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Drying furs when prepping

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:28 pm
by Fallguy
Those of you who prep you own furs,

After washing your furs while prepping them, how do you dry them? Compressed air? I was wondering if using a leafblower would work, or if it is possible to harm a fur by using too powerful of an air stream.

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:43 pm
by Coyotehunter
Just wring the hide out real good and and put them on a stretcher fur out. Get a ocilating fan and put it on the pelt and try to keep the room at around 60 deg or so.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:14 am
by Prairie Ghost
i use an air compressor i don't think that should be a problem

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:14 pm
by Kurt
Jamie do you dry your furs that way with out putting them on the the strecher skin side out first? If so does it work ok like that?

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:16 pm
by Prairie Ghost
I put my furs skin side out for about 6-8 hours at 70 degrees and then turn them fur side out

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:53 pm
by Kurt
Thats what I do with mine also.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:42 pm
by Prairie Ghost
I am looking into getting a set up to push air through the stretcher so that i can skip the turning process and just put the hides fur side out right from the get-go like others have done in the past

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:26 pm
by Coyotehunter
Well the question is about washing. With wet fur your chances of spoilage increase and if you have wet fur on the inside your leather will take a lot longer to dry out. I generally DO NOT wash them unless I have to. Washing fur is very time consuming, especially if you are going to dry each hide with an air hose. If you do not have access to a tumbler and have to wash a pelt, use a washtub, 5 gallon pail or if possible a washing machine. (I have been banned from 3 laundry mats in 2 cities) I have a old washing machine and a tumbler, the tumbler is far less work and will beat the blood out of the hide. When washing I use woolite and some downy on the rinse cycle. Wring out the pelt and throw it on a stretcher fur side out with a oscillating fan blowing on them as they hang from the ceiling of the garage. It does not take long with the fan before the hide is ready to turn. You do not want to dry the hide to fast and you want to avoid spoiling of the hide. Keep the room about 60 deg. and put the fan on them. Vary how close the fan is and the speed until you get a feel for what you are looking for. Start to finish (dead coyote to the point the coyote is on the stretcher) should take no more than a hour if you are having to wash the hide, should be quicker if you are just giving a once over for burs and have just a small hole to sew.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:05 pm
by Fallguy
Jamie

Does this 1 hour include fleshing time? I am anxious to get started but with the -20 degree forcast coming up I don't know if I want to pay to heat my garage this coming weekend so I may have to wait for another weekend. Instead I should go hunting with the nice cold temps.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:49 am
by Prairie Ghost
I agree fallguy get out and hunt and wait for warmer temps it will cost you a fortune to heat the garage this weekend it sounds like!!! :shock:

I end up washing most of my hides unless i can keep the blood to a minimum. I use the same stuff as jamie only i wash them by hand in a big sink. I agree if you're going to be washing a lot you need to get a tumbler or have access to something such as an air compressor to dry the fur pretty good before putting them on the stretcher. If you put the hides on the stretcher with the fur sopping wet you can have some spoilage problems. If you don't have access to any of these things then only wash the ones that you HAVE to wash to make them presentable.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:33 am
by Fallguy
So a leafblower should work as well as a compressor does then?

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:37 am
by Prairie Ghost
I can't see any problems with it besides the fumes make sure that you let the fumes air out so we don't hear about you on the six O'clock new :P

" A grand forks man died last night" LOLOLOL :wink:

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:00 pm
by Fallguy
My leafblower is electric powered by an extension cord. Fumes shouldn't be a problem as long as the wife doesn't make any chili that night. :lol:

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:19 pm
by Coyotehunter
The fleshing itself should not take to long once you get the hang of it. So, Yes the whole thing from start to finish you should shoot for an hour.

Those big Industrial washing machines work like a champ and the driers work as well just set them for Fluff or No Heat. No heat is a must because at the very least the heat will singe the guard hairs amd worse case the hair will all fall out. You want to use air to dry your hide and not heat. The cooler the room you are working in the longer the hide will last outside of a freezer.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:37 am
by Fallguy
Well I used the leafblower to dry my first hide. It is on the stetcher as we speak but the damn thawing outside is causing my garage floor to be real wet. We will see if it turns out.