well we had a snowday so i fleshed a couple coons decided to take some pics. does anybody have any tips or anything for me i would be glad to hear them[img][/img]
this is my fleshing beam i made. i used 4 inch pvc pipe i like it alot.
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a few that were hangin so i decided to take a picture

Very nice job.

looks like you cleaned them up pretty good, but I would try to even out your baselines...they measure to the highest point.

Very nice job!...what kind of drawkinfe were you using?

How did you make your pvc pipe fleshing beam?

I think it helps to use clothspins on the sides at the bottom to keep the hides from shrinking and losing length.

yours came out WAY cleaner than mine did.

nice job I"m interested in more about the fleshing beam eh?

Nice!!!!!!!!!

now get a paper towl or burlap rag and wipe them down every day or two.that will pull the grease off of them as they dry.good hardwood sawdust will work also.
good job on them!!

They look very good except the one on the far right could have been fleshed a bit closer. But It's probably going to dry out In time.

I have talked with foreighn buyers while at Groeny's and they say that closing holes is a waste of time. They notice the holes that are pinned or sewn shut and they know that they open up again at the dressing plant any way. Also clamping clothes pins on the leg holes isnt neccesary iether. In fact letting some air enter the leg holes will prevent mold from forming under the clothes pins. The window on the coon on the left is a little to wide which loses some fur on the flanks. otherwise not a bad put up.

The 1st pic looks like it is stretched over OSB. I don't know if all that glue would hurt it. I hate the stuff just because that's what we lay when roofing instead of plywood and the sweet smell of that glue sticks with you.

You will never hide a hole or a tear So In most cases It's no big deal if you don't pin It shut. But If you don't pin It shut the hole will become larger as the hide drys and It would probably look better to the country buyer if it were pinned shut but your not going to fool him.
I like to cut off the legs right up close to the hide. I normally do this before I flesh the coon It makes It a lot eaiser to flesh a coon with the legs cut off. Try It It realy makes a differnce.

What Beav said.

thanks for the pointers guys
thanks

losing some money by the cuts your making, as someone up top said even out the bottom. instead of cutting straight to the vent, make the cut up and over the top of the testicles and around to the side of the next leg, then cut straight up through the vent and in between the testicles, i'm young but i've handled some coons, a couple hundered just this year with my furbuyer who's been doing it for 60 years

What beav and camoman said, watch those opening cuts and get your skirts even. Hides look nice and clean but some are stretched too wide costing you money.

nice good looks good

calm down Tex. I am friends with the largest reciever of raw fur in North America and know just a little about how fur should be finished. I have yet to see a hole get larger as the leather dries unless it would be a gaping hole. I dont handle many coon of that nature so that doesnt concern me. A buyer most certainly looks at the window and cutting it too close to the edge removes some of the valuable flank fur. If you cut your front legs off close to the body the clothes pins arent neccesary. I dont care how you do things. Just showing how you can save some time. I averaged just shy of $30.00 on most of my finished coon and have had the buyer comment that he wished everyone would put up their fur exactly the way I do.