hide question

[Rick Wallace]

I finally figured out to de-hair hide,I soaked it in lime water for 6 days and off it came!  now I have streched it out on a piece of ply wood,,scrape,scrape,scrape, and some more,,its starting to dry nicely but there are some big oily patches on it,,how can I get rid of that??

[Pat B]

Rick, did you nutralize the hide after soaking it in the lime water? You should soak it is water with a little vinegar(I think) to nutralize it. After that wash the hide with Dawn dish detergent to remove any oil that might be left behind.

[Rick Wallace]

Oh yea Pat,I forgot that part,I rinsed it with lots of water  then soaked it in vinegar and water for several hours,,then water again

[Pat B]

Probably wash it with dawn dish soap. That will remove any oil that might be left in the skin.  Sometimes rawhide will dry with an uneven coloration. Some of it will be white and another part will be translucent.

[Rick Wallace]

Thanks  ill try that

[Rick Wallace]

Got it!!   Pat, the dawn soap worked like a charm,its all dry now and oil is gone.Its still a little smelly,but I guess that will go away after a while. Now,is there something to put on it to soften it,,just a little,not much but a little more flex would be nice.   

[Pat B]

If you are going to back a bow with it cut it to strips and soak them in warm water. When plyable take them out, roll up in a towel to remove excess water and glue down to the limbs.

[Rick Wallace]

Dont have any bow plans soon,,I was thinking of a little possibles bag or knife scabberd or something,,hell I dont know what ill do with it!!!!

[Pat B]

If it is still rawhide you will have to tan it first. Rawhide is very hygroscopic and will get wet when the humidity gets high.

[Rick Wallace]

I didnt think about that! I guess I need to learn that to,,any pointers?