A tanning question

[WhistlingBadger]

I have been working an elk hide using "Deerskins into Buckskins."  I used wood ashes for bucking, and then used vinegar to neutralize the lye.  I fear I used too much vinegar, because the hide smells of vinegar now, even after additional scraping and several rinses.

What should I do?  Leave it alone?  Sprinkle it with soda to neutralize the vinegar?  I can't think that acid in my hide is going to do it any good.  Not sure what to do about it.

[GlisGlis]

I'm not sure but my guess is the smell will vanish pretty soon as the acetic acid is quite volatile

[Pat B]

I'd imagine a neutralizing solution with baking soda(bicarbonate of soda) and water would neutralize the acidity and acidic smell of the vinegar. The aim, just like using the vinegar to adverse the affects of the alkali wood ash mixture is to reach a neutral condition.

[ksnow]

If you have any access to moving water, that's the best rinse there is. At my house now, I drop the hides in the creek for a day or three and they are rinsed out completely. No more messing with vinegar and hoping I did it right.

[WhistlingBadger]

If you have any access to moving water, that's the best rinse there is. At my house now, I drop the hides in the creek for a day or three and they are rinsed out completely. No more messing with vinegar and hoping I did it right.

That's the trouble; I don't have access to moving water.  The creek down the road is frequented by racoons, stray dogs, and neighborhood kids, so leaving the skin in there would probably cause it to disappear.  Hopefully at some point in my life I'll get back to living somewhere with a creek.

[WhistlingBadger]

Anyway, thanks for the input, guys.  I'll try sprinkling it with some soda, give it a good rinse, and call it good.

The hide has some stains on it from leaves on the lawn and from the ashes, so I think I'm going to try a bark tan instead of brain tan.  So maybe the excess acid doesn't matter that much.

[Digital Caveman]

It's probably too late for that hide, but I remember reading something in the appendix of that book about using light acid before the brains to help the hide come out even softer.  I did that one the one hide I brain-tanned and it actually came out pretty good, surprisingly good for a rookie.