I guess the old adage of " you get what you pay for" applies in this instance.

Rob takes pride in his unlimited guarantee on his working birds in that if the construction process fails it will be repaired or replaced free of charge. The reason this guarantee is possible is based in the construction process itself.

The traditional decoy carvers of old realized subtle differences in construction techniques could prove to make a major difference in not only the success of the decoy spread but also the ease in which the decoys were transported to the working location. The weight of the decoy was a prime consideration for an inherent property of  wood is the weight which is proportional when large quantities of decoys are required to be transported by pack or in a vehicle be it a truck or boat. The old working birds were always hollowed for that reason.

In addition to reducing weight during transportation a hollow bird floated higher and more realistically on the water. An additional benefit would be a lot less weight was required  (in the form of a keel) to self right a lighter decoy than a heavy one.

Rob takes this a step further in that not only are the working birds hollowed but they are sealed with 2-3 coats of lacquer from the inside before the two pieces of the decoy are put together.

Rob uses only top quality marine epoxy for his neck and body seams on working birds and this seam is further reinforced with the use of hardwood dowels (technique of  Pat Godin) joining the top and bottom pieces once again glued in place with marine epoxy. The result is almost a bullet proof design. Regardless of rough handling and wear and tear to the surface paint and exterior of the decoy, the body of the decoy will never separate or split on the seam.

Of course this "safety net" or "ounce of prevention" adds to not only the time spent building the decoy but also the cost of making them in using only  premium materials.

Pictures below show how the bottom and top of a decoy from woodfowl are joined with epoxy laden hardwood dowels in 4 corners of each working bird to make the strongest and most durable bird we believe is humanely possible in a wood medium

A Green wing teal drake under construction:

Click image to enlarge

After the top and bottom halves are put together Rob still applies 5-6 coats of lacquer as a sealant before painting.

Rob's I.W.C.A. birds are made from a solid block of wood with the hollowing done from the bottom and then a plate is fitted to the opening to seal and provide a bottom board, so no dowels are required to permanently join two halves.