With coons bringing the most money finished, I thought a show and tell post might be in order. Plus I like saving money and building things. In my job field, our material comes in on semi-trailers and is separated by 4x4 x 90 inches long, a majority of them are poplar, which makes a fair strectcher board. I cut these into two 45 inch length. But remember it's free! I pick one that are free of knots and the growth rings go completely across in a straight or semi straight line. On the tablesaw I cut 1/2 inch thick board ,cutting 90 degrees to the growth rings, giving me a quartersaw cut that is stable to warpage. my ten inche table saw will not reach thru so I turn the 4x4 over and cut from both sides. Now that I have pieces of boards, I glue them together, sometimes you have to true them up on the saw for a good glue joint. All this work gives me board 1/2 inch thick 45 inches long and almost 8 inches wide.

This pic shows the two boards before gluing and one that is glued


In the same photo the other board has the layout deminsions that are readily available.
How I lay out the board is make a centerline mark on boards not glued together, now measure and mark your reference points, in this case was 2,6,12,24,36 and 48 inches and I use a framing square to draw a straight line across the board. Now you will need to mark the width at each reference point. After you have these marked,take your square and draw a straight line from point to point.(I should have M Howard write this it's getting long, LOL). Now with this done your ready to use a band saw or sabresaw to cut out. I almost forgot , I usually leave a flat approx. 3/4 to 1 inche wide at the top. The nose fits better IMHO, and it seems like I'm always banging the nose of the board on the floor and a point will not last.
You will notice that at the reference points toward the nose , the cuts come out to somewhat of a point, don't worry about that, it can be rounded with a file, sander ect.
Now that our board is cut out , we need to round the edges. I use a router to do this , but you can use a file, rasp, or a sander, whatever it takes. One word of caution, if you use a router, set the depth to where there will be a little flat left after both sides are routed. If you don't , when you rout the second side, it will undercut.

This pic is of a finished board.



Don't you just enjoy making things and SAVING MONEY.

Remember once you lay out and cut the first one you have a pattern for the other ones you want to make.

PS I tried to write this so was easy to understand and I need all the help I can get.LOL
Cletis

Cletis;
You listed the widths at 2", 6" & 12" but what are the widths at 24, 36 & 48. Your directions with the schematic drawing is very easy to understand & follow.
Thanks,

Those were
2 in - 3in
6 in - 5in
12 in - 6 1/2
24 in - 7 in
36 in - 7 1/4 in
48 in - 7 1/2 in

Those deminsions where from Fur Harvester, You can use any specification that you want.


I have a spec sheet for Nafa somewhere I will tranfer to photobucket and post later unless someone else beats me to it like BEAV.

Nice post. I can use that kind of info. I too have access to a lot of free scrap so I guess I will be making some stretchers at work.

That was an informative and practical tutorial to illustrate how salvaged material can be recycled into a fully functional item for the trap shed. Thank you for sharing your expanded vision to show what can be done with an old 4"X4". Not many would have seen what you saw in it.

Jonathan

Thanks for the tips. Possible archive material??

Thanks for all the kind words, but it was my pleasure sharing. Here's some NAFA information.



Heres three different size of boards for your coons.

Fine job there Cletis!

would it make them stronger, keeping in mind the idea it's cheap , to drill some holes down the inside at the same inervals, on both sides, and fill these with glue and appropiate sized dowels? nice post

Very good post, Cletis. I've been wanting to make me some like that!

Very good post! It should be archived.

Gotcha, although you are correct that dowelling,spline jointing,or any other method that increases the surface area of the glue joint strengthens it. I have not had a problem with the butt glue joint in this application as the drying hide compress's the two halfes together. Additional strengthening would be a personal choice. Thank you for your valued comment.

great Job !!! I will try to get some pics of some I made out of left over barn door wood I left a 1.5" out of part of the centerabout 10" long on my coyote board seems like it helps drying time and ease of getting hide off ( like adjustable board but consistent shape- great Job like the time ran out of 2x4 when building shooting stand and made a few out of cedar fence post with chain saw-

great post ... thanks

Some additional sizes
fox 2in-2 5/8
4in-3 1/2
6in-4 1/4
12in-5 1/8
60in-5 1/4

mink male female
2in-1 7/8 2in-1 1/2
6in-2 1/2 6in-2 3/8
12in-3 12in-2 5/8
24in-3 3/4 24in-3 1/4
36in-4 1/2 36in-3 1/2

skunk opposum use fox board

Thanks for the comments

Cletis

Good post. I assume when you say you round the edge over with a router you use a roundover bit in your router. If you wanted to speed things up you could buy a half-round bit with a ball bearing pilot and use that along with a properly sized template fastened to the rough cut stretcher. It would save flipping the stretcher over to round the other edge over. You'd be sizing the stretcher and finishing the edge in one pass.