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Stretching boards. #6922619
07/07/20 11:37 AM
07/07/20 11:37 AM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 5,214
Crivitz WI
Sprung & Rusty Offline OP
trapper
Sprung & Rusty  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 5,214
Crivitz WI
Buy em or make your own?

Last edited by Sprung&Rusty; 07/07/20 11:37 AM.

No Jab.
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922626
07/07/20 11:45 AM
07/07/20 11:45 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
I would buy them. Most of us don't have the tools to do a decent job.


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922627
07/07/20 11:46 AM
07/07/20 11:46 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,788
MN
1
160user Offline
trapper
160user  Offline
trapper
1

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,788
MN
Buy them! Old Leonard from Top Lot Stretchers makes some dang fine boards with only the best materials.


I have nothing clever to put here.





Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922633
07/07/20 11:54 AM
07/07/20 11:54 AM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
A
AnthonyT Offline
trapper
AnthonyT  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,593
KY
I'll second Top Lot boards. I have a shed full of Leon's coon, fox, and coyote adjustable boards as well as a pile of rat and otter solid boards. The coon boards work for coon, possum, and I use them for nutria also by just adjusting the width down. I use the fox boards for skunks also by narrowing them down a bit. Coyote will work well for bobcats.

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922653
07/07/20 12:12 PM
07/07/20 12:12 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Make your own,trying to fit your section of fur on some generic size board will lose you money.
Easy to make fur forming boards with simple hand tools.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922665
07/07/20 12:23 PM
07/07/20 12:23 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
Generic sized boards? There are industry standards in the fur trade and these board makers tend to follow those standards when making boards.
I can se It know boco making boards with his simple tools his double bited axe and his adze and his draw knife. LOL


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922671
07/07/20 12:29 PM
07/07/20 12:29 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat Offline
trapper
bctomcat  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
Make your own as most trappers have the basic hand tools to do so and as "Boco" stated they are easy to make. Also it will give you the satisfaction of being a complete trapper being able to do it all.

Last edited by bctomcat; 07/07/20 12:34 PM.

The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.






Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922672
07/07/20 12:31 PM
07/07/20 12:31 PM
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,018
MI
C
Co�s Offline
trapper
Co�s  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,018
MI
I made mink, otter and muskrat boards last year using FHA patterns, plus one adjustable to try for otter. Once your lumber is planed the right thickness, it's quick work. Draw a center line down the board, measure out lengths used as reference points on the pattern (stations), use a square to make perpendicular lines at those stations. Mark the widths at each station, tap in a finish nail, bend a batten around the nails and draw a pencil line. I cut with a band saw and finished with a hand plane, but you could just as easily use a circle saw (skillsaw) or jigsaw. Sand with 80, 120, 220 and you're done. Once one is made, just lay it down on the stock and trace for your next ones. Save off cuts for belly boards.

I think I'm going to use two belly boards next year for otter, the one I stretched on the solid board was a bear to get off the form, I thought something was going to break.

Last edited by Coös; 07/07/20 12:37 PM.
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922674
07/07/20 12:33 PM
07/07/20 12:33 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Wrong beav.The board sizes published dont fit all sections.Wild fur is not like ranch fur.
For example,if I used the fox boards published,my fox wouldnt dry right-need a bigger board for our fox here.
I also find a lot of boards on the market are way too thick-For example,my marten and mink boards are thinned down considerably from mid back to nose area.Trapper Ron had a good example of that on here once.The only thicker parts of my boards are where the pins go.
Also my wolf boards are also made to my own specs.Wolf boards for sale are totally inadequate for what I want my finished pelts to look like.
When I was winning the Wolf competitions regularly at FHA,the graders wanted to get a hold of my wolf board for measurements.

Last edited by Boco; 07/07/20 12:34 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: 160user] #6922681
07/07/20 12:42 PM
07/07/20 12:42 PM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 862
Ohio
G
Gone Trappin. Offline
trapper
Gone Trappin.  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 862
Ohio
Man the price of those stretchers is highway robbery... just some coon and muskrats boards will cost a few hundred bucks.

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922682
07/07/20 12:42 PM
07/07/20 12:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
It's pretty hard to find the right wood thickness around here. So your going to need a planer to get the right thickness. Sure If your only making 1 or 2 rat or mink boards you can hand plane them. But If your making coon or fox boards it's going to take a lot of blood sweat and tears to make to make a few boards.
One time a bunch of us made 100 coon boards but we had the Amish cut the bass wood and then they planed It down to the right thickness. So we knew a guy that had a kiln and we had him kiln dry are wood. If we wouldn't have done that we would have had to much warpedge. The boards turned out really good but It was labor of love.


The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922684
07/07/20 12:44 PM
07/07/20 12:44 PM
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,018
MI
C
Co�s Offline
trapper
Co�s  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 1,018
MI
Yeah the premade ones are spendy. You can usually pick up decent 12" planers used on FB or Craigslist for $100 or so. A handy tool to have around.

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922685
07/07/20 12:45 PM
07/07/20 12:45 PM

W
Wylee
Unregistered
Wylee
Unregistered
W



Top lot for sure...but I’ve made a few too. Helps to have the planer that I do.

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922693
07/07/20 12:54 PM
07/07/20 12:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
T
The Beav Offline
trapper
The Beav  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,797
Wisconsin
Come on Boco we aren't In canuck land. A coon Is a coon the standard board Is 71/2 inches wide at 30 inches. And If It's only 7" wide your not gong to be down grade. And most of us aren't in some kind of competition we are just selling our fur. Then we have adjustable boards that pretty much takes the guess work out of the bigger hides. I can remember the days when a green coon was bringing $20.00 I guess If I would have stretched It I would have got $22.00 for It.

Last edited by The Beav; 07/07/20 12:57 PM.

The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922726
07/07/20 01:34 PM
07/07/20 01:34 PM
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,217
W NY
Turtledale Offline
trapper
Turtledale  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,217
W NY
Bought quite a few then started making my own fox Fisher and rat boards. I use cheap cedar fence slats from Home Depot for the three. The rat boards I have a friend plane down. Just use the ones you have for tracers or specs are online for free.


NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922728
07/07/20 01:36 PM
07/07/20 01:36 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932
SEPA
L
Lugnut Offline
trapper
Lugnut  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932
SEPA
I've always made my own. i'm about to make a bunch more out of some American Linden (basswood) that I had rough cut from some trees growing on my camp land. It's been stickered in the woodshed for about three years and is ready for milling.


Eh...wot?

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6922801
07/07/20 02:31 PM
07/07/20 02:31 PM
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,738
carolina, Alabama
The Possum Man Offline
trapper
The Possum Man  Offline
trapper

Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,738
carolina, Alabama
I use top lot adjustables. I dont have access to the right wood or a planer to make proper boards.


"If you're gonna be stupid you better be tough"
Re: Stretching boards. [Re: The Beav] #6923017
07/07/20 05:31 PM
07/07/20 05:31 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat Offline
trapper
bctomcat  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
Originally Posted by The Beav
It's pretty hard to find the right wood thickness around here. So your going to need a planer to get the right thickness.
IMHO common dimensional lumber comes in many thicknesses suitable for board thickness specifications without the need to plane them down.


The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.






Re: Stretching boards. [Re: bctomcat] #6923071
07/07/20 06:20 PM
07/07/20 06:20 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932
SEPA
L
Lugnut Offline
trapper
Lugnut  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19,932
SEPA
Originally Posted by bctomcat
Originally Posted by The Beav
It's pretty hard to find the right wood thickness around here. So your going to need a planer to get the right thickness.
IMHO common dimensional lumber comes in many thicknesses suitable for board thickness specifications without the need to plane them down.


I mill my coyote, bobcat, fox and coon boards to 9/16". My muskrat and smaller boards to 3/8" or less. I don't know any place that sells dimensional lumber in those thicknesses. I have my logs for stretchers cut to 1" rough.


Eh...wot?

Re: Stretching boards. [Re: Sprung & Rusty] #6923417
07/07/20 10:16 PM
07/07/20 10:16 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,947
n.e, iowa
C
coonman220 Offline
trapper
coonman220  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,947
n.e, iowa
I look for good deal on basswood boards. Some make them out plywood, I have few plywood ones. But don't use much , really hard make right , u can't get pushpins in on plywood, basswood is best

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