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General Discussion => General Forum => Topic started by: Big Guy on June 09, 2017, 10:49:17 PM

Title: Repairing a fan
Post by: Big Guy on June 09, 2017, 10:49:17 PM
had a fan all ready dried out and ready to mount this weekend, but my dog had other plans and completely tore the fan apart.  Yes it was my fault leaving it where she could get to it but hindsight is 20/20.  Is there any way to piece it back together?  If this was any other turkey I would be OK with it...not happy but OK.  This one was a special turkey for a few reasons and I don't want to lose it.
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Bowguy on June 10, 2017, 02:20:56 AM
What did he do to it?
Title: Repairing a fan
Post by: fallhnt on June 10, 2017, 03:55:32 AM
Sounds like she tore it up. Epoxy it at the base.

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Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Big Guy on June 10, 2017, 06:44:01 AM
Quote from: Bowguy on June 10, 2017, 02:20:56 AM
What did he do to it?
Just tore it apart.  The feathers are all in OK condition, they're just a pile of feathers
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: SteelerFan on June 10, 2017, 08:36:55 AM
Primos used to? sell a fan kit for their B Mobil decoys to use real feathers. You would insert the individual feathers to form the fan. If you can find one, you could figure out the puzzle and put it back together, and then glue the smaller front row(s) back onto the primary tail feathers...

http://www.bestrealturkeydecoys.com/product/tail-fan-holder-for-diy-folding-tail-fan/
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Greg Massey on June 10, 2017, 11:44:43 AM
Mount the dog...tail....
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: hobbes on June 10, 2017, 02:21:43 PM
Do this to main feather group............Clean the quill ends, lay them out correctly on a table with ends over a plastic grocery sack (quills should form half moon shape), mix a small amount of Bondo,  pour/spread over feather butts/quills.

For secondaries.....you can do same thing or......super glue or hot glue to Bondo.

Use an old fan to ensure that you space and shape correctly.  You don't want too narrow of an arc or too wife.

Don't mix Bondo so "hot" that you have no working time.
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Tail Feathers on June 10, 2017, 03:47:53 PM
A half moon shaped piece of styrofoam from a craft store.  Stick quills in until it's right. 
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Bowguy on June 10, 2017, 05:38:44 PM
The bondo is the correct method in this situation. Before I mounted any bitd I'd have bondo 'd it., obviously w the fan itself lending to the shape but if done carefully n correctly you'd be fine. Mount the completed piece on a fan mount n you'll never see bondo. Keep it down by quills stem
Title: Repairing a fan
Post by: Ericbrooks on June 10, 2017, 07:03:12 PM
Any repaired fan is gonna look like exactly that, a repaired fan.
Find a suitable replacement


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Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: 2eagles on June 10, 2017, 08:07:57 PM
My best looking tail by far is one I completely took apart, then on a piece of thin cardboard, I hot glued the thing back together. I started with the long ones at the back and just kept hot glueing on top in layers. It wasn't my idea, must have seen this method on YouTube or something.
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: hobbes on June 11, 2017, 12:28:36 AM
Quote from: Ericbrooks on June 10, 2017, 07:03:12 PM
Any repaired fan is gonna look like exactly that, a repaired fan.
Find a suitable replacement


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That is absolutely false if done correctly unless the dog has damaged the feather itself and even that can be restored if minor and it's not broken.
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Bowguy on June 11, 2017, 06:53:49 AM
Hobbes is correct. Even if the feather looks damaged it can be fixed if parts of the feather aren't missing. If you wash the feathers in dawn soap or even just wet em n blow dry them they will puff back up.
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Big Guy on June 15, 2017, 06:15:49 PM
Well I wanted to thank everyone who helped me out in this thread.  Took a few ideas from here and I think it turned out pretty good.  The outer feathers aren't as even as I wanted to make them, but I'm still happy with it.  This is what I was planning for it.  Am going to try and chemically weather the boards and hopefully make them look old and grey.  And imagine a beard on the other side I'll have to find somewhere else.  The reason I went to all this trouble was I had a fire last June and lost almost everything including turkey fans.  This was the first turkey I have shot since then.  This was also the first turkey I have shot on family property so it means a lot, and why I went to all the trouble.


(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x422/tmcglash/IMG_20170615_164801_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Greg Massey on June 15, 2017, 06:42:25 PM
Looks good , nice job on the repair...you can remember the hunt and the dog...always....
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: Bowguy on June 15, 2017, 06:48:03 PM
Looks good, congrats!
Title: Re: Repairing a fan
Post by: SteelerFan on June 15, 2017, 07:08:55 PM
Nice work! Excellent restoration, and nobody will know... other than OG folks, and we're sworn to secrecy! (kinda like buying calls  ;D)