Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills

Aluminum sulfate/pickling salt tan for fur on hides

<< < (8/10) > >>

BowEd:
DV IN MN....Beaver will be even thicker yet than coon but it is doable.Flesh them really well while skinning if you can.Otherwise you'll need to flesh it too.
There's no reason not to tan more than one hide at a time if you got em.Your thinner hides will get done first allowing time for you to get them all done.Mink work well too.They'll get done first.
1 pound of aluminum sulfate & 2 pounds of salt will do a deer or a couple of coon in less than a week.For beaver I'd use 2 pounds of aluminum sulfate & 4 pounds of pickling salt to be done in a week.
Do the sliver test to see.

DV IN MN:
Thanks Ed. Yea I plan to flesh all the hides regardless. Well maybe would have sold the beavers green. Price difference this year kind makes the extra work to flesh and board the beaver less then break even. Did you tan the otter in the other post same way as the coon?
Is there any issue with how long a hide is in the freezer, provided you fold it properly and avoid freezer burn? I have a hold over that I was looking at sending away to be tanned. Very large otter.

bjrogg:
Great thread Ed and nice hide. I agree just putting hides on stretchers without further hand work won't soften them. I put them on wooden stretchers with belly stick and back stick stretching as much as I can while their wet. Then as they dry I "poke" hide with my thumb and see if it turns white. When it's ready I poke with thumb or hammer handle all over doing a good amount of softening right on stretchers. Works great for muskrats and mink and fox. Coon need some extra work back of neck but it still helps most areas.
DV IN MN like Ed said Beaver are more work if you want a really soft hide but not impossible. I've done quite a few mink using similar method to Ed's and they work well also fox and muskrat. For mink I always remove "saddle" while pelt is green yet. This really helps make softening hide easier.
Bjrogg

BowEd:
DV IN MN....A hide rolled up flesh side to flesh side in a plastic bag should keep for a number of years without freezer burn.I've found that out before.I did tan the otter to the same way.Seems fur prices are down because fur is a luxury/bad relations with Russia and China etc. the reasons why.Economies bad in Russia etc. too.Seems China bought a lot of the otter/Russia a lot of the coon in the past.Oh well anyway I enjoy making stuff out of them.Have fun with your hides.Sounds like good projects to look forward to.Those beaver are nice but a lot of work all around from trapping them  to tanning them.I used to just hoop them after tanning bringing them with me to rendezvous's.Just an idea.It takes a good 13' willow to make a hoop big enough to hold a blanket beaver.

BJ....I enjoyed your bear hide tanning post.I used to use wire stretchers for my coon and wood with belly wedge for coyote and fox but went to wood on the coon too.It made them feel and look thicker overall.After all presentation is the key to good prices.I just went ahead and made my own wood stretchers for the coon too.Never regretted it.I never was much of a trapper.My Dad was.I mostly hunted.

bjrogg:
I've enjoyed this post to Ed.  I much prefer wood stretchers to wire although I do use wire for rats. It is all about presenting a hide and with wood you can skin slightly different and pin more fur on back. I usually just use belly board for air dried hides but for softening tanned hide I like to stretch them as much as I can before they dry and then a little more as they do.
Love your Beaver hoop I don't have any around my trapping area. Probably a good thing. I've always wanted to do the hoop thing with a huge rat. Their not nearly as much work.
Bjrogg

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page