I am about to do my first turkey fan,what is the best way to prepare the fan. I nailed the fan on a board,the base of the fan is about 1 inch thick. I put salt on it, someone told me borax work better another said that the meat needs to be cut off so I do not get bugs. I would appreciate any help. Thank You Rich.
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....So that you have only feathers and absolutely no meat. Lay out all the feathers in proper position and bondo(I prefer Epo-Grip) them together. No bug problems with this method.
You need to remove all of the red meat, and grease. This can be done with a sharp knife, and a wire brush. After you remove it all, you can then rub Borax into ALL fleshy areas. Spread the tail, making sure all feathers lay naturally. Dont overspread and leave gaps.Then pin or tack in place, and let dry. Once dry cover with leather, or whatever you choose. I personally cut plyboard into a half moon shape, just slightly larger than base of tail, and cover with black leather. You can then drive decorative tacks around the edge to give it a nice look. Its an easy process, that will last a lifetime if done properly. NG