my fleshed skins (pics)

[Darrel From Meraux]

Hi all, Im have been doing taxidermy for a hobby for a few years now and recently I have a buddy, also a hobby taxidermist,tell me that althought I flesh my skins verry well he claims that I could get away with leaving more of the "tissue" type flesh on my skins. He says it makes them less prone to slippage and tearing from being ultra thin. I'm posting a few pics for your opinions. The first 2 pics  is a pintail fleshed the way I would usually flesh. The second 2 pics is a wood duck fleshed to the point where he says that is sufficient. What are your opinions? I do get tears quite often due to my sins being so thin. If I could get away with fleshing like performed in the second set of pics I believe it would greatly help me with being able to grasp the skin to taxi without tearing and rippage.  Also note that the pics are pre washed which would take out alot of greese also.

Pintail
j


Wood duck

[Nancy C]

The pintail looks fine. (There are a couple of hanging membranes that could be clipped free, but it is clean enough that it won't ever leak grease.)

The wood duck is nasty and nowhere near done. Not only that - it is done better on one side than on the other. When it dries, the fat and tissue will shrink, and the nasty side is going to want to pull down tight or move into a new position. That is NOT what you want when you are trying to get control of the skin.

[byrdman]

use borax on your skins when you flesh...soaks up oils and makes wheel more "abrasive".....on your fleshing job......"what she said"