplicity does not always indicate quality; the main disadvantage of such a workpiece is its fragility. This is due to the fact that due to constant exposure to water, plywood will quickly become unusable.

If you have time, you can start creating several profiles; they will serve as an imitation of various poses in which stuffed ducks and geese will be.

What materials do you need?

To make stuffed ducks for hunting from plywood, you will need to acquire the following things:

• thick cardboard;
• with a simple pencil;
• sheet plywood;
• a hacksaw with fine teeth;
• sandpaper;
• drying oil;
• tassels;
• metal wire;
• wooden pegs;
• gasoline;
• oil paints.

Manufacturing technology

Profiles are applied to the cardboard in the required quantity and in different shapes. Then you need to cut out blanks that will serve as templates.

1. Templates are laid out on plywood and profiles are cut out with a hacksaw.
2. All edges must be properly processed using sandpaper.
3. The blanks are treated with hot drying oil, after which you need to wait for it to dry.
4. To make the stuffed animal look realistic, oil paints are used. It is recommended to paint all the plywood at the same time to ensure they have the same appearance.
5. You can neutralize the shine from paint using gasoline. It is applied to a dry surface in a small amount.
6. All that remains is to equip the profiles with wooden pegs or short metal tubes. For ease of transportation, these parts are made removable, and so that they do not attract undue attention from the birds, they are painted with the same colors as the stuffed animals.
7. The stability of the workpieces is ensured by a wire connection.

Conclusion

Every hunter can make a stuffed duck with his own hands; it doesn’t take much time. How effective the blanks will be depends on the correct manufacturing of the layouts and compliance with the proposed recommendations.

The main problem with hunting wild ducks is that these birds are not easy to attract or get onto the water, and shooting them when they are flying too high rarely produces good results. This problem is solved by using stuffed ducks. Such a scarecrow is installed on a pond, and the hunter then goes to a position and waits for the victim. When ducks fly over a pond, they see their relative on the water and often sit down on the water with him. This is where you can start hunting for them.

There are a lot of ways to make a stuffed animal; one author suggested the easiest way to make a stuffed animal using polyurethane foam.

Materials and tools for manufacturing:
- polyurethane foam;
- boards, a piece of fiberboard, nails (used to create a box shape);
- hacksaw, hammer;
- plaster or alabaster (to create a form);
- disposable plastic bag;
- a piece of hard foam;
- electric drill, etc.

The process of making a stuffed animal:

Step one. Making a mold for casting
In order to cast stuffed ducks in the future, you need to create at least one mold. For these purposes, a piece of hard foam is taken and the body of a duck is carved out of it. Also, to create a mold for casting, you will need a box; the author assembles it himself. Assembling the box is very simple; you will need a hammer, nails, a piece of fiberboard and boards. A box is made from boards, and fiberboard is used as the bottom. The size of the box should be the same as the stuffed animal, it can be larger, but more plaster will be required.

After the box is assembled, it’s time to start creating the form itself. You need to take alabaster or gypsum and stir it thoroughly, adding water. It is quite possible to use inexpensive building gypsum for these purposes.

To stir, the author used an electric drill, in the chuck of which he clamped a piece of wire bent in the shape of the letter G. After this, you need to take the made duck and coat it well with a lubricant such as grease, or there is also a lubricant called graphite. This is necessary so that the plaster does not stick to the foam. Alternatively, you can also use oil.

Now you need to take the plaster and pour it into the made box so that it does not leak out; you need to put a disposable plastic bag in the box. Next, take a duck and drown it halfway in plaster; you need to hold it like that for a while until the plaster sets. Before doing this, you need to draw a line in the center of the workpiece so that you don’t get nervous during the process.

After this, the duck can be carefully removed, and after hardening, the plaster with the half-mold can also be removed from the box. The second half-mold is made in a similar way.

Step two. Casting a stuffed animal
In order to cast a stuffed animal, you need to take plaster molds and lubricate them well with the same graphite grease or oil, otherwise the foam will stick to the plaster. You also need to make a duck profile from copper wire; it is needed in order to make it stronger. A sinker will also be attached to this wire. Now you can pour foam into both forms, immediately after this the manufactured wire profile is placed on the foam.

Before the foam hardens, the two halves need to be quickly connected to each other. A weight is placed on top of the form, it can be a stone, and the form remains in this position overnight.

In the morning, the author takes a knife and trims off the excess foam without disassembling the mold. After this, the mold can be disassembled and the duck blank can be removed. The workpiece must be removed with extreme caution, since the mold and foam are very fragile, and rough handling can damage not only the workpiece, but also the mold.

Step three. Finalizing the scarecrow
At the next stage, the duck should be carefully processed using sandpaper; this process is not difficult, since the foam is quite soft. In some places you will need to work with a knife; the author has it in the form of a saw. If it turns out that shells have formed on the workpiece, it’s not a big deal; you can add foam to such places. You also need to remember to remove the foam from the ring, which is very convenient to attach the weight to.

Step four. Painting the workpiece
For painting, you need to use oil-based paint; it will not corrode the foam. But its significant drawback is that it takes a very long time to dry. Well, everyone paints such stuffed animals to their own taste. If you approach this process responsibly, you can make a very high-quality stuffed animal that not only the bird can distinguish from a real duck, but also the person himself can get confused the first time. But the main thing here is not to rush and not to shoot at the scarecrow, otherwise all the work will go down the drain.