hide tanning advice

[bjrogg]

4 more mink and 19 muskrats

[BowEd]

Really nice bunch of fur there.If you want to tan all of them.I'd divide up the numbers to be able to handle all of it.To tan them all at once will be a bit overwhelming.You've got a bunch there.That's a lot of fleshing and tanning I'd say for a while.You need willow hoops to lace your beaver in to hang in your man cave maybe.Takes about a 13' willow for a blanket beaver to go into.Otherwise they make good hats too.Those fox are nice too.I see a lined quiver there maybe.Maybe not....or another hat.
After tanning all of them you'll have the routine down I'd say....lol.

[chamookman]

Two thumbs up BJ ! Bob

[bjrogg]

Thanks Bob, they turned out nice.
Ed, these are all tanned and broke now. I just hung the rats back on stretchers for a place to temporarily store them. I did them in 2 groups or batches. They were already skinned, scraped and air dried on stretchers. First I put them in relaxer degreaser to rehydrate and get grease out of hides. I left them in relaxing bath all day. Some of these hides where air dried over a year ago. They still weren't completely relaxed so I put so degreaser relaxer in the pickle bath to. The pickle bath was salt and acid. You bring ph down to range of 1-2. I removed the hides after two days and scrapped them some more then put them back in pickle bath. Hides need to stay in this bath for minimum of 72 hours and ph maintained. I left them in 4 days, that worked out for me time wise. Then rinse several times and a neutralizing bath in baking soda for 30 minutes. Next rinse again then hang for 30 minutes to drip dry. Next lutan and salt bath. This needs a ph of 3.5 and for smaller hides 12-24 hours no longer than 48 for any hides. Next rinse completely and drip dry for 30 minutes. Then rub in the softening oils. The stuff I used was concentrated and you mixed one part oil two part warm water. I rubbed it into leather turned hide fur out rolled them up in rags and put them in plastic bag over night. Next I put them on stretchers and put belly boards in to really stretch them. As they dried in took them off stretchers and worked them stretching them in all directions. I also turned them fur in and put a couple hand fulls of fine sawdust mixed with minerals spirts inside hide and as I worked leather side rubbed sawdust into fur to get tanning oils out. Then I turned back fur out and gave them several quick snaps to get dust out. Then I shaped ears the way I wanted them on fox. I like to leave face a little stiff so it holds shape better hanging on wall. It can be softened later if that's what is wanted.
Ed you are right. This needs to be done in batches. Even with skinning and scrapping done this is still a pretty big job. Of course the big job is the End steps of breaking and cleaning the hides. Especially that beaver. I've got him thinned pretty good now he really needs to be rehydrated and put back on stretcher. I hope I didn't highjack this post probably should have started another.
Bjrogg

[trail walker]

its all good bjrogg keep posting! i love reading your stuff. I'm only 17 you guys are taking years off my learning curve. :

[bjrogg]

Thanks trail walker, you guys did a good job stretching and scraping that cow hide. big job and more than I could probably handle by myself. I've never did more with cow hide than what you just did. Good to see some ambitious young fellers out there. I'm guessing if you want to tan that you could probably take a sander with some 60 grit paper to that hide after it dries before you even pickle it. I'm thinking it would help the pickle and tanning baths work better and really help your stretch and softening later. I'm not 100% sure on that though, I'm sure Ed could tell you. I think you probably could walk around if not jump on it like trampoline if it doesn't rip lacing out of hide after its tanned for softening. It will rip easier when its stiff and rawhide yet. If you can get a good tight stretch it really helps for softening. Softening the hide has to be done at just the right time and usually the whole hide isn't ready at same time. It needs to stretch and turn white. If hide is to wet it wont turn white, and if its to dry it wont stretch. Wish you best of luck and look forward to seeing what you end up with.
bjrogg
PS what's your old man think of your project? He give you any help or incouragement? You can tell him I said he's raising some fine boys. Hope your getting your choirs done.lol.

[BowEd]

bjrogg...Jeepers....Yesereee you got it all done already.Should of seen that your muskrat were turned inside out on your stretchers....lol.You did it right that's for sure.Measuring PH etc.Deliming etc.too.You got your feet good and wet on knowledge with this project of chemical tanning that's for sure.Now you can reap the rewards.
trailwalker...To thin a hide like that is chore by hand.60 grit won't remove thickness fast enough really at a hard rawhide stage.I used to  take big hides like that to a cattle kill plant where I knew the fellas working there that had their own fleshing machine.It could be set to flesh and thin it all the same thickness while it was green yet though.Personally if the cow is sort of a sentimental possession and you want the hair on I'd send it to a tannery.Otherwise dehair it into projects you can use as rawhide and she can live on that way too with her usefullness.Anyway it's good to see others interested in these type things.
Years ago I had a taxidermy license.Just a state one for local fauna.Interstate and migratory animals and birds it takes a federal license.A lot more expensive.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Ed, I'm glad I'm done with them. I still got my buck hide to do yet.
Man they gotta have a expensive license for everything nowadays.
Might sound crazy but I wonder if trail walker could use one of those sanders for wood floor? Probably be hard to keep even thickness.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

You should brain tan that buck and smoke it.You seem to have plenty of hair on hides now.

[bjrogg]

That really is my plan Ed. I've always wanted to try it. I saved his brains, I'm thinking no better candidate than my first Primitive bow kill. I need to figure out how to get it worked into my schedule.
Bjrogg
PS know any good books with patterns for making thing from hides?

[Aaron H]

Bj, If you are planning on making clothing, just take some old clothes that fit well and take them apart at the seams, there's your patterns

[bjrogg]

Trail walker I just reread beginning of this thread. I see your dad has been involved in this project from start. You can tell him I said not only is he raising some good young men, but he's gotta be I pretty good dad to get in there scrapping that hide with you guys. A whole lotta work but a nice family project. Feels good to see that.
Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Thanks Aaron, good idea. Some of the things I have in mind I don't have to take apart though. I will keep that in mind though and I guess I could experiment with paper or rags and try fitting together stuff from them first.
Bjrogg

[BowEd]

Bjrogg....Well you know hats,possible bags,quivers,mittens,maybe even a vest right off the bat don't require a pattern really.Mostly seeing something like I want to make and then going from there for a custom fit.Sketch books from mountain man attire type book.Mystic warriors of the Plains book is a good one.That book might be rather expensive though.Really it's cool to just make something that suits your needs.I like to make things that are functional myself.Going to a rendezvous can give many ideas.Mountain man buckskinners or bow gathering rendezvous's.Some type of primitive gathering.Best to think it all through before cutting things up.I like to make cardboard patterns first then copy that.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Ed, I'd love to attend a rendezvous. So far I've always just done like you said, when I need something I just experiment and make it. Lots of times first one ends up a little crude.lol. I really like functionality too. I am thinking vest and also some mittens and a troopers hat.
Bjrogg