Author Topic: Tanning? (Read 4201 times)

hillbilly61 · « **on:** December 15, 2010, 10:10:02 pm »

I got 2 deer hides from the processor today. I want to try my hand at tanning them. They are rolled up and put in the freezer till I find out how to handle this. Were is the best place to learn and any suggestions?

HoBow · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2010, 10:13:56 pm »

Depends on the type of tanning you want to do...brain tan, alum tan, chrome tan...

JW_Halverson · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2010, 10:30:25 pm »

Maybe I ought put you in touch with my Dad...he was always threatening to tan MY hide!

hillbilly61 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2010, 11:17:23 pm »

Quote from: JW_Halverson on December 15, 2010, 10:30:25 pm

Maybe I ought put you in touch with my Dad...he was always threatening to tan MY hide!

Now that's funny

Jeff....All I know is I would like to make buckskin type of tan. Just something simplistic. If thier is such a thing

Pappy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 16, 2010, 05:34:20 am »

We do a lot of brain tanning,I wouldn't call it complacated but there are several steps and pretty time consumming.You need to start by thawing them and fleshing the hide,get all the meat,fat and membrane off the flesh side,then stretch on a rack and let dry.Then you can scrap the hair off,[there are other ways to get it off but I can't tell you about that]we scrape it off. You then have rawhide,When you get that done,ask and We can go futher.It will last a long time ,maybe forever in the rawhide form,so get it to that stage and then you will need to decide what you want to tan it with.

Pappy

hillbilly61 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2010, 07:37:33 am »

Pappy...Will it be ok in the freezer till after Christmas and New Years ?

HoBow · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2010, 07:47:28 am »

It will be fine in the freezer as long as you want to leave it.....if it is salted, it doesn't even have to be in the freezer. When I work with hides, I just flesh and salt them good and leave them out until I'm ready to do something with them.

hillbilly61 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2010, 07:55:55 am »

Cool. The fleshing is the part I'll have time getting to for a couple weeks. I reckon when I get the fleshed and strung up I'll ask more questions. Maybe I'll buy a book on the subject too

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** December 16, 2010, 08:00:05 am »

It will be fine in the freezer,I usually flesh them before ,but you can do it later,We don't salt them ,just freeze them,when you take it out ,put in a bucket of water and let it get really wet again,it make getting the meet and especially the membrane of much easier,when It starts to dry out it is hard to get the membrane off.

I use a dull draw knife on a slick log to flesh,once you start it is kind of like chasing a growth ring,you can just see it pealing the flesh/fat and membrane off.

Pappy

leapingbare · « **Reply #9 on:** December 16, 2010, 02:39:02 pm »

Good luck with your hides.

TreyNC · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2010, 06:35:18 pm »

I have left some in the freezer for more than a year and came out ok. Watch for freezer burned areas if left in the freezer for long periods of time. A month is no problem.

jamie · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2010, 08:19:28 am »

matt richards book derrskin to buckskin is the best out there. its not the only method but its the best way to get a good soft hide. when i get more time later i'll post some more info.

Primitive Archer