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Ashes/water ratio for brain tanning

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PrimitiveJay:
Hi! I've been reading the forum for a long time and I learned a lot of thing!

Right now, I'm working on my first brain tanned deer skin following the instructions from the book of Matt Richards. However, after removing the flesh, I have a problem making the ashes solution. I followed  the instruction to add 1 gallon of water to 2 gallons of hardwood ashes but the mixture was really thick, it didn't have the milkshake consistancy that it is suppose to have.

So I kept slowly adding water, mixing, and waiting 10-15-20 minutes between each time waiting for a layer of water to form separated from the ashes to do the egg test. The thing is the layer of water never formed.

So I hypothesized that the ratio of ashes to water was wrong and maybe they had to be reversed. So I kept slowly adding water, waiting between each time until I got a ratio of 2 parts of water to 1 part of ashes, and, at this point, after waiting 15 minutes, a layer of water finally formed. The layer was like 1 inch, so I scooped the water to a smaller recipient so I could do the egg test, but the egg didn't float at all indicating that it was too acid. So I added some ashes but this time the layer of water barely formed.

I don't know, maybe the initial ratio of 2 parts of ashes to 1 part of  water were right, but waiting 15-20 minutes between each time I added water was not enough for the layer of water to form. The thing is that in the book it is said to wait 10 minutes, So I don't understand what I did wrong. Should I wait more? How much time should I let the solution without touching it so the water will separate from the ashes?

Thanks for reading and your advices!

Pappy:
Wished I could help but always dry scrap mine to get the hair off. Pappy

PrimitiveJay:
Thank you Pappy, at this point, I just let the skin to soak in the solution that I made for a few days, I know that some people soak it in plain water and it works. Next time I'll try to let the solution sit overnight and see if a layer of water form or not.

Pappy:
Just FYI, Shawn and I just finished wet scrapping a deer hide, we use 2 or 3 shovel scoops of hard wood ash in about 5 gallons of water, stirred it daily and checked for the hair slipping, it took about 4 days and the hair came off clean, a little longer around the neck area, then rinsed in clean water, no real formula just some ashes and water, turned out clean , now ready to dry as rawhide or put in the brains to tan. Pretty simple, it is my first wet scrape and although a bit messy worked really well and probably easier than the dry scrapping I usually do.
 Pappy

Hawkdancer:
I have also used garden lime, about 2 large coffee cans to 10 gallons or more of water, to get a milky looking solution.  Let is sit until the hair slips then rinse well and wash hide with Ivory soap, especially if you use ashes!
Hawkdancer

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