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Egg Tanning Buck skins: Have a few questions

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Arthur Herrmann:
With any luck I will have a couple buck skins this year to tan. I am talking hair off. If the hide soaks in a bucket of fresh room temperature water, will the bacteria do its job to help get the hair off?

Is it better to do a dry scrape off the hair? If so, how do I do that?

I might try and soak the hides in the egg solution. How long would the hide have to sit in a warm dozen egg and hot water solution?

I got more questions, I just don't want to overwhelme anybody. I really would love a real nice leather.

El Destructo:
If you are going to soak the Hide in Water to make the Hair Slough off.....make sure that you scrape all of the Fat....Meat.....and all Ligature off first....so it doesn't go rancid in the Water....and to make it slough off even faster....add a 1/2 Pound of Pickling Lime to it...you can use just regular Lime from a Garden Shop....but I prefer Pickling Lime myself....add the Lime to the water....stir it up really good...add the Hide....and mix it up every day until you notice the Hair starting to slough....usually takes 3-5 days......make sure that you put it in a Cool Spot and keep it covered....I use a Plastic Garbage Can ......works really well....just make sure that you either wet or Dry Scrape it really good before soaking it.....or it gets really bad!!!

Also soaking it in a mixture of Eggs and water....wont work ....better off to get the Hair off....then let it almost dry to the Point of being stiff.....scrape it again to make sure all hair and ligature is off.....and then apply your Egg Mixture to it.....hope this helps

Arthur Herrmann:
I mean once the hair is off, so is the membrane, and your down to the skin, what should I do? I heard that you are supposed to sand it and put it on the dry rack. Then do you lather it up with the egg solution? Or do you soak it?

Which gives better results, brain or egg?

El Destructo:
                                  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4892.0.html

                                 http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5972.0.html

Hartung:
What you apparently need is a step by step introduction into tanning which is nearly impossible to give in a few words. Get yourself a good book about braintanning or go to paleoplanet or braintan.com where you’ll find lots of excellent information and very knowledgeable and helpful people.

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