Many people have difficulty in determining what oval ring to follow to obtain the proper size for the pelt being boarded. The procedure I have found to be the best method to determine the proper ring size works virtually every time without any adjustments needed after a bit of nailing. Even a beginner is usually able to get it right every time without any problems
This method is accomplished by grasping the nose and the center of the hind end of the pelt then center the pelt equally across the width wise center line of the board. Then grab the sides of the pelt at the lengthwise center line of the board and stretch the pelt taut equal distance along the center line from the center point of the board, one side to the top of the board and the other side to the bottom. The line the pelt stretches to is the proper size of the pelt for boarding purposes and guideline ring to follow. Now rotate the pelt 90 degrees, aligning the head and tail end to the lengthwise center line of board. If you are midway between two sizes, tack to the larger size. If less than midway, tack between the sizes.
When the clean up, tacking and trimming is complete and the pelt lifted up on the nails, for drying purposes, the center of the pelt should sag to the board.