How are duck decoys made?

Duck decoys are carved from blocks of wood. To make one, you need the wood, 2-ton epoxy, carving tools, a marker, paint, nails, a saw and a vise. Depending on speed and carving skills, it can be done in a day.

1. Gather the wood

   You need several pieces of lumber for the body of the duck: a piece for the bottom to hold it in place in the vise and one piece for the head.

2. Cut the body pieces

   Stack the pieces of the body on top of each other, and then cut the pieces into oval shapes. Make sure each layer is roughly the correct size for the "slice" of the duck it represents.

3. Glue the pieces together

   Use the 2-ton epoxy glue to adhere the body layers.

4. Attach the bottom

   Attach a piece of wood to the bottom. Run two nails from the bottom up to connect the piece to the main body.

5. Carve the shape

   Put the bottom piece in the vise to hold the duck body in place. Carve the body. Remove the body from the vice. Put the head piece into the vice, and then carve the head.

6. Attach the head

   Use the epoxy to attach the head to the body after carving.

7. Remove the bottom

   Remove the nails from the bottom of the decoy to remove the wood piece used to hold the duck in place on the vise.

8. Paint the duck

   Use paint to give the duck lifelike colors and detail.