Tanned Critters

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Gutshot thanks for the pickling advice. My 1st two attempts at tanning Red Fox both slipped around the ears and tail. I couldn't figure out what I did wrong. Last summer I was watching some YouTube videos from a taxidermy supply company and they talked about different  products they had a what they where used for. If I remember right they basically had a strong degreaser for greasy hides to remove oils. They had a product to set the hair to stop slip and then product to put tanning oils back in the hide to preserve and soften hide. If I remember right they said if you dry you skins like I do on stretchers that this would also set the hair to prevent slipping. I have a few red fox, mink, coon and muskrat that I kept over from last season. One of my cousins stopped in last night and gave me 2 beavers. All these hides where put up really good with all the fat removed. I'm thinking even though they look really good the beaver and coon could probably use the degreaser. I still have that a bottle of that stuff osage showed. It's same product I used on 1st two Red Fox that I had fur slip on. Do I need to pickle these dry year old hides? Thanks
Bjrogg

Bjrogg, Mckenzie Ultimate Acide and non iodized salt is what I pickle with. I also have a set of ear openers I use so the liquids can get up in there and set the hair good. A quart of this stuff has pickled 8 deer hides, 6 otters, 4 bobcats, 3 minks, and 3 foxes. Not for sure but probably 4-5 beavers. It's not expensive at all and is worth the money in the long run. Good luck with those hides. Post them when you get done!

[nclonghunter]

When I did some water trapping we wold scrape the hides and allow them to dry without salting. Thats how the buyers wanted them... no fat and flesh, then they do not rot...

For tanning deer and I intend to tan with hair on then salting was no problem. Always told that salt will help to set the hair. If brain tanning or hair off I never salted but made certain hide was super clean of flesh and fat. Allow hide to air dry. Could keep for years if kept dry.

If brain tanning you can use a mix of agricultural lime and water to remove hair. The lime would also make the epidermis swell and take on a cheese look. Usually only takes a few days to a week depending on temps and strength of mix. Hair slippage will tell you when. The hair and epidermis layer is removed at the same time. Put in a lite vinegar and water mix to neutralize the lime and return hide to normal thickness and feel. May take a few washing and rinsing. I would always scrape the flesh side again after removing hair and epidermis. Always get some more flesh off even when it looked really clean.  Once clean and well rinsed it is ready for brains and lots of work.

For hair on tanning you can do a paste or tanning bath. Pickling is recommended for hair on or off tanning except for brain tanning because the epidermis is left on. Pickling dissolves the proteins and fat inside the hides pores.  This speeds the tanning process. You can use alum tan, chrome tan, oil tan or bark tan for hides. Each will give different finished results. I like quebracho tan from Van Dykes Taxidermy. It is a bark tan and will give the hide a brown finish. Most commercial tans are chrome tan and it gives a soft non leaching finish. Some alum tans will leach out if it gets wet after tanning.

Good luck

[Zuma]

Thanks Gut
Thanks to all you folks for sharing.
You too Lyman
Great thread
Zuma

[bjrogg]

Thanks Gutshot got your PM, Thanks NC I've put many hide up air dried for fur buyers. Some fur out like my  Fox and coyotes most leather out. Like you said very important have to get all fat off and even fur out has to be dried leather out until just dry enough you can turn without tearing. If these hides are put up correctly and stored in a good dry place they will keep fine for years. +1 what Zuma said very good thread thank all
Bjrogg

[Mo_coon-catcher]

For fur on stuff I've never had any trouble with hair slipping after I found a method that works for me. Just flesh and dry like I'm going to sell them. After they are dry I will thin the thick spots on hides like beaver and raccon with and angle grinder with a sanding disk. This thins the thick spot REAL quick and evenly if done correctly. Then I'll use some acetone and wipe down the hide to degrease a bit more. After that I remoisturize the hide by wrapping it with a damp towel for a few hours. This will allow the emulsified oils to more redily soak into the skin. Once the hide is fully damp again I will take my slurry of brains, egg yokes, emulsified veggy oil, or whatever emulsified oil I feel like using and slathe rot all over the skin and fold the skin in on itself and let it soak in over night. Come morning I scrape off the excess junk on the skin and start the breaking process. Even though working the hide over a board,  rope, or cable doesn't do anything to soften the hide, it does help to dry the hair out by fluffing it up and giving some friction heat. It also does help to dry the leather a little faster. By the time the leather is dry and broke the hair will be dry and fluffy. Even with the hair being wet for about a day I don't have any trouble with the fur slipping and everything by muskrats usually end up as soft as I like after one oiling. Muskrats usually take me two oilings since the first go around usually just breaks down the saddle and it comes off. So I oil and break again to get it good and soft.

I hope that explains my fur on process well enough. Right now I've got a coyote for myself and a badger for a guy to do when I get some time freed up.

Kyle

Kyle

[bjrogg]

Thanks Kyle that sounds like a good method for me. My hides are all put up air dried like they would be for a fur buyer.
Bjrogg

[Zuma]

A couple of my purchases
Zuma

[Outbackbob48]

Nice yote

[selfbow joe]

Nice Coyote and otter

[Zuma]

Thanks guys
 My X's have the coon jacket, skunks, mink, other yote, red and arctic fox,
along with the desert turtle shell and my best Phacops Rana.
I just got the otter back from one.
Zuma

[bjrogg]

Dang Zuma you need a better lawyer lol. Just kidding I sure hope they appreciate them. I think most women  really like furs. Probably most men too.
Bjrogg