Interesting stuff.What is the average price difference you get from critters tumbled and not?

Cathryn, that is how we do all of our mink pelts as well, the pelting plant that is and it makes a big difference in drying time. Love all the homemade enginuity in this post. Keep em coming.

I made the spindles.

The Paint Thinner I use is the Low Vol and safe for most applications. No I have not tried another product, but Melby Fur out of New London, MN has a secret concoction.

Thanks for posting. These types of posts are exactly why I keep comming back to t-man, to learn.

That motor looks like its really covered with grit, is that ok? Any concerns about fire?

i was thinking about doing this but nafa does it for me.. so they said it is a waste of time for ME but if you sell to a local buyer i can see how it would help.. i guess they dont tumble coon or beaver so maybe it could help with that.. but for me because i sell direct to nafa i would think it would be a waste

I ship alot of my fur to Nafa also, and they are only grading the fur for potential buyers. I know they drum the Pelts that are fur side out, but not the ones fur side in. This is why I drum my coon and mink, to get the best I can out of it, to make the better grade and receive more $$$ in my pocket when it's sold. Alot of my Fur that is sent to NAFA makes a Grade and is Labeled for that grade. (Labeled means that the pelt was pulled out of the graded lot to show the potential buyer.) If there is 300 coon in a lot, the potential buyers are not going to look at all 300 coon in the lot, but just a few labeled pelts from that lot. Maybe it don't mean anything to some, but to me it means the best looking pelts in the lot.
By the way, the reason Nafa drums all Fur side pelts is that they can't pick choose the 90% that don't get done at all.

i see your point now.. so you would not tumble any fur out pelts then?? because they get done at nafa so why do them twice.. i will make a drum and do all my fur in pelts... do you ever drum your beaver?
did i read your correct that you drum after you flesh or before?? i would think if you did it after it would be the best...

I don't put up many beaver, so I don't drum them.
I drum before fleshing.

Dead Coyote

What paint thinner do you use then if you don't mind me asking? right now I am using L.O.C. from amway. it seems to work but I haven't used anything else so I don't know how good it really works. Pelts look good but got nothing to compare it to. I have the same feelings as you when it comes time to taking pride in your fur. I drum all of my fur both the ones fur in and fur out. I hand wash all my coyotes before hand and then drum them. This helps to take out alot the water and they come out nice and fluffy.

we drum the fur again after we dry it and before we ship it, like they would.
we mark do not drum on the ticket and it sint drummed again so it saves the 100.00 a pelt fee on cats,coyotes, and foxes.

some people will disagree with them charging anyway, but they dont. they never have as long as hes been drumming it and senidng it to NAFA with the tickets marked.

we drum both before and after we flesh.
fur side first, then flesh them we drum the skin side and drun them again after theyre dried but before theyre taken to our agent for shipping

THANKS FOR ALL OF THIS.

this my first year, wasn't lookin to sell nothin.
next year will be different.
you guys are really helpin by posting all of this.

cathryn, do you say you dry the pelts after they are dried and off the stretchers? wouldnt this bend them or possibly rib a thin skinned fox? maybe this is a dumb question, but i dont know anything about tumbling. and another question Cathryn, when you posted a picture of a tumbler yous aid it was johns. is that the same set up you use? could you post pics of the spindles and motor sets up on that one?
thanks

and another question? are there ribs inside of the drums? and buckbuster, i ask this because i thought i saw a 2X4 or so inside your druma nd i figured its a rib. if so, how did you get that wood into the drum? i have the base built on my so now im just waiting to get some more information.
thanks

Yes there are paddles.