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My method of mounting Blue Crabs w/ paint schedule

Discussion in 'Tutorials' started by George, Jul 11, 2010.

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  1. Aug 17, 2010 #21
    hodx

    hodx Herman Darr

    1,408
    0
    Edgewood,Maryland
    fishworks, i basicly do it like you, except i don't steam them (unless i'm hungry)..i remove the top shell...and clean out the meat...i extract the meat from the large leg parts with a wire tool from within the shell cavity... then cut the membrane on the second large claw part and extract the meat with a wire tool then remove the pincher part and extract the meat with the wire tool...legs are injected with DP and DA 50-50 mix..
     
  3. Aug 17, 2010 #22
    FishWorks

    FishWorks New Member

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    0
    well George, when it becomes to bothersome to deal with, then it is in my book time to stop doing them.your method makes them bothersome, and likely to fall prey to decay and unhappy customers. by the time you can inject a crab, I can completely clean a crab and have is ready to reassemble. 80lbs of pressure can bust crab meat all over my walls. the body parts are better than a model for re assembly with super glue.In my area, I do maybe 55 crabs per season. I get 375.00 on a basket top. hard sand add 150.00.steaming a crab to it's orange base only makes the painting easier.i can't figure why you would white one out.each to his own, however,in mounting crabs, you are behind in the process, and your paint schedule proves that
     

  5. Aug 17, 2010 #23
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    FishWorks, obviously that's YOUR opinion and I just don't happen to share it. Have you ever tried it my way? I don't have one bit of trouble painting them as you should be able to see. When dried, the residual meat is so inconsequential, it doesn't matter and sealing them between two coats of epoxy eliminates any worries FOR ME. If you can get that kind of money for what you do, they're getting a helluva deal. I'm over $100 cheaper so I guess they're getting what they pay for. Either way, the customer is stuck with a blue crab he can't eat. When I get out my crab steamer, taxidermy is the LAST thing I'm going to have on my mind. All I want to think about is how much Old Bay I need to pour over them.

    Now I'm sorry I'm not as impressed with my talents as much as you seem to be with yours. Tutorials aren't intended for the icons as they already know everything anyway. I actually thought your paint schedule sucked, but then again, that's MY opinion.
     
  6. Aug 18, 2010 #24
    Donna1

    Donna1 June 1965 Panama

    1,101
    1
    Coastal NC
    DANG fishworks, you're really pushy on here for someone that's a newbie! Ya think maybe next time keep your opinion to yourself??? George and Crabcrazy do wonderful crabs! I learned from both of them, do it both ways and adapted their paint schedule's to work with my southern crabs. Won 1st place Pro, Best of Category (fish) and Morgan Reptile Award at our state show, AND this was the first crab I ever entered!
    Learn from others then do whatever works for you! Stop being thickheaded! ;)
     
  7. Aug 18, 2010 #25
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    I guess the most galling of all the comments was this silly assed statement: "by the time you can inject a crab, I can completely clean a crab and have is ready to reassemble." Now I'm taking a raw crab and injecting it with preservative which takes a hot 10-15 minutes. When it dries, the crab is already "posed" and three's no reassembly required.

    To explain my comment on the paint scheme, it may LOOK good, but it doesn't look like any of the bazillion blue crabs I've encountered over the years. The "blue" on the small legs is very brief and tinted to a dull green. I use reference photos I've taken from live crabs and none of them look like his. Mine also have antennae that I don't see on his masterpiece. I suppose being conceited is no problem as long as you're convinced.

    Donna, your advice is right on the money. Each of us "sees" differently and I'm sure different environments can influence different colorations. I do know that Crab Crazy probably has access to the absolute BIGGEST blue crabs in the world. Wye Mills, Maryland on the Chesapeake has some real monsters. I've had several over 10 inches.
     
  8. Aug 18, 2010 #26
    redwolf

    redwolf Active Member

    21,976
    6
    Mass.
    It pisses me off when someone takes the time to post a GREAT tutorial, and then someone who does things different pipes up.
    I bet there are a bunch who would like to take time out of their day to post a tutorial that would help a lot of people but they wont do it because they don't want to get beat up on by someone.
    And for the record George has been at this for a while, and I'm pretty damn sure he knows what he's talking about.
     
  9. Aug 18, 2010 #27
    Donna1

    Donna1 June 1965 Panama

    1,101
    1
    Coastal NC
    Kinda dangerous for a fellow to poke a stick at a guy that almost cut his own foot off ain't it?? ::) ;D
     
  10. Aug 18, 2010 #28
    hodx

    hodx Herman Darr

    1,408
    0
    Edgewood,Maryland
    everybody has there methods of doing mounts...if it works, then don't knock it....i don't think i would steam and eat a crab, from a customer...
    George we do have some big crabs,later on in the fall is when we catch the biggest ones...right now a lot of small ones...Donna thanks for the compliment
     
  11. Aug 18, 2010 #29
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    CC, a client brought by a Wye Mills special last Tuesday. It was 9.5 inches but had "midget" claws so he said he was going to eat this one and wait for the later batch. He and 2 other guys ran trotlines for about 6 hours and that was the only "big" one that they caught in that time.

    This years batch of crabs seems to be the "fattest" I've seen in some time. I had a bushel of #1's dropped off two weeks ago and they were simply packed with meat. After feasting, I still got almost 5 pounds of crab meat in the freezer (and before anyone asks, the crabber is a waterman friend. He had a bushel and a half of crabs stuffed in that basket.)
     
  12. Aug 18, 2010 #30
    Donna1

    Donna1 June 1965 Panama

    1,101
    1
    Coastal NC
    biggest I caught down here were 5"ers....still too dang hot!
     
  13. Aug 18, 2010 #31
    sarahdj

    sarahdj Active Member

    2,944
    10
    Horse Creek, IL
    Thanks George!
     
  14. Aug 18, 2010 #32
    hodx

    hodx Herman Darr

    1,408
    0
    Edgewood,Maryland
    and i seen the ones with big claws and a small body....i'm still waiting for sept and oct, my commerical crabbing buddy..will get some big ones for me...maybe wye river is hot, but most other places are catching a lot of small ones, which is good..that means next year will be something else.....I like to see those huge mumbo's that don't fit in a crabnet...been there and done that
     
  15. Aug 21, 2010 #33
    FishWorks

    FishWorks New Member

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    0
    FYI my intention was not meant to challange anyone or piss people off. sorry if everyone took it that way. I also, as what I have been called a "newbie", didn't know I was supposed to cheer and agree with what was posted. I now know better to mind my own business. I also didn't know I should not post any pictures either. again, sorry. I was not in any way "bragging" or intending to upset anyone. my only reason to post any pictures was to show, I mount crabs as well, and alot of them. it sure seemed logical to me that pictures might just open discussion as to each persons choice of preservation and finish painting. that's all. I also haven't realised that as a "newbie" to this forum, that just because of that, I need to sit at the back of the class. no problem. this is the first forum I have been on that places experiance to the amount of posts one makes. I guess it will take some time to figure out how one should include themselves here, if at all. and finally, Donna, congradulations on your winning all those awards for your first crab!. actualy to me, don't you think you post doesn't include just a tab bit od "bragging" itself? from now on, I will just be very carefull with any postings I make, if any, not to upset anyone. the world has enough of that all ready. GL to all of you
     
  16. Aug 21, 2010 #34
    hodx

    hodx Herman Darr

    1,408
    0
    Edgewood,Maryland
    fishworks, nobody is jumping on you...you got to remember, everybody has there own way of doing things...mounting crabs is no exception...its like telling some one there fish is painted the wrong color...and everybody knows fish from different regions have different colors, George may be a little rough, but usually he knows what he's talking about...don't stop posting because of a little tiff....he jumped on me a couple times before, I'm still here...there is a lot of knowledge on here to be have...give it a chance
     
  17. Aug 21, 2010 #35
    antlerman

    antlerman NTA Life Member #0118

    12,572
    7
    There is a product out there called RID. For you guys out there with crabs, I hear it works good. Voyer recommends it!! LOL
     
  18. Aug 21, 2010 #36
    hodx

    hodx Herman Darr

    1,408
    0
    Edgewood,Maryland
    I had a lot of crabs and more on the way doubt if that stuff would work for me antlerman
     
  19. Aug 22, 2010 #37
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    Tim, I haven't seen Tom here lately and it's a bit unfair to smoke him like this but............sucks to be him. LOL Tell him that NAIR would solve most of his problems with crabs - along with wearing shirts with sleeves on them.

    Now to you FishWorks, one things pisses me off automatically and that's when someone shows up here, makes an ass of himself, and then tries to portray himself as an innocent little lamb. I posted that in the TUTORIAL section just outlining what I'd done to get the results that my customers get. Nothing was wrong until you got to that part where you remarked about my paint schedule being "proof" that you were able to walk on water. So don't play that innocent crap. I've seen your kind for over 50 years and I smell "conceit" for a mile. There are some highly qualified taxidermists on here who excell in this trade (like Tom Voyer and Jean Lavalee) who would have come on and offered "alternative" methods. You offered nothing other than a billboard of your own "ugly baby" work. So stop with the "poor me" crap. You want to join us, you're more than welcome, but don't think you can fart in church and blame someone else for the stink it causes. This is "family", here as we all share the same profession. We ALL have different methods. If I'd have painted it purple and had the legs on backwards, then I along with anyone else who billboards their work would have sucked it up and agreed with you.
     
  20. Aug 22, 2010 #38
    FishWorks

    FishWorks New Member

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    0
    only a vindictive, mean spirited, unhappy grumpy human could elevate ones opinion into a psychological examination. and over a stupid crab. you need to double up on your Prozac! knowone needs to be that miserable
     
  21. Aug 22, 2010 #39
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    Thank you for proving my point. Is that the BEST you could come up with? You might want to click on that SEARCH engine and read, almost verbatim, that limp weasel comment about being "old". You'll be damned lucky to survive as long as I have much less try to imply that age causes someone who sees a narcissus to keep from pointing it out. It it was only a "stupid crab", I'm amazed at someone with your brilliance and talent to even comment on it.
     
  22. Aug 22, 2010 #40
    RDA

    RDA Well-Known Member

    14,054
    184
    CARSON CITY, NEVADA
    this thread is getting a little "crabby"..... ;D
     
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