Like to see what anyone uses as their primary skinning table. I currently have been using a table with a plywood top on an angle. It
drains into a bucket via a piece of plastic gutter.After a few years
its starting to leak thru plywood. Moving into my new studio-want to
know what is your table is like. Thanks.
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I have a fiberglass autopsy table I made.. flat at one end, gently sloping down to a drain at the other end. Hard plumbed running water at the flat end with a small lip around the outside edge. Has everything I need for doing skeletal extractions.
What are you skinning that you have all that liquid to drain. My skinning table has a laminate top, and all I do is wash it down when I'm finished.
Coyote
Plexi-glass. Easy cleanup!
My table is flat. I'm with Coyote what's up with all the excess "fluids" that need a drain? If you can lift it up on the table it aint exacly a life-size moose!?!
oops, should have been exactly!
I get a couple of huge hogs or some very bloody deer that need a place to drain. Also being able to rince off the table into some sort of drain would be nice. Thanks for your post.
If your skinning out whole animals, I have a back room where I can hang the animal to skin it. I can also spray them down if they're really dirty. Very seldom do any of the animals have all the much blood or other body fluids to really worry about. Then I take them into the shop where I can put the cape on the table and finish caping it out. If I'm doing a full mount it's skinned in the back room, then I finish fleshing it and salting it inside. But really, I never have that much fluid to worry about draining out somewhere.
Coyote
I hang anything to large for a table. And use a stainless steel restaurant prep table (got at a metal scrap yard cheap by the lb.)
that wipes right up when I'm done w/ the small stuff.
Also, you can buy those plastic top tables w/ the fold up legs (buffet type tables) at lowes or home depot for $30-$60, depending on size.
You can shape partical board and install a sink drain, even better a garbage disposal. Shape the board, then cut white pine railing about 1 inch, Deeper if you need it, seal these by using silicone caulking and drywall screw them to the table, be carefull and use just enough to seal them between the table top and rim.
Now coat with cat/polyester resin, you need to mix it a bit hot do to how thin the resin will be applied, several coats may be needed.
Now using 400 grit wet or dry sand paper and a sanding block, wet sand the surface of the resin, keep it wet WHILE SANDING.
Install your drain and either hook it up to the sewer lines or istall a disposal and hook it up.
You will also find istalling a hose and sprayer will help with cleanup, use a squeegie to pull the water to the drain. Simple and super effective.
i dont know if this will be what you want or not but i have one that iuse for automatic transmissions. I took the door off of an old large chest freezer and removed everything but the shell then I drilled several small holes in a small circle on one end so i could wash it all down to one end and into a 5 gallon bucket. i have a metal frame that it sets on but you could make it out of wood.
Does your new shop have an in-floor drain? If you have several heads to come in at the same time, you can put down a piece of tarp-with a 2x4 just under the edges to help control the "leaking" fluids flowing toward the drain-until you can cape them out. This way they have a lot less drainage to transfer to your skinning table when the time comes(that is, if you prefer to work inside and out of the weather).
Hope this helps.-Susan
PS- if a local restaurant closes(or if you see a used metal reclaimation center when you're traveling around) see if they'd be interested in selling their stainless-steel tables, they wash-up easily and strong cleaners won't damage the surfaces.-Susan
This one got a lot of repies! But here goes mine. I use an old bar that was in my basement. I insaled a laundry tub under the top and cut a hole in the center of the bar top. I also nailed a 1 x 1 wood edge around the entire top. I caulked the wood to make it water proof and simply rinse the top when I am done and push all the water and nasty stuff down the hole. This will only work of you have a dranage system already in place.
I have two tables they are stainless steel. 5' X 5' and have a 1 3/4 inch lip around them. they slope to the center where there is a 1 inch hole. a bucket or drain can be placed under the hole. when I want to thoroughly disenfect them, I plug the hole and put an inch of watter in the tabletop, with some bleech. I got mine at an Auction. for $25.00 each. I suspect they are much more at a resturant supply store. But I realy like them. another good point to them is you never have tools fall off.
Thanks to all of those who replied. This just proves to me that
"taxidermist are the mother on invention". I am going to combine
a lot of your ideas and when completed post my results.
Thanks again
Steve