Things You'll Need
One 1-inch-by-12-inch plank, one foot long
One 1-inch-by-4-inch plank, one foot long
Pencil
Eraser
Peterson's Guide to Birds
Safety glasses
Scroll saw
Jorgensen wood clamp
Table clamp
Medium grade sandpaper
Orbital sander
Acrylic paints
1-inch polyethylene brush
Electric drill
Quarter-inch-thick dowel
Carpenter's glue
Whirligigs are comical wooden devices that point into the direction of the wind and spin in the breeze. Prospective woodworkers can take a clue from the craftsmen who design those spinning devices and create a stationary flying duck. One of the designs could make for a popular indoor wall plaque or an outdoor ornament that can be placed around the house or in the garden. Or, use the design method as a preliminary step toward constructing a functional duck with wings that spin in the breeze.
Step 1
Search whirligig designs for an image of a duck in flight. Bird books are also another source of images for a flying duck. What you need here is the head body and tail stretched out in a horizontal line. This will be the image you want to draw onto the 1-inch-by-12-inch plank.
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Step 2
Draw the duck body onto the 1-inch-by-12-inch plank. It can be a little bit longer than 12 inches, if desired.
Step 3
Clamp one end of the board to a work table and cut as much of the design out as possible with the scroll saw. Be sure to use a fine-cut wood blade to make the cut.
Step 4
Turn the board around in the clamp and finish the cut with the scroll saw.
Step 5
Place the cut piece of wood in a table clamp and sand the edges with a medium grit sandpaper.
Step 6
Draw two wings on the 1-inch-by-4-inch plank. Cut them out and sand each wing, just like you did with the main body.
Step 7
Paint each part of the duck with acrylic paint, to create a realistic duck. You can consult a bird guide to get an idea of what colors a wild duck might have.
Step 8
Drill one 1/4-inch hole at the base of each wing and in the upper part of the duck's back.
Step 9
Cut a three-inch-long piece of dowel.
Step 10
Fit the duck's body and two wings together with the dowel and glue.
Step 11
Hang the finished product wherever it is appropriate.
Tip
Lots of attractive duck designs can be found in folk art museums and bird books.
Warning
This type of duck is not designed to spin in the wind.
Be sure to use safety glasses when cutting with the scroll saw.
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