I just finished my second ever cape. Tanned it, and shaved it on my new fleshing machine. Unreal the amount of time it took me. Not only do I suck at using a fleshing machine but I can't see how I would ever get quick enough at it to warrant my time, much less the expense I have in the machine and the tanning. I do understand why some taxidermist prefer to keep everything in house, but I am no longer interested in tanning and shaving my capes. Just my opinion.
STEVE
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not somthing that you just pick up and do, it takes alot of practice. i ruined about 6 nice capes (my own) before i got the hang of it. speed comes with practice and time. somtimes its just eaiser to send them out, but then you still have to flesh them, so why not shave them too?
That is what the old timers call it. New beginners have the latest top-notch high tech materials on the market, and expect it to be easy and all snap together. It took me about a dozen deer to begin to cut the time down to where I am today. If you put hockey gear on and tried to skate one or two games, you would sell your gear, or keep skating until you got a goal one day. The same goes for taxidermy skills as sewing, fleshing, setting eyes, tucking lips, making ear butts. It is all about hand to eye coordination and dexterity. The more you do, the faster you will get, practice the skills and develop your dexterity skills before you bail out to early. Fleshing skills need to be developed, as well as tuning the blade is a learned skill also.
IM new too, but I do know you have to work at something to be good at something. You have to learn to walk before you can run :) Just keep practicing. Dont quit now! You have the machine, learn to work it :) I would love to have that machine sitting in my shop so Im a little jealous, but I can assure you, practice make perfect as the saying goes :) Keep at it!
Rae
I use a commercial tannery. They only charge $36 for a tan on a deer cape. How much is your time worth to you? I personally think $20 an hour should be a bare minimum someone should earn doing quality work. So if you can tan, shave and tumble a hide in less than 2 hours, then go for it. I would rather pay someone to do it for me and not dick with it. Gives me more time to do taxidermy, not tanning.
cost of shipping should be considerd also, to and from tannery. from start to finish you shouldnt have more than an hour invested in tanning a deer cape, including fleshing and salting.
You can turn ears, eyes, lips, nose, flesh, salt, tan, and shave a deer cape in less than an hour? Not done right you can't.
Keep trying. Like Rae said, You already have the machine so why not be patient and try to learn to use it. I send capes out and love the tannery that I use but just being able to do a few here and there would keep you working and not just waiting. Give it a honest shot, Someday I will be purchasing one myself and I know I will struggle just like all other Taxidermists did when they first tried to shave a cape. They dont struggle anymore and are probably pretty fast at it now.
Dont underestimate yourself, keep on trying!
I have been using trying to get the hang of a fleshing machine for 5 years and still am not real good at it. You can't give up that easy or you better find another hobby. I tan my own so that I don't have to wait for 6 mounths to get it back in God only knows what shape and I get better stretch tanning them myself too.
I do a lot of my own tanning but also send some out. I have found that I personally have a comfort zone when it comes to fleshing. If I try to flesh a cape that is too wet or too dry, I will have major problems. It has taken me a couple of years to know when the cape is the correct feel for me to thin it. When it is right I can get the speed and not hack the cape up.
Another thing, I used to get Van Dykes to sharpen my blades. They turned a lip that was probably 3/16ths of an inch. I also had some wobble issues. I have sent my blades to Carolina Fur Dressers and Seminole Fur and they put a much smaller lip that works much better for me, stays sharp and tunes easily and have no wobble. I also put a set of adjustable guards on my Dakota 4 and experimented with settings until I got my comfort zone. Hang in there and get some extra shop capes and have at it.
do not sell out your livelihood to someone else (tanneries) - even the best have problems meeting deadlines - i have owned several businesses and the first thing i have done on all of them is bring EVERYTHING in house - i have nothing against tanneries - they are just a nightmare waitin to happen
I've calmed down down. Amazing what a bad day can do to ruin your attitude. I'm a go getter done kinda guy so I'm not going to quit right now. Like Tom said, unplug the machine and get the fleshing video by Rittels. Then try again.
Thanks for the positive words of encouragement.
STEVE
When I did a lot of heads and was doing taxidermy full time. Iwas into each cape abuot 45Min. That is fleshing, tanning, turning, Everything, except sewing any holes. It may take me about 1hour now.
I can flesh the whole cape in less than thirty minutes, and the turnign and spitting is only a few minutes. I can do most of it on the fleshing machine/ My bench Grinder.
If you doubt the time, You are welcome ot come visit when I have a few capes to do.
And they probably turned out like the kind of capes I have bought from people here that claimed they were prepped. Ears not turned all the way, eyes not turned all the way, chin missing hair because they did not know how to thin the chin pad down to the folicles.