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Baby powder vs borax #5940061
06/30/17 10:09 PM
06/30/17 10:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2014
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S/W Wisconsin
rpmartin Online content OP
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While attending the fta convention, I sat in on the fha fur handling demo. The feller that was doing it said that if you feel you have to put something on to help dry the pelt you should use baby powder instead of borax. Anyone do this or heard of it? He said borax dries the hide out to much and will never be right even after tanning.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940081
06/30/17 10:39 PM
06/30/17 10:39 PM
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I must have missed you.

I know Greg Is the real deal when It comes to fur put up. So he must know what will work and what won't.

I think I left when he did that or explained It. I still thing your better off using several wedges to open up the hide to get more air flow. Get out the ear cartilage and I don't see there being a big problem.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940229
07/01/17 07:46 AM
07/01/17 07:46 AM
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I was looking for ya beav, sorry I missed you.

You could tell he knew his stuff. Was interesting to see the way he sharpened his caribou knife.

On coyotes I do put borax under the armpits and the tail instead of pinning it out, (looks better and more natural to me), and any damp spots before turning fur out. I will have to change my ways.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940303
07/01/17 09:31 AM
07/01/17 09:31 AM
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Why change your ways If It's working for you.

I had the grand kids with Me It was stop In and drop off some hides to get tanned and then we left.

Last edited by The Beav; 07/01/17 09:33 AM.

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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940710
07/01/17 08:26 PM
07/01/17 08:26 PM
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Yes it works for me, but how does one know if the grader down grades if they suspect borax has been used? Changing my ways meant switching over to baby powder .


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940817
07/01/17 11:00 PM
07/01/17 11:00 PM
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Ok here's what I do.

I don't remove the cartilage. I don't use any borax or baby powder.

I place the coyote on the board skin out tack It In place. I place a wedge Into the mouth end and one In from the tail end. These wedges aren't some wimpy coon wedges either. The one In the mouth Is critical In my opinion.


Let It dry for about 1 day Or when It loses that tacky feeling. Then I turn It fur out and place It back on the board. I place both wedges back In place and let It dry till It has that crinkly sound when I handle It. Then It comes off the board and the I replace both wedges. By putting those wedges In from the mouth your opening up that face area so you can get some air movement. This Is very Important once the hide Is off the board. You will probably have to pin the tail end one once It's off the board or It will fall out.

I think that If you leave that hid eon the board for a week or longer your just not getting any air movement through that face area. Most of the time you may get away with but why take the chance.
And with my system you can free up your boards a lot quicker so you don't need so many boards.

In my opinion borax and baby powder Is just a way of short cutting the way It should be done.

It works for me.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: The Beav] #5940860
07/02/17 12:02 AM
07/02/17 12:02 AM
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Thanks beav, very imformative. To break it down a little you said you didn't remove cartilage, but have to assume you trim off the big pieces of meat off the ears unless you do at skinning. This is another area that the fur houses say you should remove the cartilage.

My concern is the under the front legs, for me always damp + they want you to leave the front legs inside so would be hard to dry.

My stuff dryes much faster so have to keep an eye on it.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940926
07/02/17 06:07 AM
07/02/17 06:07 AM
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Originally Posted By: rpmartin


My concern is the under the front legs, for me always damp + they want you to leave the front legs inside so would be hard to dry.



I tucked my legs inside on my pelts last year, and the grader told me not to tuck them in so I'm not gonna worry about tucking them this year, I'm just gonna leave them out.

Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5940960
07/02/17 07:50 AM
07/02/17 07:50 AM
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Was that a fha or nafa grader Dfabs? Nafa recommends that the front legs be left in so as not to rip during drumming. Make sense to me. Not sure what fha recommends.

I always cut the front legs off just a little below the elbow so not much there when dry. When I turn fur out the front legs just stay inside.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5941356
07/02/17 04:51 PM
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RP you must have missed where Greg just cut the front legs off tight and used castration bands to close the holes. Looks like a neat way to do It. I just take the legs off short and Pin the opening shut with push pins or staples. Might have to try those bands.

Doing It that way should save you all kinds of headaches concerning the arm pits.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: The Beav] #5941558
07/02/17 08:52 PM
07/02/17 08:52 PM
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I seen that beav, you must have been there fri, I was there sat.

That was a good idea but before I buy that equipment I think I will just tie them off with string.

I never noticed and didn't ask, were the bands removed before turning? Did they get shipped with the bands still on?

At first I didn't think the hide would dry being all bunched up like that but I guess it does.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5941827
07/03/17 08:53 AM
07/03/17 08:53 AM
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The bands and the band spreader are not that expensive. I remove the bands from the hides I use them on before shipping.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5942456
07/04/17 08:25 AM
07/04/17 08:25 AM
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Originally Posted By: rpmartin
Was that a fha or nafa grader Dfabs? Nafa recommends that the front legs be left in so as not to rip during drumming. Make sense to me. Not sure what fha recommends.

I always cut the front legs off just a little below the elbow so not much there when dry. When I turn fur out the front legs just stay inside.


It was one of the senior graders at our trapping assoc. fur sale. I've never shipped to NAFA or FHA.

Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5942883
07/04/17 09:19 PM
07/04/17 09:19 PM
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Thanks guys, appreciate the input.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5943727
07/05/17 10:18 PM
07/05/17 10:18 PM
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Wolferman, thanks for the input. Although I understand the drying properties of salt, i don't think it is what I'm looking for. What I was after was how to dry anywhere that the skin is stuck together and hasn't dried before turning fur out which with the help of the above posts I think is solved.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5943777
07/05/17 11:00 PM
07/05/17 11:00 PM
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Dry your pelts horizontal and you wont need borax or any other chemicals.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: Boco] #5947790
07/10/17 08:58 PM
07/10/17 08:58 PM
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Originally Posted By: Boco
Dry your pelts horizontal and you wont need borax or any other chemicals.


Nice


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: Boco] #5950824
07/14/17 11:20 PM
07/14/17 11:20 PM
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Originally Posted By: Boco
Dry your pelts horizontal and you wont need borax or any other chemicals.


Shirley you can't be serious?


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5950855
07/14/17 11:58 PM
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Why would I not be serious?If you leave the front legs on or do any skins for taxi,you have to initially dry them so there are no folds under the front legs.Only a few hours until you turn them.Then you can hang them.


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Re: Baby powder vs borax [Re: rpmartin] #5950934
07/15/17 07:20 AM
07/15/17 07:20 AM
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Yes, that would be a good option. Never give it enough thought before I replied. Thanks


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