Post by thefurtrapper on Sept 16, 2011 22:27:52 GMT -5
Reviewing some of the posts on different trapping pages it seems people have a problem taking their fur off of wooden forming boards (stretchers) First of all Forming Boards is the more modernized term for a wooden stretchers, due to the fact that un like a wire stretcher wooden boards form and do not stretch[/u] fur. The most common thing I saw was something along the lines of:
Help! Can't get my _____ pelt off of wooden stretcher!!
Mean while they were not using belly boards or wedges on the pelt before they let them dry. Using belly boards makes it 90x easier to pull most pelts off of the boards, all you do is slide it from the bottom of the pelt, up through the mouth hole an inch or two and your done, simple to do and saves you time and pelt quality later. The belly boards should be atleast 1" diameter and should be long enough to be able to go through the largest possible size pelt it's made for with roughly 7" to spare is the way I like mine. Not using belly boards and having to yank the fur off of the forming board can damage the fur by pulling out guard hairs stuck to the wood. Fur Graders DO notice small imperfections such as these. I find that if your not going to use belly boards, the best way to get a stuck pelt off of the forming board is to leave it wrapped in damp towels for about 25 minutes. It rehydrates the fur some what enough to come off the board.
Any questions?
TheFurTrapper
Help! Can't get my _____ pelt off of wooden stretcher!!
Mean while they were not using belly boards or wedges on the pelt before they let them dry. Using belly boards makes it 90x easier to pull most pelts off of the boards, all you do is slide it from the bottom of the pelt, up through the mouth hole an inch or two and your done, simple to do and saves you time and pelt quality later. The belly boards should be atleast 1" diameter and should be long enough to be able to go through the largest possible size pelt it's made for with roughly 7" to spare is the way I like mine. Not using belly boards and having to yank the fur off of the forming board can damage the fur by pulling out guard hairs stuck to the wood. Fur Graders DO notice small imperfections such as these. I find that if your not going to use belly boards, the best way to get a stuck pelt off of the forming board is to leave it wrapped in damp towels for about 25 minutes. It rehydrates the fur some what enough to come off the board.
Any questions?
TheFurTrapper
