I've got a deer in from a customer and the brisket is missing a large section. All that is left in the brisket area is about 6". Normally I could sew up this area, but in this case it appears that the brisket has been completely cut out except for the upper most 6".
Even worse thier is not much of an arm pit left on either side.
Do I tell the customer buy a new cape and hope it's ok. ( BTW I haven't had good luck buying capes)
Or is there a form that I can use that doesn't have much brisket/arm pit area. I would rather not do a neck mount as this is a very nice rack. For instance what about the semi sneak form on page 19 of vandydes. has any used it and what is the brisket length?
Tanks for any and all help.
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The back of the form by cutting off the excess length then put your own backboard in it. It will still have somewhat of a shoulder and not be a neck mount.
do this as I have never altrered a form. What do you use to cut the form? A sawzall, or just a reagular knife. By back board, do you mean attach a new piec of 1/4" or so lumber to it.
Thanks.....
I'm one of the few people in this business who's always worked without a band saw, but whatever you use, try this: Mount the mannikin on your mounting stand and level it. Now, go to the side of the form and draw a verticle line right behind the brisket hump. Cut the form along the line. I then rub the cut portion over the concrete sidewalk as sandpaper to insure it's flat. Then get an oversized piece of 1/2 inch plywood and epoxy the mannikin in place. I use a Zip-It tool and cut around the mannikin and then rasp the wood as necessary. It will be short shoulder for sure, but then again, you didn't cut the brisket off and unless you know a secret to growing hair, it's not your fault.
I hope I don't have to cut the form, but I think i can do it per your instructions. You've all been very helpful
charge for doing it.
Another option, if the customer wants, is concave the brisket area like a wall pedistal form, mount like usual and finish the concave area with leather or felt. We do this occasionally with customers that insist on using their own skins when they cut them short. I does look neat on pronghorn.
order your shoulder form that matches the measurements - drape the cape over it and you can see where to make your vertical cut - i use a sawzall with an 8" blade - make the cut - peal the wood away from the part your cut off - take your 'new' form (the front half) and lay it on the piece of wood you took off the back - trace around it and cut it to size - bondo the wood back onto the front of the form - voila! - not hard and very fast to do
If the missing brisket was the fault of the customer field dressing the animal and not the fault of the tanner or yourself just call him and tell him the situation and his options for a new cape or shorter form.