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A DIY turkey fan mount template is a full-size pattern used to create the shaped wooden plaque or backing that holds a preserved turkey tail fan and beard. It gives you a starting outline for the main back plate, front cover, spacer, and mounting holes, so you can build a display without estimating every curve by hand.
This project is useful for turkey hunters, beginning woodworkers, and anyone who wants to turn a successful hunt into a personal wall display. It works especially well with scrap walnut, oak, cedar, pine, or plywood. You can keep the design simple or add a name, harvest date, location, engraved lettering, or a contrasting wood accent.
What You Need
- Printed turkey fan mount template
- Wood board or plywood suited to the plaque size
- Pencil, scissors, and tracing paper or carbon paper
- Jigsaw, bandsaw, or coping saw
- Drill, sandpaper, wood glue, and screws
- Wall hanger or keyhole-style mounting hardware
- Preserved turkey fan and beard
How to Use the Template
- Measure the fan first. Spread the feathers in the position you want to display them. Check that the template is wide and tall enough to support the fan without covering attractive feather tips.
- Print at the intended scale. Place the printed pattern over the fan to confirm the proportions before cutting wood. If the pattern is smaller than needed, enlarge it in the printer settings or print it across several sheets and tape the pages together.
- Transfer the outline. Cut around the paper pattern, place it on the board, and trace the shape. Mark the centerline, screw locations, beard notch, and any areas that must remain visible.
- Cut and refine the wood. Cut just outside the traced line, then sand gradually to the final shape. Test the front plate and spacer against the back plate before applying glue.
- Assemble the mount. Use a spacer to create room for the fan base and beard. Secure the pieces with glue and screws, keeping fasteners away from the visible fan area. Add a hanger to the back.
- Attach the preserved fan. Position the fan evenly, secure the base, and place the beard in its notch or holder. Avoid compressing the feathers or using adhesive directly on delicate feather shafts.
Printing Tips
For accurate cutting, choose 100% scale or Actual Size rather than “Fit to Page.” Turn off automatic resizing and print a test page first. If the template includes a calibration square, measure it with a ruler before transferring the pattern. For large plaques, use ledger-size paper when available, or divide the pattern into tiled pages with overlap marks.
Print on ordinary paper for tracing, then reinforce the pattern with cardstock if you expect to reuse it. Before making permanent cuts, compare the printed outline with your actual fan and adjust the shape to suit the bird, wood grain, and intended display location.
Where to Find and Print Diy Turkey Fan Mount Template
Turkey Fan Mount Plans with 1:1 Printable Templates
Woodworking plans featuring full-size printable templates, multiple turkey fan and beard mount designs, material lists, and printing guidance.
Another Turkey Fan Mount with Printable PDF Pattern
A practical woodworking project showing how a full-scale turkey fan mount pattern can be transferred to wood and assembled from shop scraps.