Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Kidder on December 28, 2021, 01:20:17 am
-
So I picked up a dried whole beaver tail and I’d like to process it and tan it. I was expecting it to be skinned out and dried like rawhide but this was a whole tail bone in and all. Can someone walk me through what I need to do? Never tanned anything before either. Thanks!
-
What are your plans for it?Most uses of it can be used in a salted/dried rawhide state rehydrated and glued on.
Slice it along the edges to get 2 halves.I usually use a beaver skinning knife for those but not totally necessary.If patiently done it can be fleshed as you skin it.
(https://i.imgur.com/fC5c1Ry.jpg)
Sharpen it down to 600 grit on my work sharp is usually good enough.
(https://i.imgur.com/92YFmjF.jpg)
-
I’m looking to do bow handle grips so probably want it tanned I would think.
-
Hope you get some info. I skinned and fleshed one out a while back. It is sitting dried waiting on me to figure out how I’m going to tan it.
-
It does not need to be tanned for handle grips.Glueing an extra strip of thin leather along the edges to be sewn can help keep it from tearing.
-
If you want to tan the beaver tail the scales will need to be removed first.What will remain then is the leather.Use regular agriculture barn lime.Same as liming a deer hide.Scales will scrape off after plumping up.
Delime it in borax or vinegar.
Use the bark tanning method to tan a bunch of them at once.I would'nt let them dry hard before tanning.After skinning and fleshing I would put them in the tanning liquor.
After they are tanned soften them with nets foot oil by massaging/scuffing them.
You can dye it any color you want after you are finished.
-
If you want to tan the beaver tail the scales will need to be removed first.What will remain then is the leather.Use regular agriculture barn lime.Same as liming a deer hide.Scales will scrape off after plumping up.
Delime it in borax or vinegar.
Use the bark tanning method to tan a bunch of them at once.I would'nt let them dry hard before tanning.After skinning and fleshing I would put them in the tanning liquor.
After they are tanned soften them with nets foot oil by massaging/scuffing them.
You can dye it any color you want after you are finished.
Everything Ed said. I did this last year for a few handle wraps and they look great. I used salt and alum mix on mine for a few days then washed really well after fleshing out as best you can. I ended up using mink oil on mine which also worked well for me. Best of luck. Here’s a pic of one of my beaver tail wraps. Best of luck!