TTT

Thanks for the post MNCedar. I have been struggling handling my first couple of beaver and this gave me just what I needed to work through my toubled areas. Great post!

Do you double board them....one on each side? Would it still speed it up that way?

Excellent Job!

i have a "crown stapler" that i use at work, it shoots an inch and a half staple.they are pretty heavy guage....might work well for beaver to slide the pelt up off the board

Can someone tell me the advantage to using staples vs nails.

As to the hole in the center of the board, I have one board with a hole in the center, I wish I could put it back. It does make the pelt dry faster, but I clean skin my beaver, then nail them on the board or sew on a hoop. Then I scrape them with an old ice cream scooper (don't ask, its what my dad used and what his dad used, it works good is all I'll say) to get the milky fat out of the hide and any spots I missed while skinning. The edges around the hole (I put the center back in to scrape but there is still an edge) you have to be careful of when scraping or you can rip a hole, especially if there happens to be a scar right at the edge. If you are doing all your fleshing on a beam and not scraping once on the board the hole in the center wouldn't be a problem, and like I said it does make them dry faster, though still not as fast as hoops.

cedar have you ever noticed little white lines in the leather esp around the leg areas?
Have you ever noticed guard hair coming out while fleshing?

I beamed a lot of beaver but now I just run them across my knee with a sharp knife
Does a very nice clean job
A guy up here can do a full size beaver this way in 6-7 minutes(I cant but he can)
He uses electric stapler too with a table that holds the board and spins round and round

I think that's the best option. Don't think you'd be able to slide them up. But they would board quick and the staples would PULL quick too.

Lots of mink,

I've seen that "spiderweb" looking white areas....some pretty big....especially around the front legs. Usually when I'd really stretch one tight.

Never got docked for it, yet. Didn't notice anything in the fur either.

But I'm not an expert....just made this post because I thought I could learn something.

And I have!

Those look dang good to me! I know the feeling on the laundry room. lol

TTT

Just boarded the first beaver of this spring

if you would grind down the driver in your staple gun they will stick up a little/ they will be easier to grab.??? take the top off and pull out the piston. and take a little off

Depending on the air stapler you can hold back the safty pull the trigger and hold it. The driver should stay out as long as you hold the trigger in.