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Framed beef rawhide
BowEd:
Thanks but beef rawhide is a bit too thick for backing bows.I make many other things out of beef rawhide though.
I just got a response from the tannery about the beef hide.They do a chrome tan there.Dye it too.Talked to an office person which is not the most informative.Convoluted response.She said oh you went above and beyond what normal people do when bringing in hides to be tanned.So much so that an extra step is needed now.Rehydrating.I said I did'nt think rehydrating was a step in tanning hides.At least not labor wise and other steps like fleshing and dehairing were already eliminated which does take labor.
Also that their chemicals had gone up in price.More regulations put on them lately too.I was afraid of that.Anyway she said if we piece it out [quartered] it would cost $6.00/sq.ft.If tanned whole $8.00/sq.ft.Way too much.I'd like to speak with the boss myself.You'd think cutting it into quarters takes labor.In short to me just excuses to charge more was her response.
Also she said they had quit doing hair on beef hides but because mine was already dehaired they would do it.They only do exotics like elephant,rhino,and alligator etc.
This beef hide needs to be thinned to make it easier to brain tan and get good brain penetration..I'm thinking of making a wider very sharp scraper for that.I started doing a couple deer hides now anyway.Got 1 ready for brains.The other will be in a few days too.
lebhuntfish:
Good work Ed! There are other tanners bud, they sound like they just don't want to mess with it to me. But whatever you decide I know you will make good use out of the entire hide no matter what state it's in.
BowEd:
That's right Pat.
I dehaired the second deer hide yesterday.Frrezers empty of hides now.Ready for more meat and veggies and more hides this fall and winter.It's why I make so much rawhide.That'll store well outside the freezer.I'll get around to brain tanning and smoking these 2 later this summer.
Right now I've got a plan brewing.I got myself a chunk of leaf spring from junk yard for a blade and some 1" sq. tubing for a handle from my junk pile or replenishable resource.Total cost $1.00.I'll make a wider scraper and make an ultra sharp thinning scraper to thin this beef hide.Might sand it some too.Brain and wring it multiple times.Work it dry in the frame stretching with a dulled wide scraper.Probably rope it some too.Then smoke it to finish it.This hide will take quite a bit longer to do than a deer hide but I'll see what the results will be,
There will be steps to perform with a hide like this.I'll try to explain them as I go.Nothing is guaranteed here but I'm not afraid to fail.It's how I learn I guess.
Digital Caveman:
+3 :OK
I understand one of the nice things about brain tan is that you can't mess up the hide totally because you can always rebrain until it turns out right.
You could waste work though, that may be worse.
BowEd:
Yes it could be,but from experience of these things in the past I pretty much know all of the pitfalls or struggles that can occur and the steps needed to take to avoid them.I've been brain tanning since the 1980's.
I very rarely ever need to rebrain and restretch any deer hides any more for years for a superior product.A beef hide of this size could be an exception.If so in the end with success it still won't be a waste of time.Just a bigger project is all.
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