# How to make a duck boat blind cheap



## first flight

Making a Duck Boat Blind Tutorial

I hunt out of a 12' Montgomery Ward's jon boat. I got it a few (?) years ago and have loved it since. It seems to be the right length for Ryan and me. I can maneuver it reasonably through the rice that I usually hunt in.










It is important to decide exactly what you expect to achieve from the blind that you are going to construct. How high do you need it&#8230;will it blend in to the plants around which you usually hunt&#8230;will it set up quickly&#8230;will it break down quickly&#8230;will it get you ducks????










Okay&#8230;all thought processes complete&#8230;the following is what I came up with:

Materials;

One half inch electric conduit 6 @ 10'0"
Conduit stand off clamps 6 each
One half inch compression couplings 8 each
One & quarter by 1/4 bolts, lock nuts 6 each
Two inch bolts by 1/4, lock nuts 4 each
#12 self tapping screws,3/4" 20 each (+ or -)
E-Z fence (see vendors)50' 1 roll
4" cable ties 100 or more
Your choice of grass&#8230; I used raffia&#8230;got it a Cabella's bargain cave for $40.00

I used1/2" conduit because I wanted a very light blind. If you want strength (to lean on) use3/4" conduit. If you have a longer boat you will probably go with3/4". Buy a conduit bender&#8230;If you are tackling this project, you will use it again, and again, and again. I used compression fittings to make the joints in the conduits. It is a good idea to use your preferred epoxy also, as this joint is subject to stress during the season.










I made the height of the blind the same as the beam of my boat&#8230;I think I could have added about 4" to this dimension, for comfort. There is a fine line between comfort and the ability to hide. Think about where you hunt when you are deciding this dimension. USE STAINLESS STEEL FASTENERS&#8230;
They don't rust&#8230;never need to replace them.

I fastened the stand off conduit clamps to the rail on the boat. This gave me the space I needed to fasten the fencing to the conduit.










IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE LOC-TITE ON THE SCREWS THAT FASTEN THE STAND OFF CLAMPS TO YOUR BOAT&#8230;they will work themselves loose!

Okay, so one side of the boat, (the side that is normally at your back when hunting), for me it is the starboard side, gets one full length of conduit fastened directly to the rail as in the above pic.

Next you will need to assemble a rectangle of conduit that measures the width of the beam (or your particular height, determined by trial and error) by the length of the boat less 2-3feet. This depends on your particular feeling about how you want the bow and stern to appear, i.e., my boat is 12', my blind is 10'.

















Next there are more decisions to make. The above pic shows you a bimini top kind of design. You need to decide, by trial and error, where you want the top support to be. I went from the top down about 18". This conduit assembly is bent and sized to matched the rectangle formed earlier, but fits just inside the rectangle (see pic). Attachment is via the stainless bolts with lock nuts, do not over tighten, this joint is okay loose.
The lower assembly is made the same way, adjusting measurements. Match the lower section of the conduit assembly and use the same bolts and lock nuts. Remember that all joints are made with the compression fittings and EPOXY to properly cement the joint.










The bottom side of the rectangle is fastened to the boat using the stand off clamps fastened to the rails of the boat. USE LOC-TITE ON THE SCREWS!!! The starboard side of the rectangle is held up using a straight length of conduit fastened to swivel and brace to the side of the boat.










Now comes the magic of this blind&#8230;I used E-Z Fence as the fabric of the blind. You need to decide, by loose assembly of the blind, the length of the fabric fence. I cut it so that it ran 90 degrees to the rail, i.e., from the rail to the top of the cover was about 60" long. The fabric is the body of the blind. I used 1" straps and plastic clip connectors to make the connections between the sections.










The straps are fastened to the conduit using self-tapping screws. These plastic clips are available at your local hardware&#8230; look in the strapping section. I use a strap between the main rectangle section and the lower section&#8230;this leaves the top section open to move out of the way if needed.

I use two more straps on the topper section at one third points, so that the top can be secured for the birds that want to fly overhead. When you need to flip it back, just un-clip the snaps, flip, and get ready to cook!










Once you have the frame and the fabric assembled to it, using cable ties, it is time to paint everything. The EZ fence has a shine to it that you will want to dull down and the conduit needs paint also.

I cut the raffia grass to roughly 18" to 24". If you have ever seen a latch hooked rug, the next step is easy. Basically take about 10 pieces of raffia, cut to length. Fold them in half, weave the bent end through the fence fabric and loop the other end through the bent end.

















This installation of grass takes a while&#8230;but you can put grass where you want it. The fabric allows you to look through it to see what the birds are doing without them seeing you. I placed the grass so that I have openings overhead to look through. It looks like a shadow in the grass.










This is what it looks like with the port side down. You can see the two starboard supports for the rectangle if you look closely.










This is how I travel&#8230;I like the wind blowing the grass so that it fluffs up. If you want you can tuck the grass in for traveling. Raffia is pretty sturdy grass and holds up well for traveling loose.

Well, that's it. If you have questions please ask&#8230;good duckin'!

http://www.firstflightgamecalls.com


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## greatwhitehunter3

Nice looking rig! :thumb:


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## TL1FAAT

i like it!


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## Aythya

Great blind! Thanks for posting all the great step by step pictures. I have been wanting to find something simple for my 14' Lund jon boat and this looks like the ticket.


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