I bought a beaver board stencil at the NTA convention, and was wondering if I am better off making boards out of plywood or OSB? Also, double sided boards seem like a good idea and a space saver but how do you go about tacking the second beaver on the board, without messing up the first? I tack them on the board with nails.
Thanks for any help!

Plywood is easier to pull the nails out of, and pound them into.

Make a 2x4 frame that you can set the board on for the second side. I use horseshoe nails so I lay the 2x4s on end so they are 3.5” tall.

OSB is really rough on one side. At least what I use is. I wouldn’t want to use it as a two sided board. I use it because it is cheap but Dfabs is correct it is harder to nail into than plywood. Like the idea of the 2x4 frame even for a one sided board. May make nailing easier.

3\4 inch plywood is best,and use a thin sharp nail like a pinning nail and your boards will last much longer.You can get by with 5/8 but 3/4 is way better.
I have 4 blocks that fit onto the corners of my table so I can flip the board and nail beaver on the other side.
You can also use the plans in the FHA fur handling manual to make a beaver table that allows you to flip the boards for nailing both sides.

That's what I use, also use it as a skinning table, I use 3/4" popular plywood, have had some of my boards for 15 years.

I use 1/2" plywood and staples just don't press down hard on the stapler and the staples are a sinch to remove. Electric staple gun makes boarding beavers fast,and they keep a nice uniform oval, LOL I know its not for everyone but when my right hand has a hammer my left hand is nervous!And I use both sides of my boards to utilize space

Thanks for the information everyone, I'll pick up a sheet or two of plywood. If I had the space I would definitely build one of those tables, but my 12×16 fur shed is already tight.
Dfabs- thanks for the frame idea! I would have messed up a few beaver if I wouldn't have asked this question....

If you're buying 4x8 sheets, cut three 48"x32" boards instead of two 48"x48" to get another board. I made that mistake the first time I made a board.

Thanks, that's the plan. I would have made that mistake too, but I read that trick on here a week or two ago.

Somewhere I saw pics, diagram of that table that would fold up to a wall. After extended two legs would then fold down.

And if you buy your plywood at a big box stores, get them to cut it.

That's a good idea, QBD. I wouldn't have thought of that.

080808- that sounds awesome, but still wouldn't really work for me. I'll have to post a few pics of my fur shed so you guys can see what kind of space I have to work with.

This is what I did

Yep I made one. I'll take pictures and post them this evening if I remember. It works great and folds up out of the way I have a stainless steel table top I through on too of it for skinning beaver as well as bait make table.

It works very very well

Cut some slots in the plywood in the corners for handles to make it easier to move around.

I needed some new boards a while back, and they didn't have good two side 3/4" at my lumberyard so I got two sheets of good one side 3/8" ply, cut them into board sizes and glued them together. Wasn't much more expensive,and they are smooth and nice to work with on both sides. Now I have three boards that will handle six beaver. Works great on my table that lets me flip them over.

Rip a 3/4 X 3/4 inch notch in the edge of 3 pieces of 8 ft 2 X 4s. Cut them to length and screw them together at the corners. Cut the corners of your board, or drill a couple of finger holes so you don't need to lift the whole setup to flip them.

Don't staple hides if you don't have a really well ventilated area, they will mold. Nails let you lift the hide from the board.

For a skinning table I use an old porcelain fridge door, probably 70/80 years old.

Didn’t someone on here design a table that would store the boards ? Seems like it even had wheels on the bottom to move it around the shop .

If someone has a drawing and dimensions of that table I would like to build one. Seemed to be a solid looking table that could be used for a lot of things.