Tumbling Coyotes

nvsage

nvsage

New member
Built a tumbler to clean up my coyotes and man does it make them shine. I didn't have it when I was putting up all my coyotes so they were only tumbled after they were dry. next year they will be tumbled after fleshed and before put on the boards... then again after dry. Really makes them shine.

This guy was sewn up from a poor shot and was very bloody after a little combing and being tumbled turned out great.

Who tumbles there stink dogs?
 
Originally Posted By: nvsage
Who tumbles there stink dogs?

stink dogs?
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Your tumbled coyotes look good. How did you make your tumbler? You putting anything in the tumbler besides the hides? Like saw dust or something?
 
It's not the most ideal size tumbler but works well for me and what I use it for! I put corn cob grit and borax in it as the media.
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I have one also made from a plastic drum that I used for the first time this year. I think it really helped as I got the highest average ever for my coyotes. If you don't mind sharing, about how fast is your drum turning (the pulley arrangement on yours looks to be a little faster than mine) and how long did you tumble them?
 
Jack it is turning right at 20rpms and I tumlbed 2 coyotes at a time for 20 minutes. After tumbling I blew them out with an air compressor and gave then a good combing. Eventually I would like to get a VFD switch to it and slow it down to about 10rpms... or at least be able to put the rpms where ever I want. Have any pictures of yours Jack? I would like to see your pulley set up.
 
Mine isn't as fancy looking as the one you put together but I haven't got anything invested in it but my time. I used a salvaged swamp cooler motor with the pulleys as a drive and mounted the shafts in wooden blocks. For the final pulley I used the drum itself as the pulley. The motor was a two speed motor and with it wired to the slower speed (1100 RPM?) it would turn about 13 RPM. I wired it to the faster speed (1700) and the drum will go right at 18 RPM. This year I didn't wash any coyotes but ran them in this with corn cob grit and Borax. For what it's worth - I was standing close to my coyotes at the auction in Mt. Home when one of the buyers began grading them. The guy I was talking with asked the buyer what he thought of them. He said they were some of the better ones at the sale. He also said that a lot of the coyotes had a "fish hook" to the guard hair. These didn't and he commented on their softness.



Here is my drive set up. Adjustable pulley on the motor to a 13" pulley on a 1" shaft. Then from the 1" shaft to around the drum.

 
Looks like a real nice set up there Jack! Much more simple set up then mine! So are you tumbling the after you are done fleshing? How long did you tumble them for?
 
Yes I'm tumbling them after I flesh them and like yours, they get tumbled for about 20 or so minutes. I noticed that you have what looks like a timer on yours. I set the alarm on my cell phone to remind me to take them out. I usually run them one at a time. If I have more than one coyote to skin I usually tumble the first skin while I'm skinning the next one.
 
That is a swamper cooler on and off switch. The high, low, pump only, etc. I use it to turn the tumbler off and on and change the speend from high to low. Low is where I get the 20rpms.
How about your cats Jack.. I tumlbed mine after they were dry and it made them have a wave in the pelt when done... really not happy with them! I think it's because of the way the cats legs are up and the hide can't fold like my coyotes, as I cut legs off and tuck inside. I will just tumble them before they go on the stetcher next year and thats it.
 
I ran my cats through like I did the coyotes, after they were fleshed and before they went on the stretcher. At the prices they were bringing I was afraid to run them through after they were dry for fear I might rip one of them. If something would to happen to a hide before it went on the stretcher I could at least sew it up and make it look presentable. I did give them a good rub down with Borax, brush them and blow them out with the compressor before I went to the sale with them.
 
Nice setups guys! Are those 55 gallon drums, how much Borax/ corn grit do you use at one time, what size motors are you using?

Jack, does this remove small amounts of blood from the fur? I usually wash my coyotes but would skip that if this cleans as well as shines them up.

Thanks,

Jon
 
I used about half a bag of corn cob grit and a box of borax at one time. I don't remember the size right off but it was about a 3 dollar bag of grit at Wal-Mart in the pet department.
Yes, it did remove small amounts of blood. Other years I too washed all my coyotes. This year I just tumbled, stretched, dried and brushed and got a higher price than ever before.
 
If you would also include a box of baking soda you would see the white turn really white with no problem to black and brown color. The baking soda really makes the white on cats and coyotes really gleam.
 
we got a big one here at the shop. 4 ft. drum on it. we tumble everything in it. wet muskrats, wet coon, coyotes are tough but we tumble the hides in it. i figured out that it works really well for drying the wet yote hides after i wash em. we have changed things a little but before i was spot washing the blood out of em then tumble in wood shavings, comb em out, retumble and grit the damp spots and you're good to go. we see way too many yotes come in the door that were washed but didn't get em dry enough and they smell like mildew. gotta make sure you can get em dry if your gonna wash em. little tip for you guys.
 


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