I have always used boards and nails, but I've been hearing quite a bit of talk about stapling the pelt on the board, and tossing the nails. Apparently, several furriers have been doing this for years, and probaly trappers too. I would sure like to try this method, but I have questions...

>What length staples are appropriate to hold the pelt down and not pull out while shrinkage occurs?

>Does it affect the drying time of the pelt when air cannot circulate to the back?

>What do you use for pulling the staples?

Thanks for any help. Joel

Length? As long as you can get the better. You want to leave a gap between the top of the staple and the pelt or board so you can pull the staple out. Suposedly if you get celing tile staples they will make the boards last longer.

Drying time? I assume it would be a little longer, about what it would be if you didn't pull the beaver up onto the nails. (Usualy 3-5 days here depending on temp and humidity)

Pulling Staples? Ive used a fur comb and it worked alright, also what the NAFA demonstration used. KB make a fur comb/staple rake that should work great.


Ive tried staples, and went back to nails. In my experience they are quicker to staple down, but getting all the staples pulled was a pain. It would come off the board, 3/4 of the staples would tap out, and I had to pull about 1/4 of the staples 1 at a time with a pliers. And I cut my finger real good on a staple I had accidentialy left in the pelt. Thats was the last straw!

I tend to agree with Marbleyes. They are definetely faster when putting them in, but pulling them can be time consuming. If you staple the hide just a little bit too far in the leather, when stretched, can wrap over the top of some of the staples and make them a real bugger to get out.

If someone would show or tell me how to pull them faster I would switch completely over. For now I will probably stick with nails.

Clark

Don't use staples, been there done that, a real pain in the posterior. Instead, use brads shot from an air nailer. I use 1 3/4" nails and shoot them into the board about half way. They can be easily removed using a fencing pliers or a needle-nose. The fencing plier I have, because of its rounded head, gives you the mechanical advantage to pull the brads without much effort.

If I had to pound nails to dry a beaver hide, I wouldn't trap beaver. My fingers would never stand up to the beating they'd take from the hammer.

I have developed my own little systen of pulling staples with fencing pliers. I can pull them as fast as nails. I also set my stapler to where it only sinks the staple half way. Just takes practice..

Joel, I bought a craftsman elec stapler that is adjustable. Follow me. Once you have the stapler adjusted (depth of the staple) for the hardness of the wood boards it doesn't seem like there should be a problem.

well the answer to the nails and staple questions is...

HOOPS.. love them.. except when the don't open enough.. then nails and a board.. i staple the legs shut... before i stretch them. and remove them with a pair of needle nose pliers...after they come off the hoop or board.. a litle bend and pull.

the hoops dry so fast and give such a nice shape..

look into a half doz. and see if you like them.. i'll be buying more for next year.. 3-4 days..and they are dry.. might change depending on location and climate..

i do the hammer and nail thing, i tried the staples, didn't like 'em. maybe i just didn't give it enough time to get easier.

a trick on the staples is, use the cable staples, the ones that are "U" shape. also only put one leg of the staple in the pelt, that way the hide doesn't come over the staple during drying.

I have never stapled but think it would not work well I am not changing the nails go deeper and hold the pelt tighter I would think. Guess that would depend on the staple . might be faster But I won't change. never tried hoops either but would think about trying that. easier to store a hoop than a sheet of plywood.

Well, I already have quite a stack of boards that I've used since I can remeber. Thing is, the brads I always used are such a gauge that are strong enough to withstand bending after drying, when the pelt is pulled up midway on the nails for circulation. Problem is, after year of popping in heavy gauge brads, as you all can guess, your poor boards start looking like you took a shotgun to them! That is why I am thinking of alternatives to brads. I'd try hoops, but I already got the boards, and honestly like them! Just would like a more efficient and less destructive way to tack. I have an electric Arrow stapler that doesn't sink em in too far if you hold properly. I am really concidering either staples or narrower brads, just need to find the apropriate size. "the longer the better" seems like the right idea for the staples. The "U" shaped staples would seem to work, but too bad a guy couldn't pull the hide up em.

Ill agree that pulling the hide up is good but I dont. I still avergae just as much or more than my buddies who use hoops and nails. My beaver are always left overnight befor i skin so there always dry when I board them.

The staples that are 1/2" work good for me, as for pulling them out. I took a flat screwdriver and made a small bend at about a 30 degree angle 1" from the end and then took a hacksaw and cut a slot in the end of it about 2 blade wide and a 1/4" deep. It works great and very fast. I thought about making some to sale, also use it to pull out the staples on my coons.

I dont know how some of you are pulling staples one by one as fast as you can pull nails.
I think you were pulling your nails differntly than I.

I can pull all the nails out of a blanket beaver in 30-45 seconds.
How? Put board up against wall standing up.
Leave 3 or 4 nails in to nose and start pulling nails (Hand on pelt below nails so it does not rip, claw of hammer grabbing 1-5 nails at a time in a downward sweeping motion) one direction till you reach the bottom, then the other direction. I usualy leave my nails in the top of a rubermaid container that they mostly fall into when they are pulled.

this might be because I leave my beaver on the board, I do not pull them out to help them dry. I believe this makes it much easier to pull nails and dosent affect my drying time too much.

For you 'Nail guys" I too was banging my fingers, having fits trying to hold nail /brads with half frozen greasy fingers, until the light bulb turned on. I bought one of those cheap catfish skinning plier things, and hot glued a piece of speaker magnet to the front. I grap the edge of the pelt and the magnet holds the nail. It's pretty sweet and quick once you get the hang of it.

I just bought a Stanley Eletric staple/nail gun. it shoots up to 9/16(14mm) staples and 5/8(15mm) inch brads. I bought it with this very thing in mind. I read above that the longer the better and one post said 1 1/2 inch brads. Is the gun I got sufficient to do the job or would you take it back and get a bigger one.

I have a Craftsman air nailer. It will shoot brads up to 2" long. I like the 1 3/8" size best. You can nail a hide real quick and pulling the brads is fast and easier than staples.

the best ive seen used is an air stapler from menards. they use the small pancake compressors and theyre very quiet. staples are about 1 3/4 inch or so. very easy to pull and the hide can be slid up the staples to dry, then pushed back down to pull the staples. takes less staples than it would nails because the staples have 2 legs about 1/4 inch apart. if fur processors are going to this method, its because they havent found a faster more effecient way yet. i prefer nails to an electric stapler.

I've used staples for years, I used to pay my son .50 cents per hide to pull them for me. He's on up in the teen years now and very seldom helps though. While watching a demo at the nationals by Greg Schroeder, he said that when you nail the hide, that they have to cut all around the edges because of the size of nail holes, creating wastage. I'll probably keep stapling mine, but would sure like an easier way for pulling them.

What Creektrapper said.

Get a stapler that is adjustable. Then use a fencing pliers to pull them out. Adjust the height so that there is space enough to pull out the staples. 9/16" work great.

MAKE SURE TO PULL ALL THE STAPLES OUT BEFORE SHIPPING/SELLING.

Drying time is not much different. I use a turn table as well that is the greatest invention ever made for doing beaver pelts using staples or nails!! A guy from Canada was selling them about 6 years back for 75.00 and I bought one. I will never stretch another beaver without mine.

For me, stapling speeds things up and pulling them is not hard. Just make sure you slide you fingers around the pelt 3times to make sure all the nails are out before shipping.

Marty, you mentioned about Nafa prefering staples vs nails becuase of the waste with nail holes.... Bet they dont give you anymore money even though you use staples though. Just reflecting!