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More hidework
BowEd:
I've only chemically tanned a bear before with alumnum sulfate and pickling salt.I traded my bear hide away at a rendezvous.
I did a black angus calf later which sorta simulates bear fur,but still have not made anything from it yet.
Back then I had thoughts of making some winter type gaiters from it.The practical side of me always wants to make use of hair on hides or hides in general.
It takes less strenuous roping in the end than brain tanning it,but still special longer roping time still needs to be done on the thicker areas like the face/spine and hips like most animals.Don't be fooled thinking it's dry enough.The extra roping and stretching will make a difference on how soft it gets.
Thinning those areas before hand helps.That's when with it being stretched in a frame that thinning can be done.I use a sharp scraper and nowadays an orbital sander with 40 grit paper.
Fully equipped taxidermists have leather thinning machines to thin the hide prior to tanning.
The thing about doing a bear is that most people want the face,legs,paws,and claws on them as a robe type rug.Lacing all that stretched properly in a frame can be a challenge but I'm sure it can be done to apply the brains on the flesh side till limp and roping it dry.
I fleshed mine on a beam thoroughly even the flesh membrane as much as I can.Then washed it very good in a tub with dish washing soap and rinses because a bear is very greasy like a coon.Then made my tanning solution/pickling bath plenty strong to only need to soak it in it a week to 10 days.Stirring it at least 4 to 5 times a day to be sure all areas get tanned.
That's the easy part.I would use 5 pounds of aluminum sulfate and 3 pounds of pickiling salt in 5 to 7 gallons of water for a 350 to 400 pound animal.Weight it down if needs to be.
I guess 2 weeks would'nt hurt either as the hair should not slip yet because the solution will not allow bacteria to develop.You check penetration of chemical periodically by slicing a sliver of hide off the edge.Preferably in a thicker area to be sure the rest of the hide is fully tanned.
Then it's just a matter rinsing it few times and getting rid of the moisture.Stretching the hide periodically in all directons and all areas while drying.In the beginning for a while just laying it out there with no stretching needed.Oiling it while damp with neats foot oil will help softening to a degree also as it will emulsify with the damp leathers' moisture into the leather.
Years ago I made a tumbler that turns 13 times a minute to tumble put up coon and coyotes to sell up north.I've used it before to soften an aluminum sulfate tan.
An aluminum sulfate tan is way different softening than a brain tanned hide,but still prefer to do some stretching on the hide as the cob grit in the tumbler is rather dirty and needs changing and will soil the leather some.Still much easier as said before though.The fibers just need to be stretched to a degree but mostly broken to get soft.
A hair on hide such as yours will probably take the best part of 3 days to completely get dry.When not roping it I would store it in a plastic bag twisted shut.
You will have accomplished something to be proud of.
BowEd:
I wanted to comment on the difference between these 2 buck hides as to their life style and nature during the rut.
Conditioning/health/and enviornment will have a lot to do about this also I imagine.
Even though the hides are very close to the same thickness and size the one on the left/speckeled up in the neck from fighting was from a 4 year old animal opposed to the one on the right who was a 6+ year old animal and a fair amount larger with far less scars from fighting than the 4 year old and I believe was a more dominant type buck during the rut.It might be too the amount of testosterone in an animal.Hard to judge really as the older bucks' neck was as thick as I've ever seen on a buck.More so than the younger buck.
It's not always that the biggest buck that is the dominate one as I'm sure some of you know.Many experts out there about this.Of course size of body/weight and rack does mean something for intimidation but when push comes to shove the more docile animal will turn and run even though he is larger.
To me the proof is in the scars on the animal.
Piddler:
I have a bag of aluminum sulfate I may have to try on one of the beavers. Still gonna brain one if I get time.
Piddler
BowEd:
Cool....Thinning that beaver will make work easier.Use the fine non iodized pickiling salt.
Years ago I bought a 50lb. bag of aluminum sulfate.Still using some of it to this day.It's still rather cheap stuff yet these days.
Piddler:
Still have some pickling salt left. Bought quite a bit last season. I actually salted the hides a day or so then rinsed it off and dried the hides. Beaver in the hoops. Still some salt in the hides as I noticed my sander had gathered some rust pretty quick. Gotta read up on the Aluminum Sulfate method. Still gonna brain one when I get a chance. Need to before bow season starts Oct 1 but may not make it. Definitely need to thin those other beaver more than the last one.
Ed we are gonna have to get you to explain your roping method. How big of a rope, is it tied vertical or horizontal, how tight, do you fold the hide when working and so on. I get the idea but seem to be missing something.
Thanks for the info as it is a help.
Piddler
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