Wire Stretchers

[segsarge]

Are they worth using? I know people have been putting fur up on them for decades. I've always used wood boards, but storage space could become an issue in my rehabbed fur shed. I could put a lot more wire on a hook than stacking boards. Got quite a few wire rat stretchers and a few coon, but never use them. Same with the beaver hoops I have. I prefer plywood for them, it's stupid expensive right now. Plywood takes up a lot of space too.

[krank]

I always used wire for 'rats. My Dad had them from when he was a kid.
Used wire for coon until I learned better.
Ask somebody else about beaver.....I got a plywood deal that leans flat against the wall.

[segsarge]

I've tried using the beaver hoops and hog rings. Always seemed slow and the rings pulled through the fur. Trouble getting them the right tautness on the hoop, either too tight or floppy. Plywood is quicker and better for me, but always ready to learn something new.

[krank]

What is this? THe Krank and Russell show? Like I say, let somebody else chime in as all I ever did was plank them out on plywood.

[Walleye Joe]

Ok, I don't trap beaver or rats. From what I've seen rats do better on wire. Beavers on plywood. I do all of my fur on wood stretchers. Last boards I bought were B grade. Push pins are much harder to push in and don't stay as well. Better off spending a little more for the good boards. You know..... YGWYPF.

[krank]

There used to be a guy on here that made basswood boards. Bow Doc??? Best thing that ever happened to me was Yote sending me a load of pine. It was 1/2" thick and ten inches wide and 4 ft long. Perfect coon boards. For bobcat and coyote, I have some longer boards I made of pine and milled down the thickness.

[segsarge]

Years ago I bought a bunch of traps and boards at an estate sale. Mostly longsprings and homemade rat boards. All of it had been sitting idle for years. The boards had been made from old wooden powder boxes. Used them for a few years, didn't catch much fur back then. Pins were hard to put in and bent a lot of them. Later I bought some basswood boards and things got better. Tried making my own, but basswood was scarce in my area. Used pine instead. Still have a few of them.
I'm looking for space saving ideas mostly. A friend of mine showed me a rack he made for plywood beaver boards. Basically a couple of 2x6's with slots cut to slide the bottom of the board in. They stand up in a row. Still takes up room but keeps things organized.

[krank]

Not much of a beaver trapper but I have a half sheet of 1 1/4" plywood. I nailed one on one side and if I caught another then I tacked to the other side.
I used to do the old willow hoop thing and they need braced or they will warp and twist.. I just sold them at black powder shoots back in the 90's for wall hangers.

[Flying Trapper]

I use wire for rats and wood for everything else. Got some nice bottle nosed adjustable boards for yotes, more rounded nose for cats. Solid wood boards for coon, fox, and otter. My beaver boards are 3/4" plywood with a pattern on each side. Made a table that the plywood sits in, tack a beaver on one side, flip and tack one on the other. Made a stand to put them in so it stands on end.

[segsarge]

The plywood I use is 1/2". I use both sides if need be. Quit using the pushpins and switched to finishing nails. Kept pulling the heads off the pins when taking them off the board. Using a pair of needle nosed vicegrips I can grip the nail and pull the pelt to the pattern lines. With a little practice, it can go pretty quick.

[krank]

Do you draw circles(ovals) on the wood?

[bigjohn]

Wire for rats, plywood for beaver, wire/wood hybird for coon and adnustable wood for K-9 and cats.

[segsarge]

Jun 3, 2021 6:08:19 GMT -6 krank said:

Do you draw circles(ovals) on the wood?

Yeah, I've got the paper patterns around here someplace.