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Four deer hides fleshed

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Outbackbob48:
BJ, Here are some of my obsevations, First off I use KOH for my bucking solution, You can use wood ashes or lime or red devil lye. I do not like ashes  due to you need to remove charcoal (stains) and ashes are not the same strength ease use, I do not like lime as it seems really slippery and also white residue on everything, never tried red devil. You may have KOH ( potassium hydroxide) on the farm, I put 4oz in 10 gal. of water for 2 hides in a 30 gal plastic garbage can. Depending on temp 3 to4 days in (warm 70deg.)  and hair will slip or 8 to 9 if your container is in a cool place.

DO NOT just push the hair off an then grain. As a beginner it easy to become lost. :o Grain is the same color as hide and easy to miss, KOH and other buckings SWELL the grain layer so with experience you will be able to see where you have scraped and what you missed, this is why I say leave hair on and scrape. The hair lets you know where you have scraped, Also be very methodical about removing grain, over lap your strokes so as not to miss any grain.

 Now for some good news, If you miss some grain it is not the end of the world, grain left on doesn't let brains penetrate as well therefore creating a harder spot to soften. On the other hand grain left on gives your hide a nice camo tie and dye effect :o ::) after smoking.

 As for storage I have done a couple different ways. I used to flesh fresh hides salt and drain for 1 day roll up hide and put in a 5 gal.bucket wth lid that seals and store any where. My new system is to flesh, grain, rinse, acidify, membrain then hang on line and let go completely dry, store dry hides in dry area and keep pest out of them ( dogs, mice) 

 Maybe I should do like Ed and just become a dry scraper.  BJ there are lots of ways to do things but this what works for me and is just my .02 cents worth, Have fun and let us know how thinks are going.  I only have 2 more to grain out of 13 or so, then on to the fun stuff.  Good Luck Bob

Pat B:
BJ, in your cold, dry winter climate you could tack the skins up and let them dry(rawhide) until you are ready to work them. I doubt you would have adverse affects to the skins.

BowEd:
BJ...Either way you do it dry scrape or wet scrape getting your tools/containers and or frames pre ready is wise.
I skin and freeze leaving a bit of flesh on them.Got a big freezer here.It also helps then to be avoiding any knife slits then too.I get to them then when weather is better.It's easier to flesh in the frame and on a beam with a little flesh left on them.
I salt hides after fleshing then let flint dry that I'm going chemically tan.Bugs can and will eat on the hair side if left long enough out in warm weather though.Rawhide with no hair and sprayed a little with a bug spray even as cheap as OFF or something keeps the bugs off them here.Does'nt hurt any of the tanning process at all either.
I make my dry scrapers out of bastart mill files.Beveled only on one side at around a 45 degree angle.Sharpened razor sharp with a stone.They'll last through a whole dehairing of at least 1 normal deer before any need of touching the edge up any.Any hardened metal will work.I still use a broke off chunk of a cracked disk blade that I preshaped and then heated red hot and dunked in 10W oil as a flesher scraper.It's so sharp it'll take ribbons off wet rawhide off for thinning a hide if I want to.
Do enough of them BJ and you'll get a feel for what you like.As long as your satisfied that's the main thing.Everyone hits little bumps in the road along the way.It's a learning curve to go through.

BowEd:
BJ....4 hides is enough for a nice shirt and a bag or two.Depending on size of hides of course.Depends what you want to make with them.Large long hides will make a pants too.The limits are endless for things to make.Have fun!!

bjrogg:
Thanks everyone. I'm thinking my next step is going to be making some frames and tools. I think I'll try to get some laced in frame and drying. They should keep now that their fleshed especially in this weather. I'm thinking I might be able to do inside a building using dry scrape method and be able to clean up my mess without getting in to much trouble. I was originally thinking I would give them lye bath, remove hair and then clean them and put them on frame. Then I could scrape inside without the hair mess. I can't wait for better weather. I will be to busy with farming then. For hair off raw hide do I have to scrape off epidural layer. I'm thinking not.
Thanks again everyone.
Bjrogg
Ed I got two more yet and a small rawhide already scraped both sides from ksnow. I figured four would probably be enough entertainment for now. I am looking forward to playing around with the finished product. Maybe the wife and I will be styling.

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