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#542635 - 01/26/08 05:47 PM Wood Species for stretchers
Kansas30 Kansas30 trapper Registered: 12/17/07 Posts: 271 Loc: NortheastKS/SoutheastKS	I cant seem to locate any. What species works well and which ones should someone definitely avoid when making your own wooden stretchers. Thanks in advance
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#542655 - 01/26/08 05:53 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Kansas30]
160user 160user trapper Registered: 01/06/07 Posts: 1662 Loc: MN	Basswood works best. I have some that I would sell you but shipping would probably kill us. I had it sawed 5/8 inch for stretchers. _________________________ "I have nothing clever to put here"
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#542693 - 01/26/08 06:07 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: 160user]
goldy goldy trapper Registered: 12/31/07 Posts: 1210 Loc: minnesota	Just plain old pine boards(3/4") work for coon, fox, coyotes, etc. if you can't find basswood. Just take a simple hand planer and plane down the edges. Pick out he ones that have few knots and those that don't have any pitch bleeding. Edited by goldy (01/26/08 06:10 PM)
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#542700 - 01/26/08 06:11 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: goldy]
Woofman Woofman trapper Registered: 01/23/07 Posts: 769 Loc: Connecticut	I use pine. I plane it down to 1/2 inch for coon and fox and 3/8 for smaller critters. Pine is okay if it's clear. Not optimal, but works fine. That's white pine, not yellow. If you go with a harder pine it will be difficult to push the pins in. Edited by Woofman (01/26/08 06:12 PM)
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#542743 - 01/26/08 06:30 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Woofman]
TexA TexA trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 2079 Loc: Estherville, IA	These are some Coyote Boards that I made using "mostly clear" Pine 1 x 4 boards straight from the local lumber yard. I've used them several years already and they're OK for many years yet to come..... I hope..... _________________________ TexA Member Iowa Trappers Association National Trappers Association
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#542761 - 01/26/08 06:39 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Woofman]
Jonathan Jonathan trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1814 Loc: Northwestern New York	Basswood is the premium wood of choice, but there is nothing wrong with clear white pine, or any pine with large knots - they have a tendency to "leak" their sap/resin. Yellow pine is notorious for this, plus the fact that it is very hard as mentioned. I have found birch and white cedar acceptable substitutes if basswood is not readily available. Do you own, or have access to the tools to cut, plane and shape the boards? If you buy stock lumber, no matter the species, be sure that it is kiln dried (or, at least fully air dried.) If you fashion stretcher boards from rough sawn stock straight from a saw mill, they will probably warp. Try to avoid that, unless you can get it at a good price. Take the lumber home, stick it and store it in your garage loft to "air' dry. Jonathan
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#543382 - 01/26/08 11:29 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Jonathan]
marty marty trapper Registered: 10/13/07 Posts: 50 Loc: Kansas, Usa	sent pm
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#543503 - 01/27/08 05:19 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: marty]
danny clifton danny clifton trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 347 Loc: williamsburg ks	3/8 plywood works just fine if you use a staple gun instead of push pins. Belly wedges made of plywood don't break very easy either. Never saw any pitch on plywood and no sore fingers from pushpins. Lots cheaper than buying planks of any kind as well.
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#543508 - 01/27/08 05:23 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: danny clifton]
Broom Chaser Broom Chaser trapper Registered: 12/25/06 Posts: 200 Loc: Missouri	Cottonwood works well if you can't find basswood.
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#543516 - 01/27/08 05:33 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Broom Chaser]
TexA TexA trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 2079 Loc: Estherville, IA	Pine works good for me. Also, if you can find someone who is getting their home re-sided and the old siding is Cedar Siding, that makes pretty good boards/stretchers too. I have some I've used for many many years on coon and fox. Talk "sweet" to the contractor or owner and he might give it to you for nothing...... _________________________ TexA Member Iowa Trappers Association National Trappers Association
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#543517 - 01/27/08 05:35 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Broom Chaser]
coyote snarer coyote snarer trapper Registered: 02/05/07 Posts: 517 Loc: Canada	Hard to beat the pine . When I first started trapping I made some from spruce boards . I had calises on my thumbs from trying to get the push pins to stick in the wood . I wasn't long going with the pine .Much softer to get the pins in . Like what was said in a previous post ,look for boards with few knots .Here is a few of mine . Coons and coyote are 1/2 thick while otheres are 3/8 thick cat and otter _________________________ It's hard to make a comeback if you haven't been anywhere
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#543686 - 01/27/08 08:16 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: coyote snarer]
2poor 2poor trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2872 Loc: Lake Mille Lacs , MN	Basswood Not good for much else. _________________________ It is a lazy man that can't find his wife a second job !
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#543717 - 01/27/08 08:37 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Kansas30]
Lugnut Lugnut trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 244 Loc: Berks County Pa.	Basswood is not readily available around here and is expensive when you can find it. I buy # 3 or hit & miss 1 x 12 x 16 white pine boards that are only planed on one side. At $0.89 a board foot, it's about as inexpensive a wood as you can find and plenty soft for push pins. The yard guy at my local supply house calls me when they get a new load in. He allows me to pick through the pile and I can usually find boards with enough knot free areas to make good stretchers. I plane bigger stretchers (coyote, fox, coon) to 9/16" and the smaller ones to 3/8". I would avoid using and harder species unless your going to staple furs on. Also avoid any spruce/pine/fir species that might have a lot of pitch.
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#543725 - 01/27/08 08:42 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Lugnut]
Silvercreek Silvercreek trapper Registered: 12/23/07 Posts: 11 Loc: Flinthills of Kansas	What is Basswood and what is the the tree it comes from? Duh ya I'm that dummmb. What part of the country does it come from? It is a lazy man that can't find his wife a second job 2Poor Great Quote! Doesn't apply to my wife though,LOL.
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#543757 - 01/27/08 08:59 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Silvercreek]
2poor 2poor trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2872 Loc: Lake Mille Lacs , MN	Basswood comes from the tree by the same name ! I have more Basswood tree's in this area then Arizona has Cactus ! _________________________ It is a lazy man that can't find his wife a second job !
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#543760 - 01/27/08 09:03 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Silvercreek]
paredneck paredneck trapper Registered: 12/22/07 Posts: 409 Loc: ne pa	Basswood is the type of tree, not sure if you have it in kansas,
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#543777 - 01/27/08 09:18 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: paredneck]
T-Rex T-Rex trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1040 Loc: 2 near Metro... Minnesota	Basswood is also known as Linden. Maybe you know it by that name. I have also heard it called something like "bee-tree"
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#543782 - 01/27/08 09:21 AM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: paredneck]
iayogi17 iayogi17 trapper Registered: 12/16/07 Posts: 91 Loc: ENE Iowa	I use plywood just because you can get a lot of board out of one sheet. But I use tacks and a hammer just because its hard to push in thumbtacks.
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#544026 - 01/27/08 12:26 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Silvercreek]
Lugnut Lugnut trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 244 Loc: Berks County Pa.	Originally Posted By: Silvercreek What is Basswood and what is the the tree it comes from? Duh ya I'm that dummmb. Everything you ever wanted to know about basswood and then some LOL.
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#544662 - 01/27/08 05:33 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: Lugnut]
LewisBarringer LewisBarringer trapper Registered: 01/11/08 Posts: 137 Loc: DeQueen Arkansas	the best wood is FREE wood. all of the above will work,some alittle harder to push pins in .I get what i can scrong up but I do try to use soft pine or ceder
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#544777 - 01/27/08 06:20 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: LewisBarringer]
bctrapper bctrapper trapper Registered: 12/26/06 Posts: 335 Loc: Prince George, BC Canada	Red Cedar All our boards out here are made from red cedar. Get the specks from your trapper Ed. manuel or the auction house. Put them through a thickness planer and cut to shape. Router the sides and you are ready to go. Cedar seems best to us as it handles the moisture the best. Push pins go in more easily than pine or cottonwood. No basswood in this area.
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#545615 - 01/27/08 10:45 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: bctrapper]
DLM DLM trapper Registered: 12/26/06 Posts: 607 Loc: Maine	Basswood, then cedar
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#545623 - 01/27/08 10:52 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: DLM]
dbljaw dbljaw trapper Registered: 01/20/07 Posts: 737 Loc: Ole Ms....41 yr old	Yellow Poplar (Tulip tree) isnt to bad if you dont mind using a hammer and small nails instead of pins. _________________________ ------------------------------------------------ God gave us two ears and one voice,this means we should listen twice as much as we Talk!
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#545631 - 01/27/08 10:58 PM Re: Wood Species for stretchers [Re: dbljaw]
The Comet The Comet trapper Registered: 04/10/07 Posts: 44 Loc: SW Kansas	kansas30, there is basswood in your part of the state. there's a sawmill in Belvue, KS that sells it as well as cedar if you want to try that too. they kiln dry their lumber. you can call them at 785-456-8141 ask for Steve. kansas hardwoods is the name of the mill. I worked there for a couple years when we lived in Manhattan.
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