Tying windsocks with Texas rags.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:28 pm

This will be real elementary to a whole lot of ya'll but it may help someone out. I am hoping some folks will post up and add their little tricks, too. I'll start by saying there are many different ways to do this, this is just the way I do it and it is an easy quick way, at least for me. When applicable I will note different ways you could do things.

First, the materials needed. You'll need rags, stakes, staples, stapler and straping tape or hog rings and hogring pliers or zip ties.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:28 pm

First carefully tear off a rag and unfold it.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:29 pm

Next you fold it lengthwise from corner to corner disecting the tail, I do this inside out for a reason I will point out in a minute.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:30 pm

Next you tie an overhand knot in the tail. I tie mine to where there is probably 5" of tail past the knot.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:31 pm

Next I turn the rag right side out and tie the front corners in an overhand knot.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:33 pm

Now you staple the bottom. I like to fold both edges of the rag inside so I am stapling thru a double thickness of rag. By making the first knot with the rag inside out it makes this part go much quicker and easier for me because the rag wants to go that way.

Be sure you leave about a 6" vent at the tail of the decoy and a 1-2" hole at the front for the stake to go thru.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:36 pm

Now you insert the stake thru the hole between the stapled portion of the rag and the front knot. Slide the stake all the way in and then you make the knot at the head. It is just an overhand knot around the stake. I usually tie mine to where there is around 9-10" of rag above the knot. If you tie it too short the windsock will be big and fat, too long it'll be too skinny.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:40 pm

Now you secure the head. There are three major ways to do this, strapping tape, hogrings or zipties. To use tape, which is what I show here, you fold the tag end of the rag down and around the stake, wrap the head with tape but don't stick it to the stake and then put a staple thru the tape, rag and into the stake. To use zip tied you need to make a crimp or groove into the stake so the head won't pull off. With hog rings crimp them so they bite into the stake so the heads don't pull off. By using tape but not sticking it to the stake you can easily remove a damaged rag and replace it. Not a huge concern in you don't use your rags often but if they see heavy use it is.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:40 pm

Now you've tied a windsock.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:41 pm

Roll 'em 10 to a bundle and stack 'em on the sling.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:43 pm

Like I said, no big deal for most of you but it may help someone out.

Now, let's here it guys. What do ya'll do different? Any other tricks?

I'm sure folks have already figured out that you can vary the size shape and attitude of the windsock by the knot placement and staple placement. You just have to play around until you get it looking the way you want it.

fowler · Post by **fowler** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:20 pm

I hate tying those damn things. i tied for hours and hours and hours a couple of years back, it just seemed like I never saw the end of hte rolls. I didn't even tie them all. And I didn't bother with stables, dont really need them.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:53 pm

I tie about 50 an evening without killing myself. When you first get set up it seems like it takes forever but once you get set up you just add a few hundred a year and it's no big deal. I'll probably tie around 600 this season. I lack about 150 to finish the sling I am filling now.

As a little side story last weekend we went hunting and we were using a buddy's spread. As we left out to hunt I saw a sling of his rags fly out of his truck and skid across the highway... right under an oncoming 18 wheeler. Brand new sling of windsocks never hunted. It was a lot funnier to us bystanders than it was to the guy who spent hours tying up that bundle of socks. Just last year he had two slings of them stolen out of his truck. I bet he really feels like all he does is tie socks.

TexasGeese · Post by **TexasGeese** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:53 pm

Only other tip would be to use something other than wooden TX rag Companies stakes. They soak up more water than a chinese whore in a hot soup factory. Ok, i have no idea what that meant, but the stakes get real flemsy and even if you try and slowly insert it in the ground it becomes a chore. So go with bamboo or some kind of metal.

20gabismuth · Post by **20gabismuth** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 9:08 pm

I'm still tying rags too CD!! Only about 15-25 a day. Here's a tip though, I use an automatic stapler!! Makes it a whole quicker!!

Like Doe Nob says.........I got the rag tying blues, Oh lord I got the rag tying blues!!!

Do'Nob · Post by **Do'Nob** » Mon Nov 17, 2003 4:54 pm

One thing I'm trying on some of mine is tying the stake inside the lower double knot. I can see the drawback of this because it can't change direction if the wind does. Also, I'm hog ringing mine, got the hog rings and plyers from National Band and Tag company in NJ, couldn't find anywhere local that had them. Ordered about 650 rings and pliers with shipping for 26 bucks or so. This is my first year putting together a spread and I ordered used rags from three different people. One set (400) needs retied all together and that's what I'm working on very slowly now. I have 100 tied by tx hunting products and another 100 tied some other way. So basically, I'll have a mixture of rags tied different ways and can give you a report at the end of the season on what holds up best.

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Mon Nov 17, 2003 5:18 pm

Doe, it's not so much that they will change directions with the wind, 'cause they won't, as it is the bottom needs to be loose on the stake so they will inflate easier. I taped the bottoms on some of my earlier socks and it works Ok so long as you get the proper amount of slack in it so they will puff up in a light breeze. I just think it's better to tie the knot in front of the stake so it'll slide up and down on it's own.

I think the hog rings are great. Like I was telling you, I am setting mine up now to where they can easily have the old rag removed and a new rag added. So far I think it's going to work out fine.

Aggie H20 Fowler · Post by **Aggie H20 Fowler** » Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:07 pm

One thing I do different is I use a heat sealer to seal the bottom instead of stapling. Seems to work pretty good

Van · Post by **Van** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 10:11 am

Coastal Ducks wrote:Now you secure the head.

Here's where you lose me. What kind of head are you using? The silouette kind or full neck & head like THP sells, similar to a shell decoy's head?

I figured the heads just got attached after being stuck in the ground. Don't they make bundling groups that more difficult?

Coastal Ducks · Post by **Coastal Ducks** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 10:00 pm

Van, When I say secure the head, I mean the top part of the rag. You secure the top of the rag to the stake, that is what I call the head. I don't use any other heads on mine. I have some of the plastic heads like you use on shell decoys but they are more trouble than they are worth.