As published in the May / June 2009 Issue of Taxidermy Today . . .
Safety,
Quality, Comfort and Ease of Use
Safety, quality, comfort and ease of use work together or in other words a safe fleshing machine is
of high quality, comfortable and easy to use. This is not a simple thing to do. Engineering and manufacturing a flesher that meets all these criteria requires the
input and expertise of professional taxidermist’s, experienced machinists and skilled toolmakers. Working together, they can create an extremely stable flesher that runs quietly, smoothly and is very well
balanced.
Safety is first and foremost. Your flesher is an electrical appliance
that will be exposed to fluids and requires industrial grade water resistant cords, switches and ground fault circuits. The motor should be at least ½ HP or more and powerful enough to flesh the heaviest
hides without stalling to prevent forcing more than the machine can handle.
The blade should be completely covered except
at the bottom for material to fall to the floor with all belts and pulleys guarded so material doesn’t reach these areas
causing clogs, imbalanced operation and a general mess. Blade touch ups are best
done at the top of the flesher with a moveable and lockable window that can be returned to a fully closed and safe position
once honing is done.
Blade guards greatly affect the feel and results of fleshing by machine. They
must be completely rigid and not bend. This creates more consistent fleshing
for the beginner and allows the expert to relax without having to compensate for guards that flex and move to the pressure
of the hides. The guard surface meeting the hide should be of material (ceramic is best) that allows hides to glide easily
no matter their condition or dampness. Slick guard surfaces greatly improve speed,
reduce operator fatigue and are easy to keep clean. The inner surface of the
blade guards should be made of a non-stick material that prevents flesh and fat from sticking and is also easy to clean.
Blade guards should be easy to remove for
blade changes and adjust quickly and precisely by hand without having to use any tools.
This point needs to be emphasized. Any kid who’s repeatedly tinkered
with the nuts and bolts on his bicycle knows what happens to them over time. They
become rounded off, screws get cross-threaded, excess torque strips threads or loosens components and reduces precision and
tools to make the adjustment sometimes get misplaced. The same things will happen
with fleshing machine blade guard adjustments requiring tools. These problems
may be eliminated on a fleshing machine that uses high quality hand tightened fasteners.
Those who work with a fleshing machine for hours at a time will lean in to the machine to support themselves and prevent
back strain. Consequently, the more comfortable the enclosed rear blade guard
is to lean against, the better. Rear blade guards that are square or thinly rounded,
become uncomfortable over an extended period of time. Therefore, the rear blade
should be round as reasonably possible.
Finally, all components should be of the highest quality for ease of use and durability. Surfaces should be powder coated, parts nickel plated or made of stainless steel and bearings dual sealed. All pulleys should be trued with the shaft of the motor and blade supports be a minimum
of 9” for stable, quiet and extremely smooth operation. Your fleshing machine
should be securely fastened to a high quality, adjustable bench but easy to remove if necessary for service or cleaning.
Blades
and Blade Service
The blade is a key component of any flesher. To
use a common saying “it’s where the metal meets the meat.” A
well maintained high quality fleshing machine blade is critical to peak operating efficiency.
Blades of superior steel that are professionally honed from the factory by experienced machinists will cut better and
hold their sharpness twice as long fleshing blades of lesser quality.
The degree and consistency of blade angle is extremely important and must be well thought out and tested by the taxidermist
advising the machinists manufacturing and sharpening your blades. New blade blanks
should be carefully inspected for consistent circumference and flatness. Any
blade blank in excess of .003” variance in flatness should be discarded because it will compromise the balance of the
machine, comfort during long term use and consistency of your fleshing by causing unnecessary vibrations.
Blade sharpening service is a fact of life for taxidermists using fleshing machines.
It’s always bothersome to have to remove and ship blades. This can
be made better by sending them to a competent sharpener with quick turnaround time.
Your blade service should have a special fleshing blade sharpening machine on site that restores the angle and edge
of your blades to factory tolerances. Out of respect for your business, they
should be shipping re-sharpened blades back to you within 5 business days of receipt.
Guarantee
When was the last time you purchased anything costing as much as a good (or even cheap) fleshing machine without a
guarantee? Let’s be careful here because I’m not talking about
saying the machine should last a lifetime. I’m talking about an actual
stated warranty. If the fleshing manufacturer does not expressly warrant their
head parts for the lifetime of the original owner, look elsewhere.
Made
in the USA?
Was your fleshing machine manufactured in the USA?
I realize there are good people all over the world. However, I love America and the opportunity it makes available to people willing
to better themselves. When my family came to this country in the early 1900’s
they were proud to own a tarpaper shack with a clay floor and good roof. 3 generations
later, my family lives comfortably by following the example of my grandparents and parents persistence and hard work. No matter where you’re from, I ask you to support America and buy American made products.
Total
Value
All the above will equate to the value of your fleshing machine purchase. Consequently
looking at price alone is a serious mistake. Unlike other materials a taxidermist
has to buy over and over, the investment in a fleshing machine is usually a one time deal.
It’s one of the major purchases made by taxidermists and a good one should last over 20 years if properly maintained. With this in mind, the initial cost should be considered over the lifetime of the
machine and $1,900 over 20 years is $95 a year (or $8 a month). How much will
you spend on tanning, forms, components or general supplies in a year? A lot
more than $95 annually on any of these items! Also, if you currently have machine
of lesser quality and plan on being in the business for the long haul, these numbers make the value of investing in a quality
flesher worth while.
I liken the choice of a fleshing machine
similar to the purchase of a table saw by a professional finish carpenter. A
good finish carpenter invests in his craft with the highest quality equipment. Customers
and peers notice this and it builds their confidence in his artistic and business skills.
It’s the same with fleshing machines in the taxidermy business.
We’ve
put a lot of thought in to developing a fleshing machine that’s crafted by journeyman tool makers and machinist’s
with the advice of experienced taxidermists. We believe it brings a new level
of quality in fleshing machine choices to the industry at a reasonable price. Visit
us at www.fleshingmachine.com
