I currently use sculp-all for the rings and texture them with my spoon tool or a needle. Then paint when dry. I was wondering what some of you guys and gals use. I am using cast heads. Thanks
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Why not use the Flex eye&ring combo from McKenzie? If your worried about the fit, use a dremel tool. I put a dot in the center of the repo head, them draw a cross reference line front to back across the eye and up and down,top of head to bottom. Take a tee pin and stick it through the eye cup in the center. Press the exposed tip into the center mark of the eye. Outline eyering. Now dremel tool to enlargen hole and check profile for proper conture.*** (reference photos are a must, but I'm sure that you, like everyone else, has those close at hand anyway...right?) You can clay up any gaps if needed but be sure that the undercut that holds the real eyering skin in place is free and clear of any clay.*** hot glue into place and check that the fat part of the eyering is the R or L side. It may sound a little time consuming but the results are worth it.
I Always sculpt the eye rings. I do not like the look of flex eyes, because up close you can tell they are plastic. I like glass or acrylic much better, just my opinion!
ones there plaster and you paint them realy nice and cheep
I find that hard to believe.. the ones I purchases from research were plastic...
On commerical out the door wood ducks I use the plastic rings.. ferbee, savides.. whichever I have on hand.
There are things you an do to make them much better looking than they are...
first..get a lightbulb, (low wattage, I use a 60w) and let the eye ring rest on the lightbuld until it gets warm enough to be pliabale. Then place the maleable eyering onto a spare eye you have laying around so that the shape of the rings conforms to the eye.
after it has cooled and is hard again, I like to spray them with a coat of primer (the grey stuff in a can) this will smooth out some of the ridges. I've never seen a live wood duck with such pronouced ridges in it's eyerings as are represented in the cast rings.
Now after the primer has dried, I (using a paperclip) dip them into the appriate color paint. let them dry.. Then give them a dark wash coat.. usually a rich brown.
This makes a very believeable eyering!
Jon
Like Becky said, you can make a much nicer eye ring than any of the plastic ones (or plaster for that matter...). And the more you make, the better you'll get. It's good practice for when you do a competition piece and HAVE to make them...start putting them on Canada geese, Whitefronts, etc... just for practice, plus your customers will like the added effort.