Author Topic: Four deer hides fleshed (Read 35326 times)

Hawkdancer · « **Reply #90 on:** February 28, 2019, 10:44:13 pm »

BJ,
You can actually use a stapler to make a tube for smoking the hide, not primitive but it works and leaves much smaller holes! Got that idea from Ken Wee, a Native American friend. He also said to have a long smoke tube to cool the smoke before it gets to the hide, 15-20 feet. A very slight draft will keep the smoke moving, but close the damper if adding more fuel. Punk is good! I am not expert at tanning, just passing on what Ken told me!
Hawkdancer

Outbackbob48 · « **Reply #91 on:** March 01, 2019, 12:02:40 am »

Bj, an old sewing machine would be good. I hand sewed this last one and it took forever

I have tried glueing them and also stapling, each had it's draw backs. Sewing worked the best and held up well when turning hide inside out to do other side, glue was frail for turning , staples work pretty good but take sometime to remove and if you miss one it will cut ya

making the bags is my least favorite part of the whole process, but turning it inside out and seeing the nice smokey colored soft leather makes it all seem worthwhile. I know what your saying about to many projects going on. Spring is real close and I'm still not even close to finishing up my winter stuff. Your man cave looked great with the ash, good save. Bob

That big empty space in wood shed needs replaced before next winter

. I wonder what's going to happen when I get old, only 70 now.

. Yikes Bob

Pappy · « **Reply #92 on:** March 01, 2019, 03:22:03 am »

Looks good Bob, like your set up, I have a stove just like that, may give it a try, sure would make it easier when I need to add wood or punk, Mine
is a cut in half 55 gallon drum and you have to lift one side to add wood and have to be very careful not to dislodge the pipe. I also had sew mine and it is kind of a pain but as you sad well worth it. Sounds like you have been busy BJ, by the way anyone heard from Ed, haven't seen him around lately, hope all is good with him.

Pappy

bjrogg · « **Reply #93 on:** March 01, 2019, 03:31:54 am »

I've been wondering about Ed to Pappy. Sure hope he's doing well.
Bjrogg

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #94 on:** March 27, 2019, 04:45:37 pm »

I've done these brain tan hides about every way possible. Wet scrape, dry scrape, lye to slip the hair, no lye, flesh on a beam, flesh on a frame, smoke each hide individual or many together in a smoke box, yadda yadda. Many ways will work, and the consistency of the finished product changes a bit with each method. Personally, flesh them on a frame, scrape them on a frame, no lye. Pappy nailed it. When done right the epidermis and hair shave off in little ribbons instead of loose hair flying everywhere. We built a big box, about 6 foot tall and 6 foot wide. Maybe double that deep and we started smoking dozens of hides at one time, without fear of any getting lit up. Yours look really good! nice work.
ps. Sadly ours here in Texas are rarely if ever that big. Barb wire scars galore.

Hawkdancer · « **Reply #95 on:** March 27, 2019, 10:47:45 pm »

WhaAaat?, you mean everything ain't bigger in Texas?!

! Couldn't resist! I'm used to mule deer, does average about 120# or more, haven't scored a buck for a long time! Still trying to decide how to finish the hide Jacie scored in the fall season. I do remember many years ago, a young lad took a whitetail buck that weighed over 200# in Missouri with a bow! His dad's farm, figured that buck had been eating their corn all summer, they should have him for Thanksgiving dinner! State record if I remember correctly!
Hawkdancer

Pappy · « **Reply #96 on:** March 28, 2019, 06:03:14 am »

I have never figured out how to do a bunch of hides at once, I thought about building a smoke house but was told by the guy who taught me that you want to force the smoke through the hide and didn't figure a smoke house would do that. I have stitched 2 together and done 2 at a time before that worked pretty well. He said you weren't just looking for color but force the smoke through the hide to preserve and water proof to some extent .

Pappy

SLIMBOB · « **Reply #97 on:** March 28, 2019, 06:53:46 am »

Our Hill Country deer are just small. South Texas and farther north, a bit bigger.
Pappy, we simply tried the smoke house just to see. We started small and went bigger later. The hides get a more thorough smoking when you do the little tipi method. But we would have a bunch of little fires scattered about and it was a lot of work just to keep them going properly and prevent a flare up that burned the hides. The smoke house works very well. You gotta smoke them longer, but you have one fire with a dozen hides, so no biggie.

Pat B · « **Reply #98 on:** March 31, 2019, 08:03:40 pm »

Bob, I love the color of those hides.

bjrogg · « **Reply #99 on:** April 04, 2019, 04:30:52 am »

I'm sorry I got so sidetracked on this project. I put ash boards I sawed from my dead ash trees on my Man Cave walls which I've been wanting to do for a long time. Turned out beautiful. I was just gonna get back to this project when a family emergency popped up. Now it's to close to planting season to tackle. I did get 3 hides brained and softened. 1 dehaired rawhide. 3 more dry on frames and ready to dehair. I'm kinda interested in the multiple smoke method slimbob. I know a guy with a really nice smokehouse that said I should use it. I was always thinking the smoke had to go through the hide to.
Thanks for all the information everyone. I learned a lot from this project.
Bjrogg
PS sure miss Ed. Hope he's ok

DC · « **Reply #100 on:** April 04, 2019, 09:09:18 am »

I've been missing his input too.

Pappy · « **Reply #101 on:** April 05, 2019, 05:17:48 am »

Ya I sent him a PM , but no response, hope all is well.
Pappy

bassman · « **Reply #102 on:** July 13, 2019, 09:19:26 am »

You are quite the craftsman Brogg. Good on you.

Primitive Archer