Decoy Designs

It is recommended to use a primer that is specific for use on plastic surfaces, on the decoy heads before following the topcoat color design schemes. Even if a paint is listed as a paint + primer, many times it are not designed for direct-to-plastic surfaces. Follow the instructions of the paint you plan to use. In the past, Fowl Foolers has used Sherwin-Williams Duracraft. The difficulty of using Duracraft for a small amount of heads is that it is only sold in gallons. Sherwin-Williams does offer another exterior paint called Resilience and All Surface Enamel in quarts, both available in water-based latex options. However, even a quart is sometimes too much paint and can get expensive quick if you are in need of 5+ colors. For this reason, we have heard customers having success with getting 8oz color sample containers at Home Depot. Although color sample paints are typically not high quality, if used in conjunction with a bonding or etching primer for use on plastic, we have heard successful results can be achieved. It is of course Fowl Foolers goal to ensure all decoy builders have the tools necessary to complete their decoy designs and more importantly enjoy using them on the water. If you have any further questions regarding painting, please reach out to us at info@fowlfoolers.com, and we would be happy to provide more guidance/suggestions.   

Regarding the decoy bodies, if using Fowl Foolers adhesive and burlap, due to how porous the material is, topcoat paint sticks great even without a primer. If using a different adhesive, check to ensure paint can stick to the adhesive after drying. Some adhesives are designed so that nothing sticks to them like mold/mildew, etc so paint may have a difficult time adhering.