help cutting zonkers strips

[davethetrout]

I have been flipping the fur over and cutting carefully with a lenox utility blade. The strips are not consistant and I tend to cut the fur off most of the strips. How do I get my average of good strips up without ending up with a huge pile of dubbing fur?
DTT

 

[troutmd]

I have had the same problem and I find that by parting the hair with a dubbing needle and than using some saliva to moisten the hair and keeping it separated, you can just cut the leather/skin without too much hair being lost.......

 

[stumpy]

most craft stores carry a double-bladed exacto type knife; I forget the name on mine, but it came with inserts for three or four different widths of strip, they come scalpel sharp, and cut through the hide usually in one light pass. also great for cutting mouse tails, etc.

 

[jklett]

Get a handful of x-acto blades or razor blades, some washers, and a nut and bolt that'll fit through the hole in the blade. Bolt the blades together using the washers to space them as wide as you want the strips and you have a cherry zonker cutter. As to the problem of cutting the fur from the skin when you slice it, use just enough force to barely cut through the skin and it'll work. It also helps to tack the skin down somehow so it doesn't move as you pull the cutter along. Thumb tacks and a scrap of plywood(so you don't push the tacks into the dining room table ) are great for this.

 

[davethetrout]

These are some great ideas,thank you for your time it took to respond!
DTT

 

[ajfromnj]

we the strips with salive before you cut them. you will not lose the underfir this was. it works great. also when you ties them in cut it in a v shape. hope this helps.

 

[Fly Tier]

I have been flipping the fur over and cutting carefully with a lenox utility blade. The strips are not consistant and I tend to cut the fur off most of the strips. How do I get my average of good strips up without ending up with a huge pile of dubbing fur?
DTT

DTT...
First decide what application you need the zonker strip for. If you are using it to wrap on a hook, you will want to cut accross the grain, to use for a full length body, cut with the grain.
The hair will always point towards the tail of the rabbit so application is important.

Turn your strip over, take a straight edge, ruler, anything and take an exacto and cut halfway throught the hide. do NOT cut all the way through. Do these cuts for as many pieces as you will need. Then take one side of the hide and either weight it down, clamp it down--something to hold it in place. If you are right handed, take your left hand and hold the non clamped side of the cut and start pulling it away from the other side. As you are doing this, take your exacto and slowly saw down the initial cut until you are finished. Unclamp the hide and finish by sawing down the area that was being held.

-FT

 

[davethetrout]

Thanks you very much..I didnt know the grain deal,thanks for explaining!
DTT