Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills
Framed beef rawhide
BowEd:
Got my hide thinning scraper made.It's made from a typical leaf spring around 3" wide and 4" long approximately.High carbon steel is needed for what I want to do to hold an edge a long time.I was careful not to temper the steel applying the bevel on the edge.A metal file skates across it yet and does'nt bite in.The edge is crescent shaped and sharpened razor sharp with a sharpening stone..I'll see using it whether the shape of the crescent needs to be adjusted.
A 1" square metal handle from some square stock laying around in my small junk pile of metal.Around 18" long.Welded er up and she's good to go.
I even painted it black.The shaver I call it does have some heft to it.I wanted some heft to this scraper to help the thinning process.To let the tool do a lot of the work for pressure on the hide.
BowEd:
I rough out the shape first with a speed grinder slowly while dipping it into water while I do it.I finalize the shape on my wet stone petal sharpener.I finalize the edge to sharpness with a finer wet stone that's sitting on the seat of the wet stone petal grinder.
I modified or rounded the corners more.
I want to be able to take off 1"-1.5" wide of a rawhide shaving off each pass or stroke.
PS.....One by-product I intend to keep from this is the rawhide shavings.I'll use it to make hide glue.There should be a substantial amount of it.Being thin shavings it will break down very quickly into hide glue.
Hawkdancer:
Nice edge! I like that pedal grinder, sort of rare nowadays, at least in working order!
Hawkdancer
BowEd:
I've had this petal grinder for over 40 years and have used it many many times.Something I'll never part with all of my hide and wood splitting routines here.I made a new frame for it way back then too.
I've resoaked this beef hide to reframe it.I'll cut new lacing holes.I refleshed both sides of the hide on my beam to loosen it up some and give it a thorough cleaning.A few little bits and pieces of flesh side membrane removed but overall pretty good.I'm noticing I'm not getting the proper stretch on this beef hide that's really a requirement to make good brain tan.I'll reframe it today.See if my scraper thinner works best while hide is wet or dry.I'll also see if I can get a good stretch on it while in the frame by prodding into it also.
Pappy:
Good looking tool Ed, that should get it done. I have never had much luck putting one back on the rack after they were rawhide and original holes have been cut out, seem the new holes in just rawhide always just rip or split out when i try pulling them tight. I would like to know how you keep that from happening, I have done it after they begin to turn into leather but not while they are just rawhide ??? Pappy
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