How to get the hair off a moose skin

[Wolf Watcher]

I know it has no doubt been on the site before, but I could not find it.  I have a winter coated moose hide that is in three pieces.  They have been in the salt all winter and now I want to make some rawhide for drum faces.  I have no clue as to how to make the hair slip.  I made a frame for stretching and soaked the smallest piece in the creek for a couple of days.  Any help will be appreciated.  Thanks!  Joe

[Pat B]

Joe, you soak it in a lye solution until the hair slips. You can use hardwood ash and water for the lye solution or buy Red Devil lye.
 You can also dry scrape it to remove the hair. I don't know which is easier or better fro drum heads though.

[Wolf Watcher]

Pat:  Thanks for the help!  Maybe I can pick up some Red Devil Lye in town.  About how long does it need to soak?  Crazy weather here, power out all day and now fog right to the ground.  Joe

[Pat B]

Joe, I've never done it so I don't want to give you the wrong info. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

[Outbackbob48]

Joe, never did a moose but takes 4to5 days with deer, Alot depends on the temp of your water, Warm water and I would say 4 or 5 days ice cold creek water ?  Make sure and stir it up often and just keep checking, Joe , I don't know if your trying to remove grain for drum heads or just the hair. Lye will swell up your grain layer and make it soft, so carefully remove hair or will damage grain. If grains doesn't matter scrape hair and grain off, make sure and put back in stream to rinse all your lye out and return to netural. Hair will slip in just plain water but takes awhile especially cold water. Hope this helps . Bob ( I thought I  heard drums last nite Ayyiiieee)

[nclonghunter]

You can also use agricultural lime, like for your garden. Like Bob said, keep it stirred and keep checking because of differences in temp and strength of lime. Just keep pulling on hair each day in the thick areas of hide until it slips. You need to have a log and scraping tool ready when it slips. The grain is on the hair side and at the base of the hair. It will swell and look a little like cheese or a thick sponge and will be a little different color than the actual hide. You may think you are cutting into the hide at first.
I think for drums you want a thin hide so I would plan on taking the grain off of a thick moose hide. Try one of your sections at a time, removing the hair can be some work and a learning experience. Also, once the hair is off flip it over and scrape the flesh side again. You will be surprised how much tissue will be on there.

You can also mix a little white vinegar in water and put your scraped hide into it for a little while. Vinegar neutralizes the lime, but too much vinegar is not good either. Like Bob said, rinse it really well to get the lime out.

Good Luck

[Wolf Watcher]

Thanks fellows for the instructions.  The hide is in three pieces so I am starting with the smallest one.  Its from the neck so is very thick and the hair is very long and heavy.  I have a cut in half 55 gallon drum that should hold the try piece.  I have made a lot of drums in the past, but always from rawhide I bought from a leather store.  This is going to be an interesting experience!  Joe

[Trapper Rob]

Hydrated Lime from the feed mill is what I use.

[stickbender]

     Don't forget how we are about pictures!

                                    Wayne

[JacksonCash]

Have you tried Nair? 

[Wolf Watcher]

The PA site is lucky I don't know how to send pictures other than by email.  I managed to get the hair off the calf elk hide and one of the smaller pieces of moose hide.  The moose hide hair was very thick and long so was a chore to take off.  I used lye in a half barrel and some of the hair came of well and some took some real work because some of the hide did not get the soak very well.  The elk hide looks like a double ended drum face and the thick moose hide may become a shield.  The next time I am going to try to find a bigger water troth on the other to pieces of moose hide.  Thanks for the help and interest.  Joe

[nclonghunter]

Glad it worked out for you. They can be a lot of work. It's good to stir the hides every day to keep the mix equal and to expose all the hide surfaces. Hope you figure out how to post pics, would like to see the shield and drums.

[Aaron H]

How long did you soak them for?

[Wolf Watcher]

I soaked the moose hide for four days and turned it twice stirring up the water each time.  The hide was very thick with long and dense hire on the neck and that is where I had problems.  I have a piece large enough to make a shield so am happy with that.  The elk hide came from a large elk calf and I soaked it also for four days.  I am sure that even with the turning some areas did not soak as well as the majority.  I have two more moose pieces and they are both larger than the first one so plan to make a better effort at getting an all over even soak on them.  Thanks for responding!  Joe

[bubby]

I'm posting these pics for Joe. I'll let him explane them they pics of the hide