34 replies to this topic

[bnkr244]

Well i have another coyote fur to take care of, ive done 2 myself and it was a pain. Can you guys.give me some tips on fleshing it, i stretched the last two on a board and salted then peeled the fat and flesh and repeated about 10 times. Came out ok but took forever and the face was hard to clean up and came out so stiff i hardly turned.it.inside out. I tanned them myself with some homemade remedy i found on google. Also can i just put it in the wash machine before fleshing itto clean.it. thanks

[prairiewolf]

A fleshing beam will make it a little easier. They have a radius to them , but be carefull it is also easier to cut the hide. You dont need any salt unless you are going to tan the pelt, and then I suggest rubbing salt all over it and rolling it up and laying on an angle so fluids will drain. Yes you can wash the hides in washing machine but a good tub works great, use baby shampoo and make sure you rinse it very good.

[bnkr244]

Ok thanks. I tanned the last 2 and they came out good just alittle stiff but thats ok for a wall hanging. Its just hard to get the flesh off without cutting the skin and it takes awhile.

[Chris Miller]

Personally I think salt has no place on fur. Maybe on deer hides or something but not fur.

I agree... use a fleshing beam and a good fleshing knife. I can flesh an animal in about 15 minutes and I am not even that good at it.

As for the head area... it will take a lot of work if you don't want it to end up stiff.

Any wet washing you do... make sure its in cold water.

[On a call]

I have heard about cold pressure washing and some guys swear by it...but I have never tried it.

A good fleshing knife and a good board makes the job more easy. !

[bnkr244]

Alright thanks guys,, ill have to get a better fleshing knife and give it a shot.

[prairiewolf]

Chris, the salt is ONLY if you plan on tanning. I use to do taxidermy work and always salted green hides then rolled up hair out and layed on angle overnight to drain. Then unroll and put hide out to dry then ship to tannery. This was the way the tannery wanted everything.If you tan yourself then of course, right after fleshing it go into the brine.

[Mick105]

Necker #600 fleshing knife is a good one. It will run you around $60 but in my opinion its well worth it. It will cut down on fleshing time and pay for itself in no time. I traded some muskrat pelts for a brand new one and its the best trade I've made so far. A good beam is just as important too!

[coyotejon]

How often do you have to give that Necker a tune up Mick? You just use a steel to sharpen it up a little?

[Mick105]

I have only had mine 2 years and its still sharp. Being that I mostly trap mink, muskrat and fox, I rarely use mine. After seeing how easy it made fleshing a coon I started putting out more coon sets. Haven't caught that many since due to limited time available this past season. I have a friend who catches a few dozen every year and he bought his 3 years ago, I will ask him for ya and let you know what he said.

[Ruger]

I run my furs through the washing machine with COLD water and borax soap, they come out nice and clean. Great topic, anxious to see what other tips are posted.

[Scotty D.]

I suppose I'll need to learn how to do this cuz yote carcasses don't pay enough to cover the gas back & forth to the fur buyer...

[Mick105]

How often do you have to give that Necker a tune up Mick? You just use a steel to sharpen it up a little?

I talked with my buddy and he says his is still sharp and he hasn't tuned it at all. He said if he were to sharpen it he would just use a stone and lightly touch it up.

[coyotejon]

Ok cool, thanks for asking him Mick. Guess it makes sense that it should hold an edge for a while because it doesn't really come in contact with the real knife dullers like fur and teeth! Hate when I hit the teeth, just did it today, nothing dulls my knife quicker.

[Mick105]

I can't say that I have ever hit a tooth while skinning but I would imagine they aren't knife friendly.

[Up North Journal]

I run my furs through the washing machine with COLD water and borax soap, they come out nice and clean. Great topic, anxious to see what other tips are posted.

Stupid question but I'm assuming that you're doing this before tanning and after scraping? Remember I'm a newbie.

[Ruger]

I usually put them in the washer right after I skin and flesh them. Sometimes I will even put them in before I flesh them. Just remember cold water is the key, otherwise the fur will slip.

[youngdon]

I'd like to see up close clear pictures of your fleshing beams and knives, perhaps even a video of you using them ?

[prairiewolf]

Here are some pics of beams and one kinda showing how to use. I plan on making one for next year and will use a 2x6 covered with a piece of pvc pipe (6") cut and shaped to follow the 2x6. I will post pics and how to do .
 fleshing beam.jpg   123.63K   0 downloads  FleshingBeam-2.gif   62.96K   3 downloads  J&J fleshing.jpg   5.65K   4 downloads  fleshing.gif   90.08K   4 downloads
bottom pic showing fleshing says salt, you dont use salt for pelts unless shipping to a tannery

[prairiewolf]

here are some links everyone needs that plans on selling pelts:
http://www.nafa.ca/t...Manual_2009.pdf
http://malcolmhess.h...ng.com/NAFA.htm