Post by tofan on Feb 13, 2022 12:26:54 GMT -5
So this is for people who don't have money to go buy the pre-made stretchers, and is no substitute for furs that will get sent to FHA auctions or how specific furbuyers want it. I try to be environmentally sound by recycling material that a lot of places throw away, with all of our hurricanes this seems to never be a problem unfortunately.
I will go after old wooden fences that get replaced, more than a few are made out of good ole cypress which is leagues above the pressure treated southern yellow pine and/or some of the other material fences are used for. From here you can use the fence boards to make stretchers that fit your animal you trap, and will allow you to dry them out with little to no cost as long as you have a circular saw, table saw, or some other cutting method.
For raccoons and animals bigger, you will use two fence boards connected at the top along with a slider at the bottom that will allow you to "adjust" the boards for the size of the animal. If anybody wants a template, I will make one to print out and use, but I just want to say forewarn you. You are going to get criticized for using this method by other trappers because it's not the specifications that the fur buyers want. For me this is not a problem because at the end of the day I am keeping all of my furs atleast for the time being, and the end user will end up manipulating and altering the furs so much anyways. If you want to get top dollar for the furs, ignore all of this and spend money on stretchers, or use this method with the FHA, NAFA or specific furbuyer specs to build.
I use a raccoon stretcher top as the template for everything and make adjustments based on that. For mink you will have to split the board by 1/4 on one side, and than go from there. I would recommend you sand these boards if you are able to, it will come out a better product. No matter where you are located in the state, the absolute one thing you MUST do no matter what anybody else out of state or in state tells you, get a FAN FAN FAN BLOWING AIR FAN if you can. If you cannot, I would absolutely move the furs to a place where they will get airflow while drying. The furs go on the board with the fur side in, if you try it the other way without a lot of experience and a custom fur rack, you will end up with a lot of problems.
Lastly, I have all the expensive pre-built boards, I like the cypress ones better or any other recycled/low cost to trapper materials. If you were in a bind, you could even use PVC pipe, beer bottles for squirrel, you get the idea. Hope this helps, again just the way one person does it, there are a ton of ways.
I will go after old wooden fences that get replaced, more than a few are made out of good ole cypress which is leagues above the pressure treated southern yellow pine and/or some of the other material fences are used for. From here you can use the fence boards to make stretchers that fit your animal you trap, and will allow you to dry them out with little to no cost as long as you have a circular saw, table saw, or some other cutting method.
For raccoons and animals bigger, you will use two fence boards connected at the top along with a slider at the bottom that will allow you to "adjust" the boards for the size of the animal. If anybody wants a template, I will make one to print out and use, but I just want to say forewarn you. You are going to get criticized for using this method by other trappers because it's not the specifications that the fur buyers want. For me this is not a problem because at the end of the day I am keeping all of my furs atleast for the time being, and the end user will end up manipulating and altering the furs so much anyways. If you want to get top dollar for the furs, ignore all of this and spend money on stretchers, or use this method with the FHA, NAFA or specific furbuyer specs to build.
I use a raccoon stretcher top as the template for everything and make adjustments based on that. For mink you will have to split the board by 1/4 on one side, and than go from there. I would recommend you sand these boards if you are able to, it will come out a better product. No matter where you are located in the state, the absolute one thing you MUST do no matter what anybody else out of state or in state tells you, get a FAN FAN FAN BLOWING AIR FAN if you can. If you cannot, I would absolutely move the furs to a place where they will get airflow while drying. The furs go on the board with the fur side in, if you try it the other way without a lot of experience and a custom fur rack, you will end up with a lot of problems.
Lastly, I have all the expensive pre-built boards, I like the cypress ones better or any other recycled/low cost to trapper materials. If you were in a bind, you could even use PVC pipe, beer bottles for squirrel, you get the idea. Hope this helps, again just the way one person does it, there are a ton of ways.