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Aluminum sulfate/pickling salt tan for fur on hides

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BowEd:
Yes...Your right it has been used to rejuvinate leather.There's 2 kinds out there or used to be anyway.1 is neats foot oil compound and the other 1 is 100% neats foot oil.Your right I think it's made from hoofs.I buy the 100% stuff.
The likeable thing about it is that it can be emulsified with water at a warm state to be rubbed into the leather as it is drying and a person is stretching to soften the leather.Being careful to not use too much oil.1 to 1 ratio is plenty.I hate over oiled tanned hides,but I don't like dry flinty hides either.

bjrogg:
Glad you don't mind all my questions Ed. You are so right about all the details and a difference between a good hide and trash. I think that's one thing that scares people away from trying this. It does take a considerable amount of time and effort to do this. If you try it and end up with a less than perfect hide you are less likely to try it again. I lost the fur around the ears on my first red fox. It took me a long time to get up the nerve to try tanning another one.
Your neetsfoot sounds very similar to the softening oil in my Lutan kit. After I took Yogi out of tanning bath I let him drain off real good then mixed oil 2 part hot water to one part oil and massaged into leather. It always feels oily until it starts to dry and you break the hide. Then it's soft and white if everything works right.
Bjrogg

BowEd:
Well it's been 3 days.I did my sliver cutting test from along the edge of the face of the coon[a thicker area leatherwise] and it was white clean through.Otherwise it would look translucent like.Looks to be done.I rinsed it again a few times in clear water,then mixed up a good cup of borax into 3 to 4 gallons of water and put the hide in that for a good 8 to 10 hours.Took it out and rinsed it again a few times in clear water.I usually whiplash  as much of the excess water off the hair and hide and let it drip a couple hours.I now put it onto a sheet of wood flesh side down with a slow fan blowing over it against the grain of the hair till the hair is good and dry.I will then flip it over flesh side up to get the flesh side started to drying and eventually working it soft as it dries.At this stage I will check periodically to be sure it does'nt dry out too fast.

neuse:
Great tan along Ed.
Thank you for posting.

Chief RID:
I'm coming in late but all good. This is good detail and great pics. Thanks for all the work.

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