Have I Removed Enought Meat For Borax?

[Sir-diealot]

Have I Removed Enought Meat For Borax? Thanks for the help.

[Sir-diealot]

Anyone?

[ccleroy]

I would trim absolutely as much as you can off. From that picture I would keep trimming.

[mmorgan9812]

Yeh it needs more. Next time you take it off cut around butt hole some then grab fan and "twist" it off. I will come off clean with very little meat attached

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[Sir-diealot]

Yeh it needs more. Next time you take it off cut around butt hole some then grab fan and "twist" it off. I will come off clean with very little meat attached

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Okay thanks for the tip, my first turkey so I have no clue what I am doing.

[ChiefBubba]

Yes keep trimming, get as much of that yellow stuff off too. Get you one of those small wire brushes and scrap even more off after you've trimmed as much as you can. Bubba

[Sir-diealot]

Yes keep trimming, get as much of that yellow stuff off too. Get you one of those small wire brushes and scrap even more off after you've trimmed as much as you can. Bubba

I did see a video showing that, unfortunately I do not have the money or the ride to go get one. You know as I am typing this I remember I have one of those really large charcoal grill ones, would that work or is it to stiff? My biggest worry is how big it is, the handle is really long so you do not burn yourself.

[HookedonHooks]

I would trim maybe just a little more. Some guys think they need to be meatless, when in reality the Borax will do the rest of the work for you if you reapply fresh borax after several months. Some of the "meatless" guys let there's sit a month or two and they're ready to mount. I've always allowed mine to dry for nearly a whole year with usually two fresh applications of Borax at some point in that year. Week or two before the next turkey season starts I glue up my beards and cut my spurs, then nail the tail fans to a wall in the garage. Way my dad always did it, and I've never had a problem this way myself.

EDIT: For you Sam, I did just remember you are doing this all within your apartment, so I would try to clean it up as good as possible. So that the total drying process will be much quicker this way, and you can get it up on the wall to appreciate sooner, and keep the girlfriend happy.

[Sir-diealot]

I would trim maybe just a little more. Some guys think they need to be meatless, when in reality the Borax will do the rest of the work for you if you reapply fresh borax after several months. Some of the "meatless" guys let there's sit a month or two and they're ready to mount. I've always allowed mine to dry for nearly a whole year with usually two fresh applications of Borax at some point in that year. Week or two before the next turkey season starts I glue up my beards and cut my spurs, then nail the tail fans to a wall in the garage. Way my dad always did it, and I've never had a problem this way myself.

EDIT: For you Sam, I did just remember you are doing this all within your apartment, so I would try to clean it up as good as possible. So that the total drying process will be much quicker this way, and you can get it up on the wall to appreciate sooner, and keep the girlfriend happy.

First thank you for the additional tips. Yes in the apartment, I may be able to push 2 months but my GF was not to happy when I said a month. I had to set up a table in the long hallway to do this so it is going to be a lot of turning sideways walking through for me. Not her, she is a Skinny Minnie. By the way I think you are remembering my last name in part which starts with San not M fist name is Steven or Steve. My close friends all call me Tank. Just not late for dinner please.

[HookedonHooks]

Oops! My bad Steve! Yep, was thinking of your last name for sure. Will definitely remember it now. Lol.

In the confines of an apartment I would definitely say get it as meatless as possible, and if you don't plan on using that grill brush, maybe work with the corner of it best you can, or if you have a neighbor with a bandsaw have him cut you off a corner that can be just a little hanheld piece to use. Good luck and congrats again! I'm sure you'll definitely appreciate it once it's done, be sure to post pics!

[Sir-diealot]

Oops! My bad Steve! Yep, was thinking of your last name for sure. Will definitely remember it now. Lol.

In the confines of an apartment I would definitely say get it as meatless as possible, and if you don't plan on using that grill brush, maybe work with the corner of it best you can, or if you have a neighbor with a bandsaw have him cut you off a corner that can be just a little hanheld piece to use. Good luck and congrats again! I'm sure you'll definitely appreciate it once it's done, be sure to post pics!

Thanks. I already have the beard in Boax and took the bread out of the breadbox and put it in there so it would not be disturbed. I still have to use the hacksaw to cut the spurs off the legs. GF did not like the idea of the entire leg being preserved. To be honest I would rather have the spurs on their own at this time, maybe a future bird.

[Sir-diealot]

I bought this for brushing the dog, would it work?

[BigSlam51]

Another thing to consider is if you planning on putting your fan in one of those wall mounts, leaving too much meat on will cause it to stick out from the wall at an angle and not look right.

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[Sir-diealot]

Another thing to consider is if you planning on putting your fan in one of those wall mounts, leaving too much meat on will cause it to stick out from the wall at an angle and not look right.

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Thanks for the reply, I will get off as much as I feel safe doing, I don't want to ruin it it being from my first turkey and all.

[GobbleNut]

I suspect that your pet brush is not stiff enough to remove the fat and meat.  For this and future similar jobs, just get a standard, wire brush and a razor blade knife (either utility knife or single edge razor blade holder and blades) from a hardware store.  Use the razor knife/holder to trim as much of the meat and fat off of the feather quills at the base of the fan. Then sprinkle borax on the base and scrape off as much of the rest of any meat/fat that remains as you can. 

Your only real concern in removing the meat/fat from the fan base is to avoid cutting the feather quill bases such that the feathers detach from the fan base.  After you have cleaned as much meat/fat off the base as you reasonably can (as others have said, you don't have to get every little bit), thoroughly rub borax into the base of the fan.

If your fan feathers have blood/gunk on them, wash the fan by submerging it in water with dish soap and gently agitating that stuff off.  Rinse in clean water and then take a hair dryer and blow dry the fan completely dry.  It will come out looking brand new.


Take a piece of cardboard bigger than the fan.  Spread the fan on the cardboard and using straight pins, pin the two outside fan feathers in the position you want the fan to take (stick the pins through the center of the quills down near the base and pin into the cardboard). If needed, put a few more pins in various places to make all of the fan feathers even,...and then let it dry for about two weeks,...or as long as it takes for the fan not to try to close up after you remove the pins. 

During the drying process, adjust the fan and rump feathers so that they dry evenly spread as naturally as possible.  After the drying period, pull any split ends back into place and give it a final adjustment so all the feathers are uniformly in place,...and you are done (unless you are going to fancy it up with a base and beard/spur accents.