turkey flesher

[redskinfan]

Recently took early retirement and looking to learn to mount turkeys in offseason.  Which model flesher would you guys suggest?

[GobbleNut]

I don't use a flesher so I couldn't tell you if they are worth the investment or not.  I have mounted a good number of turkeys and I just flesh them with a scraper and wire brush and that seems to work fine.  Perhaps someone here that has done it both ways could tell us if a fleshing wheel is worth the investment or not.  I have often wondered if it was.

[redskinfan]

Yeah GobbleNut, was hoping for more replies.  Just sent payment for couple turkey skins to practice on.  How long does it take you to do one by hand?  I was leaning towards the heavy duty flesher by van dyke.

[turkey_slayer]

Look up the pressure washing method

[GobbleNut]

Yeah GobbleNut, was hoping for more replies.  Just sent payment for couple turkey skins to practice on.  How long does it take you to do one by hand?  I was leaning towards the heavy duty flesher by van dyke.

It takes me about an hour to clean one up good.  The only area that presents any real difficulty is the breast sponge area, and that takes some effort.  I have found the best thing to do is to keep applying borax while cleaning that area.  It keeps the liquid and fat kind-of soaked up so that it is easier to remove.

Look up the pressure washing method

...Haven't heard of that,...will look into it,...thanks!

[TRKYHTR]

The last 2 I have done I used the pressure washer. Works great but you have to be careful or you will tear a hole in it. But I wont do it any other way now.

Joe

[redskinfan]

What do you use to hold the skin in place when using the pressure washer.  I searched but couldn't find any info.  could you give a quick instruction.  What psi do you guys use? The info I did find mentioned a turbo tip, but they were doing hides.  Would you recommend for turkeys?  I have a new pressure washer, but it is at the hunt camp, not sure what psi it has. Got an uncle alot more mechanically inclined then me, so may have him help me with building a homemade flesher, but I bought 3 turkey skins, so may try the pressure washer method too.  Thanks for any replys, TIM

[turkey_slayer]

Put it over a traffic cone. Lots of talk about it on taxidermy.net

[Jim K]

I'm a turkey taxidermist. I made my flesher out of a 1725 rpm motor mounted on a box. The shaft sticks through the back of the box and a wire wheel is on it. You want a shaft extender so you aren't working up against the back of the box. Just remember to hang on tight to the skin or it can grab and wrap up around the shaft. I've never tried the pressure washer, but I know it works. Good luck.