Beaver Board Material
 

Hey all,

A question for you regarding the best material for beaver boards. I friend of mine says he has 3/4" poplar plywood (good both sides), that he got a few years ago. He says that the poplar plywood makes the best beaver boards as the nail holes close up each time the nails are removed. I have called around and cannot find a single place that can seem to get poplar plywood anymore. Does anyone know of a source for poplar plywood? If not, what are your recommendations for the next best type of plywood to make beaver boards out of?

Thanks!

Thanks but I'm looking for 3/4" or 19mm. What you showed is 8mm or 5/16". Not thick enough.

Just get 3/4" normall plywood I wouldn't sweat it.

x2

G1S birch is often used as you can put a nice finish on it like varathane and have a surface that is easy to wash up.

Have you asked if they have 3/4" in stock or if they can get it?

BTW I used 10 mm spruce plywood for my stretchers. It's a lot lighter and did the job well for me.
But if you are stuck on 3/4 inch, Aspen plywood I suspect that asking the local suppliers would get results.

Or, did you mean Poplar? There is poplar plywood that is made from Yellow Poplar, also called Tulip Wood. It is not a local wood, and not cheap.
It also does not take nails well.

You said you asked around, you didn't say where or whom you asked.
A google search turned up three suppliers, on the first page, all be it not 3/4 inch.

If your friend found 3/4 Aspen it is out there, just have to dig to find it.

Frankly I think you are looking for phantom. I've used a lot of Aspen lumber over the years, it's weak, subject to rot, weathers rapidly and it's softer then most other local woods.
It does however take nails well.

Get 2 pieces of the 5/16 and glue them together for a 5/8" thick piece.

Beaver
 

I use 4 by 8. Fullsheeet. Get 2 on one side flip and 2 more let sheet stand on side hides can breathe and be touched up fleshing. Nails don't go threw and strong enough to hold hides in position

Beaver
 

Plywood. 1 inch thick. Can use 3/4. Ur choice 1 inch a little heavy for sum

It's really easy to make willow hoops, especially in the spring when the sap comes up. (and its free) I used to lace hides into them with cotton clothesline cord, and later on with synthetic baler twine.

You need good thick willows, at least as thick as your thumb, or a bit thicker. If they don't bend right, soak them for a couple of days. Take two good willows and haywire one end together, then put your foot on the haywired connection and bend them around to haywire the other ends together. Make sure the ends overlap by a good foot or more. They cure good and hard, and by the second time you use them they're way better.

They last a long time if you hang them up out of the weather when they're not in use, and I always felt the hides dry nicer because the air gets at both sides.

Old school, and a forgotten art.

There were two problems with hoop stretchers.
#1 it took more time to lace the hide in and to remove it once dried.
#2 It was tricky getting the proper shape, and making it even.

On the plus side, the hide dried faster, and more evenly. As a bonus, the fur did not get matted down.
Hoops also lent themselves to hanging more easily.

It's how I learned to stretch Beaver and it was the method dad prefered.
He did switch to plywood when his dextarity became a problem.

I switched to plywood early on. It is a lot faster and the price realized is the same.