Fleshing: When is enough enough?

[Chubber]

My last two deer fur tans came out well. I lost almost no hair, the skin is odor free and pliable. The only problem is that I don't think that I thinned the hide enough? I certainly removed all meat from it, but the tanned hide is about as thick as a dogs rawhide chewey, if you know what I mean.

So, when do I stop scraping? I don't want to tear a hole in the hide or remove so much that the fur fails to stay stuck. How do you know?

I tried fleshing with knives, scrapers and the wire wheel trick. The wheel works but I did burn a hole in one spot as it is very hard to control. I have not tried the packing strap trick yet.

Also, how tightly do you stretch the skin out when fleshing it? I put it on a sheet of plywood, but didn't stretch it super tight when fleshing. Should I?

Just looking for tips for someone doing it on the cheap. Don't have the cash for special tools.

[M.Magis]

Thin the hide until there is a blueish/white color to the skin. Don't go down to the hair roots. It's extremely difficult to do without the right tools. You'll have better luck if you put the hide over a fleshing beam.

[legacy22]

It is tought without the right tools for sure. You're doing about all you can to get as much off as possible. Personally, I can do it with a scalple but i've been doing it awhile. You should invest in a "skife knife" found in most taxidermy catalogs for tight areas. Also, a light bulb socket with a light bulb works on the face and tight areas. You dont have to stretch it super tight. You should almost be able to see through the skin. I know its a delicate thing. If you plan on doing this a lot, you should invest in the proper equipment though.