Beaming Knives? Are they worth it?

Well, it was a fleshing machine last night, but today it will be used as a shaving machine.

 

I have always thought that a fresh hide with meat and fat on it was to slippery to be fleshed with a machine made for shaving. Always been told that the pickle process plumps and firms the skin to make shaving easier. Dale's video on the mini flesher web site does not recommend using it for fleshing raw meat and fat.

 

No George I am not any faster but I do have a question. How much of a mess did you have to clean up after the process?

 

whitetail Dale is selling a mini a flesher guess what he's wrong. Talk to any tannery that gets in green hides or salted frozen ones. It gets done on the fleshing shaving machine.

I too own a mini flesher and I could shave a hide with it and have done many this way when just started out ( no money yet) after I got the machine there is no turning back to a mini flesher or a beaming.

To do a green cape you need a sharp knife and it will do it with ease. Now for me getting a good grip on the cape I use old tannery sawdust and sprinkle it on my cape or some use salt both are fine.

3 bears as for a mess I have a garbage can right underneath my blade and I get very little mess on my floor. It's bagged and ready for the garbage men when it get heavy.

 

Let me answer two questions at the same time. I didn't really have that much of a mess. The biggest mess came from having a wet hide that needed to drain blood and other trash out before I slopped it up on the fleshing table. I've never had much of a problem with deer and other ungulates as far as a "slippery" hide. When I do, here's a little trick I learned so long ago that I don't recall. When you get a hide like that in, open your bird tumbler and take out a cup full of hardwood sawdust or corncob grit. Sprinkle it all over your hide. It absorbs any fluids and makes the "slippery" go away. It really works well as it doesn't dull your blade and it gives you a "plow mark" as to what still needs fleshing. It works especially well on bears when you don't want to have grease thrown all over your shop.

 

Interesting Frank and George, thanks for the tips on gripping a raw hide. I don't own a shaver but have considered buying one at one time. I don't tan in house typically, it is part of my conditional use permit, so haven't really given it much thought because of the cost but may reconsider. if I could rough flesh more efficiently than with my beam and ulu.

 

Frank, obviously we went to different schools together. My history is the same as yours. Once you go, you'll never go back.

 

Skindeep the beaver would be a breeze on the machine. Just remember if you have very thick fat open the guard on the left more for easier removal. Yes you are correct that you can get the meat and membrane off your capes and then shave them after the pickle.

I have heard that the Dakota may slow down or stall if the meat is to thick or you go to fast to remove it so just take your time till you learn what it can handle and go from there.. Having an industrial machine I have or can't slow my blade down.

PS Yes George we sure did!

 

This has been an enjoyable thread. Can't wait to try my Dakota out on fleshing raw capes.

 

George and Frank sound like they may have been former TC-9 users.

 

Fleshed a bison cape and back hide Thursday on a beam with a knife. Hour and a half, including salting. Granted, no where near as clean as a round knife, but all the meat and fat are off. Skinners did a great job, no where near 25 pound of meat. Nonetheless, there is no way I could rough flesh with a round knife faster than I can on a beam. Each to his own.

 

Jared, that's only because you're a young man. Wait this you can't see your shoe tops without a mirror, your back is arthritic, and your shoulders are shot. You'll see. LOL

 

George, I only PRAY I will still be able to take on a bison at your age! I couldn't stand straight until after a soak in the jacuzzi tub! Lol!

 

I am super limited on what I take in now. I got a deer in and it is the last one of the four I took in, so, this is my chance to try to flesh on the Daakota. Since the beam has never been a problem for me as far as effort and time go, I am anxious to try something new. I'll post my experience in the near future.