I'm reading through the archives looking for an answer on the following. I'm sure it's basic to most of you, but I've never done the following.
I have some capes in the freezer, that I want to thaw, stretch, get good measurements, then store until the form arrives.(Usually within two days).
Would I be better off to re-freeze the cape and thaw when the form arrives, or would two days in the refrigerator be better.
I've been reading where freezing and thawing is an issue, and also where leaving them in the refrigerator is an issue. I'm doing this as a result of meat measurements not working as good for me as I would like.
In the future I'll be working to get as many different forms on hand as possible, but with the amount of different forms available, combined with the customers individual tastes, I'm hoping I will be able to leave a cape in the refrigerator, or re-freeze until the form arrives. Thank you
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I'd personally refreeze it. Wet tanned capes thaw in a matter of an hour or so. I doubt it would hurt it to leave it in the fridge for 2 days though.
If it only takes two days to get the form then prep it and keep it in the fridge. I just got done doing a dry tan from Wildlife Gallery, Blanchard, MI, and had it in the fridge for three days because things kept coming up and I simply couldn't get started on it. That cape mounted up like no other I have ever done when I did finally get the time. I love how thin it was shaved and that tan is the softest I have ever felt. Smells real good too!
Like James said, it only takes an hour to thaw anyway so the freezer is always an option too.
I also sent in a flat deer hide to see how it would come out and it was unbelievable!
I use the Wildlife Gallery as well, but have always gone off neck meat measurements, so I would never thaw until the form was already in the shop.
What I'm doing now is thawing these capes and getting some actual tanned cape measurements, primarily the swell measurements, so I have a better idea of what stage of the rut the buck was in.
After seeing James response last night, I measured two capes, and then immediately placed them back in the freezer.
The measurements came out the same as my meat measurement on the "C" measurement, but it was a great help to do this, as now I have the other swell measurements as well, so I'm hoping to better match the form to the deer.