Fixing Plastic Decoys

[Scott Klecka]

What do you think is the best way to fix production decoys?  I have been using plastic weld but I'm going to try Gorilla Glue on a few to see how it holds.  I have never liked filling them with foam. 

How about repaints?  I have yet to find a way that holds up for the full season.

[Don Fry]

i have repainted a few for friends, the prep is everything,, i use a wire brush to remove all the loose paint, wipe down with paint thinner, i use Krylon with fusion either as a primer or the main color, i finish it off with several LIGHT coats of the Krylon 1311 matte finish.

[bernie]

We have heard that some are using burlap on plastic decors and repainting them. Has anyone tried this? I have way too many old decoys to toss away.

[Steve W]

 Like de bowhunter said ,
    Cept I use a light sand blaster/etcher and wash with thinner... outside of a plastic welder I have yet to see any long term bonding repair. If I had leaks in them I used lexel in the caulking tubes sorta like a shoe goop but stickier.

[Scott Klecka]

I filled a bunch of holes on 2 decoys with Gorilla Glue at the start of the season, so far they are holding up.  However, I have not been getting out as much as I would like.

[Olsem]

I use a type of 2 part putty can't think of the name right now for some reason but will get back to you as soon as i find out the name of the product. it works great on anything and everything, it has actually held together a hole in one of my radiators for a few years now and has also been holding my throttle together on my snowmobile for almost 4 years now.

[wyfish]

I have had good luck with a hot glue gun.Drill out the holes a little bit,tipthe decoy so the glue will create a plug on the inside as well as the outside.

[Taver]

x2 on using Lexel. that stuff will stick to wet metal roofing. I have never tried it on decoys but it works wonders on dry rotted boots on waders. (will let you know tomorrow about sealing the seams!!) There is a product called Through The Roof, made by the same company, but can be bought in a can a brushed on.

[duckman Joe Richter]

I've used both Gorilla glue and Aqua seal (wader repair stuff)....

I've used expanding foam on some before...trick is to leave a "vent" hole up high so the deke doesn't explode if you overfill.  Underfilled is always better...After I shoot foam in...place flat so the foam is low in the body (self righting) and seals pellet holes.

[Jimmy Lambright]

I just got done repainting some of my old Flambeau cheapy dekes which is what has me hooked and wanting to build decoys. Here are some pics. I did them by instructions I found on take em.com heres the link. I don't know how they will hold up yet because I just did them after season was over. I can tell you this, I use old 1 liter and 20oz pop bottles for my top floats for shark fishing and I paint them flat white first then a bright flo orange then clear them in the fasion described at the link I will post below and they hold up well so I think my dekes will as well. Lemme know what yall think bout a newbies first paint job. Heres the link. http://www.takeem.com/tp.php

[Jimmy Lambright]

Oh BTW I am gonna try to foam fill some of these so that I can cut the heads off and put new one on in different posistions. I will let yall know how it goes.

[Scott Klecka]

They look better than new. 

I tried turning heads on plastics years ago and it did not workout.  Let me know how it works out.

[Jimmy Lambright]

They look better than new. 

I tried turning heads on plastics years ago and it did not workout.  Let me know how it works out.

Thanks. I will. Here is a pintail I redid the tail on. They had a long plastic tail on them so I cut it off with my dremel and built a new one using Fix-it sculpt and black zip ties for the feathers. I couldve put more time into sanding and shaping but I figured what the heck by the time a duck figures that out he will be full of #4 shot.LoL.

[tstout]

For BB holes I use plumbers goop...same thing essentially as aquaseal.   Used some gorilla glue on bigfoot and dakota floaters that got vaporized this last season, and it will work as long as you get some INSIDE the hole and it mushrooms in there....otherwise it's a no go, and the sun makes it very brittle.   For major repairs I use a plastic welder (it's a glorified soldering iron with all types of plastic rods) but it seems to work very nicely.   I tried some polyurethane adhesive on some custom bigfoot preener heads, and they did not last like the welded ones did, though they would have lasted very well if I had foam filled them.....IDEAS!!!   

[AndrewL]

For ones that have been shot I started using great stuff and filling the whole decoy with foam.  I drill 2 1/4" holes on the bottom of the decoy, towards the top, and fill the decoy a little over half way with foam cause it expands big time.  After it expands and dries I go back and touch of the bb holes with some white paints.  This also makes them unsinkalbe and holds up to future decoy massacres.