I am trying to make my first fleshing beam. I plan to use a 2x10. is this adaquate for fleshing coon. Please give advice on size and how to round and shape best. Is there another option too? Looking for low cost. Any advice is great.
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Just my opinion, but I feel it would be to wide, you want a rounded board, not a flat board. Hides will flesh much better with a rounded fleshing board. You might try hunting for more ideas by useing the orange search button, I am sure you will find many. good luck, rw
but if you put a long enough taper on it and round it off real good so you dont have any flat spots, you could get by with it. I have pictures of 2 that I made if you go to www.TaxidermyReference.com and go to " how to articles page 2 " and then go to" basics of tanning ".
You may also get some ideas from www.braintanning.com . Good luck.;)
I am in the middle of making my first one also. I plan to use a round cedar fence post I bought at a TSC store for about $5.
is pretty soft and the knife will gouge it but will work fine.
Any fence rounded fence post will do and it will last at least a few years before you have to turn it to a new round side .
Rick
various sizes of PVC pipe, taper the ends to suit your needs and the size game your doing. It's hard, easy to clean, and works like a charm. Ask your local plumber for some scraps a few feet is all you need or take a trip to Lowe's. Marc R
so...I'm not an expert taxidermist, nor do I have military experience and the servival savy of PVC, duck tape and all, but I have simple civilian know how as a canadian trapper. 1.Y'all take a metal raccoon stretcher as a template and trace it on 2X10 ( excelent choice) and cut out with saw. 2. Take a plane and shape end so it will not damage fur side of hides. 3. Set beam up to fetch a little above your belly button, in standing or sitting position. 4.And be nice to trappers, cause they pay taxes so young folks can earn their bread grunting in the military, pee brovado and retire to Canada for the heath care when you all retired and busted up and the enlaged prostates shut the works down.
Stormy you are on the right track...raccoon and fleshing beam were the start of my beautiful relationship with taxidermy.
I hope I did not make too many writhing errors, especially that I'm a french canadian. Bonne chance Stormy.
What a great forum. This is the first time I have asked a question. I have searched the archives some and needed more. Thanks for all the ideas. Great article Bishop i needed to see those. I had outlined my stretcher on the 2X10 but was afraid to start cutting and planing. Sounds like I better keep it to 8" wide. I may need to get a few more boards cause i don't think i'll get it right the first time. Thanks for helping this novice. Any other ideas let me know.
for the kind words. Good luck.
I would be happy to make you one out of 3/4" thick uhmw which is a plastic type material, I have a few of them I have made for myself and have proven to work well, different sizes for coon and coyote. I have not had a problem with the flat beam even though some people prefer the rounded type, I use a flat draw knife to flesh so the flat beam works good.
This might make everyone laugh but i use an old ironing board with 1 leg taken off and i traced the board on a 1x15 and jig sawed it to the same diameter as the ironing board and screwed it to the metal frame
i have a good taper and rounded the edges and works great for me. stores away nice and easy also.lol
wow that is a neat idea. it works grat. Thanks