Tanning Hides

[Slaughter]

OK I'm just about disgusted.
I've been trying to tan my own hides (hair on AND hair off) I've tried brain tanning and several different types of chemical tanning but I just can't seem to get it right.
Does anyone have a simple easiER<g> method for tanning??


Thank you in advance,
Tony

[jamie]

whats going wrong and what method of brain tanning are you using

[Slaughter]

Hi jamie,

Ok well The method of brain tanning is as follows...

scrape fat etc from flesh side. Then puree the brain in a food processer. Add a bit of water and boil till I have a runny sort of paste. brush on flesh side and roll it up for 1 hour. repeat that op 2 more times then a fourth coat and roll and store for 2 days. then rinse and start working it.

as for whats wrong .I just can't seem to got them soft I worked the last one for 5 days.I thought it was beautiful. FINALLY the next day it was stiff as a board.

[jamie]

if its stiff that means there is still moisture in it when you believe you have finished. the only other thing i could tell ya would be that the membrane is still on the hide. after you fleshed it did you dry scrape the hide . if not thats the problem. string it up in the rack and rescrape. when your done scraping use some pumice stone or even sand paper to open up the hide. then rebrain. if there are no more brains mix a dozen eggs in a 1/2 gallon of warm, not hot, water. it works just like brains. best to do hair on in a very warm area or outside on a hot day. it dries faster so you dont have to stretch the hide for 12 hrs till it is complete. good luck . peace

[Slaughter]

TY jamie Ill try it that way... and thanx for the egg bit Thats something I didnt know....can you actually use eggs for the whole process??

[jamie]

yeah i stopped using brains a while ago. the deers, i still use mine on occassion

[Coo-wah-chobee]

                            Any egg will work. Like gators er ostriches ! Hey I didnt say that ! ...........Just funnin' sorta of .......bob

[Slaughter]

Ok so I learned something..that makes it a Good day.

Now is there an easier way to work the hides and insure that they get dry??
Something a bit less labor and time intensive perhaps.

I would rather eat the expensive eggs than tan with them thnough

And btw jamieand bob, Merry meet (bow)

[jamie]

did you rack the hide while scraping like the attatched pic? its the best way to dry hair on hides. and hair off too. it opens to the hide up to the air and you can use a broom handle to stretch the hide as it dries. with hair off hides you will actually increase the size of the hide. you dont want to increase the hair on hide much . possibility of losing hair.

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[Slaughter]

No jamie I dont rack them that way I  scrape them on a flat board with a stone scraper and then work them dry over a smooth log or pipe. It doesnt look to me as if Im leaving any membrane.

[jamie]

youd never see it on the flesh side. the hair side you can see it the flesh side is tough. sanding helps to get rid of what is usually missed. peace

[Slaughter]

Ok I think I get it Ill try that.

[billy]

Hey Slaughter...

I've braintanned a number of hides, including deer and elk.  I've also tanned furs with the hair on, such as beaver and raccoon. 

If you are braintanning deer, you HAVE to get the hair and epidermis off the skin, otherwise it is very, very difficult to make it soft and supple.  The epidermis won't allow the underlying fibers to stretch and fluff up, regardless of how much brians you use.  There are 2 ways to get the epidermis off...wet scrape or dry scrape. 

I used to do the dry scrape method, but I have since started doing the wet scrape and I like it much better because the quality of buckskins is better.  The best book I've ever read about the wet scrape method is titled Deerskins into Buckskins by Matt Richards.  It's a very thorough and well-written book and it should help.  There also is a website, braintan.com, that should help you out as well.  If you've got any other questions, send me a PM and I'll give ya some tips and pointers as much as I can.  I've also braintanned hides with the hair on, but those were beaver and raccoon.  If you have any questions...send me a PM!

[leapingbare]

Per smoke that sucker.
 You should smoke every hide once it is done to make it water pruff so it ant hertin nothin.
this is how. brain it worck it till its about 1/2 way done than make it into a sack , string it up and run smoke through it for about 1 or 2 houres than rebrain it and worck it dry.. and you will have a soft hide. if you need me to go into more detal than sind me a pm.
    leapingbare.

[PK]

whatever happened to the good ole ash and urine, or was that for raw hide I got pretty good at the rawhide dear makes good drumheads too. Yes I just remembered that is for rawhide ag lime works for removing hair.