It takes me more than an hour to flesh out a mallard with scissors. Do the wire wheel fleshers like Van Dykes flesher work, how long do they take, how hard are they to clean and any tips on using.
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
If you notice, champions like Danny Owens used that flesher and those results should speak for themselves. As far as time is concerned, it'll take longer at first and less time as you get comfortable. You'll tear a lot of ducks to begin with but you'll learn by touch and feel how to do it without the tears. I flesh a duck completely in probably 15 to 20 minutes, but it's taken YEARS to get there without destroying the skins or wrapping them around the spindle.
just becareful on that cuz you can wrap a goose up real fast.its amazing how small a goose can get.:( then you get alot of practice on sewing. just take your time. results are great when you get the hang of it.
I am SOO jealous! lol
it only take me about 1/2 hour - 40 mins and im just a begginner
You can have it GOOD or FAST, , but you can only pick one. I try not to get in a horserace while I'm defatting ducks. It's probably less, but I tend to go back over some spots a second time.
I have to wonder what I'm doing wrong when I hear that others are so fast on the wheel, I'm still what I would consider a beginner but I've had my wheel for a year now and it still takes me a long time to get my ducks clean...This raises the question..How clean is clean enough..? Perhaps I am cleaning too much? I clean down to the bare skin, no meat, fat or membrane..all the quill tips seperated and no fat in between...Is this not completely nessecary..?
Thanks
It IS necessary and you're doing just fine. You'll get faster, but don't worry about that. Instead, worry about having done the job right so you don't have to explain to your customers why the bird smells like rancid grease or why the feathers look greasy.
Well I never time myself and I have a real good flesher ..I go by this rule Done is Done!
My next flesher box is going to be one of those clear palstic containers.Way easy to clean and talk about light transfer...