stretcher question

L

logstove

New member
My son asks if we could put up fur if we happen to get a coyote. And I replied "ya got to get the coyote first lol"

So this brings me to this question. Are wire stretchers as good as wood stretchers? I am going to have to pick one or two up to have on hand and we can start the learning process.
 
I wouldn't say necessarily better but I prefer how a hide looks coming off a properly made wood stretcher as opposed to a wire stretcher...that said I use mostly wire since it is what I have the most of.


TS
 
For coyote the wood stretcher is the way to go. The auction houses are wanting the pelts to look the same as well. I think they are recommending solid wood boards now. I have split boards and a couple of wire ones. If I use up the splits then I'll use wire if that's all I have left. The splits are easy to make with 1x4" wood. Buy one and copy the board onto your wood and cut with jig saw then hand plane or sand. Good luck.
 
Originally Posted By: Doc25For coyote the wood stretcher is the way to go. The auction houses are wanting the pelts to look the same as well. I think they are recommending solid wood boards now.

I don't know anyone that uses solid boards for Coyote and I dang sure wouldn't.

Wood's nice but wire'll do if you can't afford wood and/or don't have one to copy.
They're easy to make if you have some wood working skills and a pattern. Just made these the other day.
They're Cat stretches but I've used em on Coyote without any complaints from my buyer.
 
Thanks guys. I think I can probably buy one and copy a pattern and get this to work. Just hope I do not shoot more than 2 coyotes at a time.

RePete: Curious what is used at the nose of those boards to make them expandable? I have read that basswood is the best wood for stretchers. But I do not find any bass wood locally and this would be a 2.5 hr drive one way assuming its got the thickness I need. So are there other wood I can use that can accomodate tacks easily?
 
Yea,,, I've heard about the famous Bass Wood but there isn't any within 1000 miles of here so I use what I can get cheap. Mostly Pine or Fir. The two pictured are 2.00 fence boards from Home Depot with a piece of scrap Cedar for the tail board. I'm fixing to make a few with Cedar for a friend as soon as I can get to town to buy the wood. Cedar's not the strongest wood in the world but it's sure easy to work and even easier to stick pins in.

I just use scrap leather from old belts I get at the thrift store to fasten em at the nose. It rots out after two or three years but it's cheap and easy to replace.

Here's a link that has recommended sizes for stretcher boards as well as some good fur handling info.

http://www.furharvesters.com/pdf/pelthandling.pdf

You can use their dimensions, then split em down the middle and cut the center out to get some air flowing. Cheaper than buying a stretcher and paying to have it shipped to you just to use as a pattern.

Luck

 
On the ones I make I drill a hole through the nose area and run a piece of plastic coated wire through as a hinge. Easy to do as well.
 
I make my own using a 2x4 (cheapest piece of wood in the store) I also use leather at the nose for the hinge. I wouldn't use a solid board since it won't allow air to flow.
I also set the width to the prescribed width. Some people will stretch a hide out wider than it should be if they are using sliding wing nuts that don't have a stop. Better to be the correct width and longer, than shorter and fatter.
But i also have all the tools to slice into half and cut out the pattern.

 
What Tbone said...I always pull mine tight length wise and then just take out any slack on the width...biggest mistake I have seen when making your own stretchers is making the shoulder/ neck area too wide...better to err too narrow.

TS
 
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