How to Make a Duck Hunting Boat Blind

A duck blind on a boat is like a canvas cabin without a roof. With PVC pipe and marine canvas made from either vinyl or treated cotton, the frame for your boat's duck blind can be assembled in a single afternoon and is removable, so that the boat can be used for other activities. The panels that form the blind attach to the frame with Velcro fasteners, so their arrangement can be changed to allow for a variety of blind configurations.

Things You'll Need

• 1.5" PVC pipe 2.0" PVC pipe (four) 1.5" PVC elbow fittings (four) 1.5" PVC T fittings Marine canvas Two-part epoxy glue PVC "purple primer" PVC pipe adhesive Four slotted screws Hacksaw Flathead screwdriver Heavy-duty sewing machine and needles Scissors Thread 1" Velcro hook and loop tape

Instructions

Building the Blind

1. 

   Lay out the frame and measure the PVC pipe before cutting it with the hacksaw. Assemble the PVC frame and set the frame in place. Make adjustments to height, width and length before gluing the frame together.

2. 

   Glue the framing for the duck blind together. Remove grease, dirt and moisture from the ends of the pipe sections and the interior of the fittings and apply PVC purple primer. When the primer is dry, then apply PVC pipe cement, insert the PVC pipe into the fittings and turn the pipe one-quarter turn to seat the pipe.

3. 

   Measure the frame and cut the side panels from the canvas, adding 6" to the top measurement, so that the canvas can be wrapped over the top of the frame and secured. Hem the panels, using a heavy duty sewing machine and needle.

4. 

   Sew Velcro hood-and-eye strips to the top of the panels and, if desired, along the sides of the panels so that the panels may be secured to the frame.

5. 

   Drill half-inch holes into the 2" PVC segments that will form the mounting sockets for the frame. Place the completed frame into the boat at the desired position and mark the location of the frame legs on the deck with a marking pen and remove the frame from the boat.

6. Glue the mounting sockets to the deck where the frame's legs are marked and allow the epoxy to cure completely. Put the legs into the mounting sockets and secure with screws. Attach the canvas to the frame using the Velcro strips.

Tips & Warnings

• Use wooden shims in the mounting sockets to keep the blind unit from wobbling.

• This project involves work with power tools and harsh chemicals. Take the normal precautions for each activity.

References

• Michingan Sportsman Forum; 4th paragraph; by "justducky"

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Hunting from a Sneak Boat