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More hidework
BowEd:
After letting the hide set in the 85 degree F. sun 4 to 5 hours the hide is well on it's way to getting dry and dry enough to sand.Not much membrane will be taken off if the fleshing was done properly.Usually remnants by the edges of the hide,but I still give it an overall sanding.
Picture will show the beginning of the sanding.
I use 80 grit sanding disk on my orbital sander.This serves 2 purposes.Getting rid of every bit of membrane and raising the nap of the rawhide to accept brain oils.
I then turn it over to the sun on the hair side.Letting it dry further through the afternoon.
This is the time table for a 1 and 1/2 year old doe of about 10 square feet.Larger thicker hides will take slightly longer as well as yearling deer under 1 year old will take less time yet.
Buckskinner:
Very interesting topic. I think I might give this a go, usually I donate my hides or trade for a pair of gloves. Used to be able to trade for a nice pair of leather choppers or gloves, now they give a cheap pair of gloves made in china, so not worth the trip.
BowEd:
That is a good option too.At times I used to use a company in Minnesota [Huber glove company] send me a few pairs of deer hide gloves and mittens from my hides also.They made a neat mitten called the 1 finger mitten that I still use to this day while hunting or driving tractor.Nothing like deer skin gloves.
They are chrome tanned and dyed a light tan.
After another 4 to 5 hours of drying this hide is already ready to be dehaired.The first place to check if the epidermis is dry enough is at the thickest part.The mid section neck.If it's dry there it'll be dry everywhere else.
It's best to let it dry a little extra amount of time to be sure.It can make the job easier."Beware of scars".
In times past I've demonstrated at town celebrations,rendezvous's,and bow making gatherings deer hides taken at dawn and had soft brain tan leather by dusk.Smoking them in the tipi into the dark to finish them up or smoking them the very next day.
bjrogg:
It’s definitely a labor of love Buckskinner. I hope you give it a try. You’ve got the right username for it to.
It really does produce a beautiful product. I take a couple of my brain tanned hides with me when I do presentations. People are alway surprised at how soft and subtle they are. They have a very hard time believing that I tanned them with the brains of the animals I got the hides from.
Of course Ed is really good at it and makes it look pretty easy. Truthfully it’s a lot of work and some people might even think it’s kinda messy. Like Ed I find working hides very rewarding. Otherwise I would just send them out to have someone else do them.lol
Thanks again for posting Ed. You really do some beautiful work
Bjrogg
Digital Caveman:
I really only found it messy when I think of it as dead animal parts from the woods. The yuck factor goes way down when you look at it as meat and wet dog chew -- which of course it is. :D
It is definitely very labor-intensive. I agree that BowEd does make it look easy. I wish I had the time, space, tools, and materials to do it right... :-\
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