Back of the Neck What the Heck

[Zuma]

Don, ya got me all fired up with your hide work, Took 2 hides out of storage( salted and stored in 5 gal. buckets) rinsed and put them in my Bucking solution(1/2 cup of KOH (lye) in ten gallons of warm water) I am going to try and get all my stored hides to a different stage Grain, rinse, acidify, membrane and dry. When warm weather gets here going to try and finsish them all out. I have never done many in the nice weather always tried braining in the winter and using wood heat and fans to help get things to the finish. I was supposed to do some this summer but you know Summer got in the way. That's the plan. Later Bob

Ahh that's great now when you start achin a little I have found your soft spot 
All kiddin aside I now see how this mania can grow on ya. So far, even if I didn't go any further
I will have at least 27-28 sq ft of raw hide, if my freeser don't puke while I am away from home.
To bad we aren't closer, working and spinnin in the same area would make it more enjoyable.
Might have to start an annual TAN IN Keep us posted on your progress. Be rootin for ya

[Zuma]

Well,  I am now fleshed out myself. I won't  speculate just post photos.
and describe. I fleshed both sides best I could with the trailer strap.
The hair side neck area is a killer, so I drained and sqweeged the hide.
rolled it up and froze till later.
Zuma

[Zuma]

Drain and roll. LOL now I know how t hey make those dog chewies.
Zuma

[bjrogg]

That's looking really good to me Zuma. Maybe I'll bring the hides and totties.😎 Oops spelled that wrong I ment  toddies.
Bjrogg

[Zuma]

I love it, you cracked me up the first time and it worked again
Zuma
Watch this 

[Outbackbob48]

Don, took one of my hides out and thought I would grain it today, also thought I would keep track of time spent on each faze. This hide is a nice mature buck with only a small entry and exit hole. Started on the neck and go right down the spine about 6 to8 "wide, then I turn hide around and get last couple inches of neck going against the way the hair grows, next I consentrate on the rest of neck sides and go the same way as hair is laying, this took about 30 minutes of really pushing hard. Next I turn hide side ways and work from center of spine to belly and do this until one half is finshed then start down the other side. Totally time was 1 hr. and 15 min. My buck solution KOH made the hair slip with just the back of the hand . I don't really like the hair to fall out so easily. With no hair it is easy to to lose perspective of where you at with your grain removal. Sometimes I just throw my hides in water and then grain them in a couple of days no swelling and hair is not falling off so easily , a little harder to see grain but works just the same. Shoulders are a little sore but not to bad for a old man, I got 2 more fresh hides today so need to get busy maybe flesh them 2 tonite. Bob  Oh yea the neck was a typical buck neck tuff but not as tuff as some others.

[Zuma]

Good on ya Bob, sounds like things are  going well for you.
Without being confusing let me attempt to get on same page.
First KOH solution? To be clear you start hair on-- just sprayed or rubbed with the solution?
 Just a plain skinned hide that you thawed out (no water or ash?) You apply solution and
 then grain from neck to butt. Then you get neck area to close to scrape by turning 180 degrees.
Next turn hide 90 degrees and scrape side. Reverse hide and do other side? Please correct me
where I am wrong.

Also question--- It seems like direction of grain is important or is not?? Can you grain from butt to neck?
To clarify--- the hide you did had no prep work on the flesh side?
In other words with a fresh skinned hide you could have it ready for tanning in less than two hours?
Not doubting just want to make sure I understand correctly. Thanks Bob
Zuma
 

[Outbackbob48]

Don, let me start again , these hides have been fleshed and salted for at least a year and stored in 5 gal. buckets with tite lids.
1. KOH is Potassium Hydroxide, it is lye and the same as wood ash just a lot cleaner, 4 oz of powder 10 gals of water and 2 hides soaked same as the ash treatment.
2. I try an scrape the way the hair lays grows. I try and be very methodical so as to not miss any grain. First I go from neck to spine about 6" wide  then do the sides spine to belly. I believe you could grain any direction you want but seems a little easier to follow hair direction and stay orientated, Important part is to not miss any grain.
3.If you have a fresh hide and enough butt Yes you could first flesh it clean then turn it over and grain. Soaking in lye does  2 things, Helps remove protective mucus and swells the grain  so you can see what you are removing. Water alone will slip hair.

 I have a friend that does braintanning as a full time job, He will throw 4 hides in a barrel of water and the next day he flesh's and grains 2 and adds 2 more to the barrel, He told me he does about 300 hides a yr. Very systematic and makes it look easy. I have watched him soften 2 hides at a time with fans and woodstove for help drying and run out in between to keep and eye on 2 he is smoking. Hope this answers all your questions. Bob

Just got a fresh hide in today so I fleshed it an also ran a time check on this step 35 min. I believe if I would have done the skinning I would cut this time in half. They left lots of meat on this one but beggar's can, 't be to critical, Todays total 1 fleshed and 1 grained enough fun for one day. Bob
 

[Zuma]

Loud and clear brother  Bob.  Yep those ashes are pretty funky. I guess I could strain them out better.
Now that I have wrun  g you out like like a wet fleshed hide. I want to say thanks very much for taking
the exceptional amount of time to help me out
Zuma

[bjrogg]

I also would like to thank everyone for all the tips and information. I know I learned a lot and I'm sure others did to. I've done a lot of small animals fur on but still no brain tanning of large animals. This is all helpful information and much appreciated.
Bjrogg