Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: Slaughter on November 07, 2007, 10:44:55 am
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OK I'm just about disgusted.
I've been trying to tan my own hides (hair on AND hair off) I've tried brain tanning and several different types of chemical tanning but I just can't seem to get it right.
Does anyone have a simple easiER<g> method for tanning??
Thank you in advance,
Tony
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whats going wrong and what method of brain tanning are you using
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Hi jamie,
Ok well The method of brain tanning is as follows...
scrape fat etc from flesh side. Then puree the brain in a food processer. Add a bit of water and boil till I have a runny sort of paste. brush on flesh side and roll it up for 1 hour. repeat that op 2 more times then a fourth coat and roll and store for 2 days. then rinse and start working it.
as for whats wrong .I just can't seem to got them soft I worked the last one for 5 days.I thought it was beautiful. FINALLY the next day it was stiff as a board.
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if its stiff that means there is still moisture in it when you believe you have finished. the only other thing i could tell ya would be that the membrane is still on the hide. after you fleshed it did you dry scrape the hide . if not thats the problem. string it up in the rack and rescrape. when your done scraping use some pumice stone or even sand paper to open up the hide. then rebrain. if there are no more brains mix a dozen eggs in a 1/2 gallon of warm, not hot, water. it works just like brains. best to do hair on in a very warm area or outside on a hot day. it dries faster so you dont have to stretch the hide for 12 hrs till it is complete. good luck . peace
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TY jamie Ill try it that way... and thanx for the egg bit Thats something I didnt know....can you actually use eggs for the whole process??
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yeah i stopped using brains a while ago. the deers, i still use mine on occassion ;D
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Any egg will work. Like gators er ostriches ! Hey I didnt say that ! :o ;D ;D ;D...........Just funnin' sorta of ;).......bob
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Ok so I learned something..that makes it a Good day.
Now is there an easier way to work the hides and insure that they get dry??
Something a bit less labor and time intensive perhaps.
I would rather eat the expensive eggs than tan with them thnough ;D
And btw jamieand bob, Merry meet (bow)
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did you rack the hide while scraping like the attatched pic? its the best way to dry hair on hides. and hair off too. it opens to the hide up to the air and you can use a broom handle to stretch the hide as it dries. with hair off hides you will actually increase the size of the hide. you dont want to increase the hair on hide much . possibility of losing hair.
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No jamie I dont rack them that way I scrape them on a flat board with a stone scraper and then work them dry over a smooth log or pipe. It doesnt look to me as if Im leaving any membrane.
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youd never see it on the flesh side. the hair side you can see it the flesh side is tough. sanding helps to get rid of what is usually missed. peace
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Ok I think I get it Ill try that.
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Hey Slaughter...
I've braintanned a number of hides, including deer and elk. I've also tanned furs with the hair on, such as beaver and raccoon.
If you are braintanning deer, you HAVE to get the hair and epidermis off the skin, otherwise it is very, very difficult to make it soft and supple. The epidermis won't allow the underlying fibers to stretch and fluff up, regardless of how much brians you use. There are 2 ways to get the epidermis off...wet scrape or dry scrape.
I used to do the dry scrape method, but I have since started doing the wet scrape and I like it much better because the quality of buckskins is better. The best book I've ever read about the wet scrape method is titled Deerskins into Buckskins by Matt Richards. It's a very thorough and well-written book and it should help. There also is a website, braintan.com, that should help you out as well. If you've got any other questions, send me a PM and I'll give ya some tips and pointers as much as I can. I've also braintanned hides with the hair on, but those were beaver and raccoon. If you have any questions...send me a PM!
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Per smoke that sucker.
You should smoke every hide once it is done to make it water pruff so it ant hertin nothin.
this is how. brain it worck it till its about 1/2 way done than make it into a sack , string it up and run smoke through it for about 1 or 2 houres than rebrain it and worck it dry.. and you will have a soft hide. if you need me to go into more detal than sind me a pm.
leapingbare.
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whatever happened to the good ole ash and urine, or was that for raw hide I got pretty good at the rawhide dear makes good drumheads too. Yes I just remembered that is for rawhide ag lime works for removing hair.
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The way I remove the hair is put it in water till the hair comes off. A stream works good. Put some rocks on top so it doesnt float away ;D. Putting it in watter takes a long time and is smelly but you get a nice hair free rawhide.
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Putting the hide in water and ashes from a fire will remove the hair ;).
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Is there any way to do a Hair off Tan Job ....where it don't stink up the whole Garage?? I use water and lime....in a 55 gallon Plastic Trash Can....and within a week...it smells like there is a Dead Body in the Garage....and the Hair is still not slipping....also I would like to hear of a perfect way to make Deer rawhide....because I use a lot of it for Bows....Handles Backing and Quivers
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I like to dry scrape. No smell. No wet, slimy hide. No wet, frozen hands. Just rack it up and flesh it, let it dry a few days, then scrape the hair and grain off with a sharp scraper. Works good for buckskin or rawhide either one. And another advantage-you don't have to scrape it all at once- you can work on it a few minutes here and there until its done.
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Go to this site... http: //rittelsupplies.net/Free_Downloads _folder/EZ-2000%20Instructions.pdf You will find all the info you need. It's not traditional but it's one of the best "consumer" tans you can get.
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Go to this site... http: //rittelsupplies.net/Free_Downloads _folder/EZ-2000%20Instructions.pdf You will find all the info you need. It's not traditional but it's one of the best "consumer" tans you can get.
Link doesnt work....not even after I added www. so I went to rittelsupplies
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TY jamie Ill try it that way... and thanx for the egg bit Thats something I didnt know....can you actually use eggs for the whole process??
You can also use Neatsfoot oil.. Pour about three capfuls in about three gallons of warm water and soak the hide in it.
Its worked for me on several occasions
Texas Pete
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I disabled your links, they are not paying advertisers therefore links to their sites are not allowed,
this is a courtesy to the paying advertisers.
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Thanx Pete......How long do you soak it, and Do you just dry it after or do you still need to work the hide a little, a lot??
Tony
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Sorry I wasn't trying to give a free plug to the above company. I have been doing taxidermy for a while and there are many ways to preserve hides but for the most part a good tan involes a few commerically made chemicals. Brush on's are good but soaks are better.