I just started fleshing my birds with a fine wire wheel, Ive done 2 chickens and 1 pheasant with minimal problems. I thought that I had the hang of it untill I tried a mallard today. I tore the crap out of this bird{thankfully it was mine to practice} but I still have another one to do for a guy. Ive just started a part time buisness but now Im scared to try this other mallard even though I said Id do it for $50.00 to cover cost and a very small profit. On the wheel I took a 2x4 to train the wires and trimmed them. I tried to not put any pressure at all on the duck but it still wanted to burn through. This poor duck has 7-8 holes one the size of a quarter. I stopped for the day and put in the fridge, Im not sure if this thing will even look good I may chuck it. Any ideas? Do you guys wheel your puddle ducks? I know they say divers are easier. I finished it with a wire brush and even tore another small hole in it. Help please.
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Mallards, especially fat ones seem to have no skin whatsoever.. just a thin layer of butter that holds the feathers together. Very rarely do I take a bird off the wheel where I haven't had at least a few holes. Learn to sew... that's all I can tell ya.. chances are you wont even notice it on the finished product.
A hole isn't the end of the world.. It's just a hole.
Jon
He was the fattest bird Ive ever seen. Before I got the wheel i did a widgeon and a gadwall and neither of these birds had hardly a ounce of fat on them. I thought after going through the archives that a mallard was the simplist of all the puddle ducks when it came to wheeling a puddler. I mean I would just touch the thing and it would burn through. Ill be spooked to even try a teal or a woody if given the chance.
And you don't want to know how many times I've had to unwrap one from around the spindle. Good old butter ducks. And you're right. Just WAIT till you get to the woodys and the teal. LOL
Ive made the flesher with a 1725 RPM motor, is it too fast? I have a 825 RPM motor that I could use, should I try that?
I've been trying to find a way to "master" the wheel. I've done quite a few birds, and thought I knew how to flesh pretty darn good, e few small burn throughs' but not too hard to fix, sometimes it wouldn't even show through on the feathered side of the skin. Then I saw a couple of posts as of recent, all made by highly respected people in the bird taxidermy industry. The first, as simple as it sounds, "take it slow!" The second, "keep the skin moving", and the third, "Keep it moist". So I tried it. I slowed down like there was no race, I kept the skin moving. This is truely the answer, small little, thin strokes, and the fat wants to roll off like melted butter. and the third, have a little mist spray bottle handy, and give the skin a few fine sprays, because when you take it slow, it will dry out a bit. I believe with water and fat not liking one another,(due to their specific gravity's) the fat kind of rolls away. I know there are a ton of techniques out there , (and I hope you here some more) but this really improved the "cleanliness" of my skins. Pete
Although it had a good 1/4 layer of fat on him. Ill try the water bottle trick. Is wheel to fast at 1725 RPM?
it's a little stouter than the average wheel on the market.. but it works for me
I'm willing to bet your using the fine wire wheel you buy at Home Depot, Menards, etc. Some use them with good results, but I find the fine wire wheels offered by the supply manufactors (I get mine from WASCO) work much better. I also think the speed is a bit too fast. I built my flesher using a three speed house fan motor. I adjust the speed acordingly- usually lowest setting.
My arbor is 1/2"
Take your mallard out of the fridge and finish him up. You will have some holes especially nearer the vent and the back which is very thin. Practice sewing and spend enough time with dishsoap and water. Don't be afraid to use scissors to go over the parts you didn't bet well enough. Even after you have washed him you can still do more degreasing. Like a smart old brickmason told me, get your basics down first, speed will come and when it gets there, perfection will too. Master those basics, finish your mount then start the next one and improve, or maybe wrap one around the spindle just for the experience. The first one won't be perfect but its one bird closer to it.
Please do the mallard, even if it has holes and even if you want to throw it away after it is done. By doing your own duck, you'll know what to expect when it comes time to do your customer's duck. You will Definately learn from the mallard, even if it looks horrible in the end. Go ahead and mount it, and you will be more prepared for your customer's duck. Good luck!
Do the Mallard no matter what. Holes can be fixed and you don't even need to fix holes under 3/8 inch. Try skinning the bird the day before and salting it. This toughens the skin a little. That was a tip from Stephen Savides a while back. Keep the skin moving. Holes happen when you stay in one place. You will develop a touch with time, but fix the bird you have. It will help build your confidence.
Once you know anything can be fixed you wont be nervous and you wont hesitate to dive in.
When I was first starting on birds, I heard some advice from one of the "experts". "Don't ever give up on a bird." Next month, you can throw him away if you wish, but you sometimes get some surprises. Also, the experience you gain is just as good even if the result is less than you want.
I agree about pushing on with the bird. It's good experience. I got this tip from here, but putting 2 wire wheels on side by side seems to work better than one. Make sure you keep the skin square to the wheel. I always tend to burn more holes if I start primarily using the edge of the wheel. Good luck.
I had a similar experience just last month. A friend of mine asked me to mount a couple mallards for him. These birds were so fat and thin skinned it was unbelievable. I am completely serious when I tell you that the skin on the back was transparent. It looked like seran wrap or scotch tape. Yes I burned holes and even ripped skin. To make a long story short I didn't give up and this bird turned out to be my best bird so far. So, you never know what the end results will be. I did learn that feathers will cover up a lot of mistakes and no one will ever know but you.
Here is a link if you want to see him. I did fix his tail feathers after this pic was taken. For only my 7th bird I'm very happy. Wing pockets geerrrrrr!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BrokenHorn/Taxidermy/P1030575.jpg
Thanks everybody for the info. i did him and he turned out pretty good and your right I did learn on this bird and that in and of itself was worth the time. Thanks