# painting



## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

guys i got some decoys to repaint but i was wondering how u guys remove the old paint????? im going to be airbrushing the paint on..will show pics once there painted. thanx for the help.


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## Lance Pardee (Oct 28, 2004)

I take a wire brush and go over them *LIGHTLY* with it.


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## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

Maybe you could try some steel wool. Havent ever tried it yet but would like too.


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## gaddyshooter (Oct 12, 2003)

I have some that need redone also. Is it necessary to remove the old paint first? What kind of paint is best for decoy use? I have heard some people use spray paint to repaint decoys. Which is better, spray paint, or brushed on paint? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

gaddy, some of the people i know and i also also painted my decoys with an airbrush. I really dont know what works the best but the airbrush works good for me.


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## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

It depends on what type of decoys your painting. If you're touching up some G&H's you shouldn't have a problem. If you're repainting Carry-Lites you'd be better off saving yourself the time and money repainting them and buy something else. Some companies use higher or lower grade plastic and as a result, they will be very easy (or impossible) to repaint. If the decoy has already lost most of it's paint, under most circumstances any paint you put back on will come off as well. It all depends on the quality of the plastic.


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## purepower (Sep 11, 2004)

ok guys u know anywhere i can get a pattern or paint scheme so i can paint them into redheads??


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## chrispbrown27 (Jul 29, 2005)

Sorry to bring up an old post, but I've been repainting some of my old decoys for a few weeks now. I have used, for the past two years, cheap walmart spray paint to repaint em. It's only 88 cents a can and with one can you can usually do two or three decoys. I've always just looked at pictures of either the actual bird I am trying to copy or of decoys to get the pattern down. I changed mallards into just about any other duck. Bluebills, canvasbacks, redheads, teal, etc etc. Last year I found factory second Flambeau mallards for 12 bucks a dozen and bought 5 dozen of em and slowly but surely they have become other ducks. This year I'm working on a big diver set, so bluebills and canvasbacks/redheads are on the menu. With some flat black, satin white and some red primer I've got my redheads/canvasbacks. With some satin white and flat black I've got bluebills (I've been thinking about looking for some kind of blue paint to spray over the black to give it a light blue tint and some sort of baby blue to paint the bill, but I don't know that it would matter). I also painted some flat black with a small patch of satin white on the side. They kinda look like ringnecks, I guess theyre just a general diver decoy. 
The best thing about it is that it keeps me busy out of season and involved with my favorite thing. If I decide I need mallards again I can quickly and cheaply change back or if I decide I need some pins or whatever I can change them again. The paint will of course chip and peel but at 88 cents a can it's not too bad to repair. 
I'm also painting up a ton of milk jugs this year. The plan is to have a couple hundred milk jugs out with my 9 dozen decoys. Now since I pick em up each day this may only happen once, but what the heck, if I kill em it will be worth it. What am I talkin about if i get a bird to sit down it will be worth it! 
Good luck to ya'll this season and send a few down here to Southern Illinois if ya would!


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## pintailjoe (Oct 19, 2003)

what decoys do u make the milk jugs into?
gallon or 1/2 gallon?


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## chrispbrown27 (Jul 29, 2005)

Ya just paint em flat black. The old timers swear by em.


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