Stretching Beaver?

[nickb]

Ok, you have a beaver ready to go on the stretching board, how do you proceed from there? Just asking what your normal routine is.

Also, what type material, and size do you like best?

Thanks guys.

[Rob220swift]

Nick: I'm no pro but here's how I learned to do it.
3/4 inch plywood works great. I start by making a diamond shape with a nail at the top, bottom and at the sides. If the pelt needs to be pulled to get to a bigger pattern size I do it if it's not going to be stretched too tight. I then add nails similar to how you tighten lug nuts on a wheel. I try to stay on the pattern as I nail. Do this until you have them all about 1" apart. Also I fold and nail the legholes closed. I then slide the pelt up toward the nail heads so that air can circulate. With 5/8 - 3/4 board you can put one on each side and stack them.

[thebeav2]

Try this method to judge what line on your pattern you will start with.

Take the skinned and fleshed beaver by the nose and lay It out on your pattern.The nose should be touching the outer most line. Just streach out the hide loose. Where the tail end of the hide lays Is the line you will use all the way around the board. If It falls to the 4th line just start with the nose on the 4th line and then nail out the tail end on the 4th line and then go to each outside edge near the center of the hide and place a nail at these points.I then place a nail oppiste of each leg hole, then start going around the edges. I place my nails about 1 1/4" apart.

Beav

[Rob220swift]

Beav: I'm gonna try it. Sounds like a real time-saver.

[Stef]

I place my nails about 1 1/4" apart.

Half inch is not too close

Stef

[Gibb]

My rule of thumb is to place the nails about 1 inch apart or about the width of my thumb. Any further and you do not have enough and any closer you are making yourself extra work. But the closer the nails the nicer the beaver will look.
Cheers Jim

[nickb]

Ok guys, thanks for the answers. Let me be a bit more specific. Do you nail your beaver to the board with the board laying down or standing against say a wall or something? Or do you sit down to do it maybe? Do you get a hide on each side of the board? Thanks again.

[Gibb]

I stretch my beaver on a table and the table is designed as a frame which uses the beaver board as the table top. This allows me to board a beaver on both sides of the board. Nail a beaver on one side and then flip the board over and nail the next beaver on the other side.
In addition I also have heavy rubber mats around the table, much easier on your back. Once beavers are boarded I have a drying rack that will hold 11 boards at once. Which allows me to dry 22 beaver in a four foot space.
Cheers Jim

[nickb]

There ya go Gibb, that's the info I'm asking for, thanks.

Anyone else?

[thebeav2]

I made several 4 wheeled carts where I can place my boarded beaver. The boards slide Into slots and are held In the verticle postion I can place my fans so they blow air between the boards and so all the skins are getting the same amout of air on them. Also the With this system I can move them any where I want them In the shed..But I do have a very nice sized fur shed. It's actully my garage but I've had it for over 13 years and my truck has never seen the Inside.

I like to place my boarded skins tail side up on my drying cart.Reason being Is that the tail end Is the last to dry and by placeing It up It will get more heat and dry faster. The floor area Is allway's cooler then lets say 5' off the ground.

My boarding table Is made from angle Iron so the boards will just lay in the frames and the nails are out of the way ,so I can turn the board over and nail on the second hide. The table also turns so I don't have to be walking around the table.

Beav

[nickb]

Thanks Bev, this is the info I'm looking for. Wanna share what the demsions are on the 4 wheel carts? And there general makeup. That sounds like something I could use here.

We only have this few beaver trappers here? Come on guys.

[dj88ryr]

Hard to comment nickb, I don't have many beavers where I live now, but when I did up north, I always used hoops.

[Hornhunter]

The tables that Gibb and the Beav have sure sound handy. Immagine the disaster when flipping over "My" drilled boards with the roofing nails??

[nickb]

ttt, one last time.

[thebeav2]

My carts are 20" wide and 60" long .And the end standreds are just a bit over 4' high, the ends will have to be just high enough so when you place your top with the board slots the boards will slid Into th eslots and not fall over.
They have 4 wheels. The carts are made from 3/4" square tubing.

The base of the cart has a wood floor.On this wood floor I have screwed 1x1 sticks.The sticks are about 1" apart so you can slid the boards between the sticks. But remember there should be about 5" between each set of sticks.This will allow you to push the boards In the slots and not have the nails hanging up between the two boards.
Now you must do the same thing on the top of the cart so the slots will line up with the bottom slots.

I sure wish I had some pictures It would be alot clearer and a lot less typing LOL.

Beav

[Edge]

I've seen your webpage,Beav,that must be the ONLY hting you dont have pics of.......LOL!

Edge

[thebeav2]

Edge what I have on my web site Is just the tip of the ice berg. I just haven't had the time to put It all togeather.

Beav

[Edge]

GITRDONE!

Oops,I shouted....I know how it is,I have about a zillion pics.......ZERO on ym site......

Lookin forward to more of yours tho....

Edge