Beaver board pattern.

Tfng · #1 03-04-2016, 07:29 PM

I talked to the owner of a local welding shop today about making me a full size stencil for beaver boards. I haven't got a price yet but he assures me it will be quite reasonable. I thought I'd post this and see how much interest there might be for something like that. They'll probably be 14ga. steel and cut out on a CNC plasma.

I don't think they would ship well so it would be local pick up.

HunterDave · #2 03-04-2016, 07:47 PM

The NAFA cardboard ones are free.

Tfng · #3 03-04-2016, 07:59 PM

Ive only been able to get a 1/4 size paper one from FHA. Is the Nafa one the same as FHA?

I've found it aggravating tracing the pattern then cutting it and so on. I've even had to tape the pattern back together so I could reuse it.

I think it would be great to set the stencil on and trace the whole thing in one shot.

HunterDave · #4 03-04-2016, 08:27 PM

The NAFA one is a one quarter section cut in cardboard. I have one hanging on a screw out in the shed. The FHA paper one looks like a pita but I suppose it'd be okay to make a cardboard stencil out of it.

Heater · #5 03-04-2016, 08:32 PM

Phoned Nafa in Manitoba, and they sent one out to me.

Tfng · #6 03-04-2016, 08:38 PM

I'm going to give it a try. There's lots of guys standing around sweeping floors in town right now so it's a good time for little projects. I could honestly do without it since I only need a few more boards for now. I think it would be on the nice to have list not the must have list but I've spent more on worse things.

Edit- I see the pics now. That stencil looks way better! I'm undecided now.

PCP_ECOM · #7 03-04-2016, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFNG

I'm going to give it a try. There's lots of guys standing around sweeping floors in town right now so it's a good time for little projects. I could honestly do without it since I only need a few more boards for now. I think it would be on the nice to have list not the must have list but I've spent more on worse things.

Edit- I see the pics now. That stencil looks way better! I'm undecided now.

cookie cutter for a #3 bridger would be handy for myself

Tfng · #8 03-04-2016, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCP_ECOM

cookie cutter for a #3 bridger would be handy for myself

No luck on that yet eh? It's on my list for next fall, I'll keep you in mind. Do you have an idea of how much bigger than the trap it should be?

parfleche · #9 03-04-2016, 11:17 PM

TFNG Halfords sells precut boards for beaver , All holes drilled etc.

PCP_ECOM · #10 03-05-2016, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFNG

No luck on that yet eh? It's on my list for next fall, I'll keep you in mind. Do you have an idea of how much bigger than the trap it should be?

I would say 1/2" at most as you want snug fit so there is no movement,3" Depth,thanks TFNG

7mmstwguy · #11 03-05-2016, 12:35 PM

I use 3/4 maple plywood, nice wood no knots, sanded, they have them at Rona usually 50-60 bucks. Cut them in 4 , trace the rings from the NAFA template on both sides. Use a different color sharpie so it's easier to know what size your on..Then you can do two at a time..I must have over 16 of these.one side and the other..

wolfcrazy · #12 03-05-2016, 06:28 PM

I have 4 of the NAFA stencils and staple them down on the board and spray paint the rings on. Take the stencil off and reuse later if needed. Fast and easy!

Tfng · #13 03-05-2016, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfcrazy

I have 4 of the NAFA stencils and staple them down on the board and spray paint the rings on. Take the stencil off and reuse later if needed. Fast and easy!

Great idea!

7mmstw- those boards look good, it would be nice to have good both sides plywood. I still use both sides but one side is always full of knots.

wolfcrazy · #14 03-05-2016, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFNG

Great idea!

7mmstw- those boards look good, it would be nice to have good both sides plywood. I still use both sides but one side is always full of knots.

You can also use a couple of different colours of paint to help separate the rings.

KegRiver · #15 03-07-2016, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 7mmstwguy

I use 3/4 maple plywood, nice wood no knots, sanded, they have them at Rona usually 50-60 bucks. Cut them in 4 , trace the rings from the NAFA template on both sides. Use a different color sharpie so it's easier to know what size your on..Then you can do two at a time..I must have over 16 of these.one side and the other..

Looks just like my boards, except I use spruce 3/8" plywood and I cut out the center to allow for better air movement and thus faster drying.
Damp fur can delay drying by a day or two.

I have a set of patterns I got from F&W back in the 1980s. Some day some young fellow is going to inherit those patterns and the stretchers.

I learned the hard way to not give things away to folks I've never met.
It's amazing how selfish some folks can get when you offer them a free gift.

LOL it's a different world then the one I grew up in.

The Spruce · #16 03-07-2016, 04:09 PM

My boards are the same, but all black ink (easier to follow and lasts longer). I still find I need to retrace boards every couple years as the lines get warn away from use. I use 3/4" rough spruce, a soft wood is easier to pound nails into, and a lot easier to pull nails out of...and 1/3 the price. Anything less than 3/4" would dish to easily when drying pelts IMO.

Spruce

KegRiver · #17 03-08-2016, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Spruce

My boards are the same, but all black ink (easier to follow and lasts longer). I still find I need to retrace boards every couple years as the lines get warn away from use. I use 3/4" rough spruce, a soft wood is easier to pound nails into, and a lot easier to pull nails out of...and 1/3 the price. Anything less than 3/4" would dish to easily when drying pelts IMO.

Spruce

I used 3/8 for years with no issues.

I suspect that the guys that do have problems with boards warping during dry down is because they are overstretching their pelts.

The hide should be just taught enough so that it does not sag significantly when held face down, at the beginning of the drying process.

We used to tighten them up as much as we could when we used hoops, but Dominion fur Auctions, now called NAFA wrote to us and said that we were overstretching them and this resulted in thinned out fur and lower prices.
Our average went up when we started doing them the way I do them now.

I do get some minor warping with the light boards and that's okay. I helps to prevent nails tearing out and or ripping an overstretched hide. Plus the board goes back to shape as soon as the hide is removed.

But I also know a lot of local trappers use 1/2" board and are happy with that choice. I guess it has more to do with what you prefer. If it works, why not? Who am I to judge?

By the way, I still have my boards and they would still do the job. I built them around about 1984 give or take a year. Granted they have not seen a lot of use considering their age. I'd estimate that no one board has held more then a hundred pelts in it's life, and most held closer to twenty, but the way I see it, for the price, twenty + is a good deal.
The Scotsman in me won't let me nail a five dollar hide to a sixty dollar board.

The Spruce · #18 03-08-2016, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I used 3/8 for years with no issues.

I suspect that the guys that do have problems with boards warping during dry down is because they are overstretching their pelts.

The hide should be just taught enough so that it does not sag significantly when held face down, at the beginning of the drying process.

We used to tighten them up as much as we could when we used hoops, but Dominion fur Auctions, now called NAFA wrote to us and said that we were overstretching them and this resulted in thinned out fur and lower prices.
Our average went up when we started doing them the way I do them now.

I do get some minor warping with the light boards and that's okay. I helps to prevent nails tearing out and or ripping an overstretched hide. Plus the board goes back to shape as soon as the hide is removed.

But I also know a lot of local trappers use 1/2" board and are happy with that choice. I guess it has more to do with what you prefer. If it works, why not? Who am I to judge?

By the way, I still have my boards and they would still do the job. I built them around about 1984 give or take a year. Granted they have not seen a lot of use considering their age. I'd estimate that no one board has held more then a hundred pelts in it's life, and most held closer to twenty, but the way I see it, for the price, twenty + is a good deal.
The Scotsman in me won't let me nail a five dollar hide to a sixty dollar board.

I should have mentioned that there is almost always a beaver nailed to both sides of the board. 3/8" or half inch would likely work if just nailed to one side.

Spruce

james dymond · #19 03-08-2016, 09:34 AM

I would think with them nailed to both sides they would equalize the pull so there would be less warping.

Jim

7mmstwguy · #20 03-08-2016, 10:54 AM

When I was pricing out 3/4 plywood, this was actually cheaper to buy..I didn't want knots..each to their own. No need to cut a hole in the middle, it's flipped with in a day..