other chemicals available for auto tanner?

[105 taxidermy]

has anyone tried any other tans in the auto tanner other than tanning crystals?

[Hudson]

Yes you can...all it is is a mini wet drum....

[105 taxidermy]

.i still not getting it.....they sell for high bucks.what kind of tan are your deer really getting ?
what going to happen to your deer in later years...thanks for any help
anybody with a opion get in on this post ..

[LGrant]

I bought an auto tanner when they first came out, can't remember exactly when. In the 1990's sometime. I like it, very little or no shrinkage. I use the tanning crystals, pickle oil and pre tan 110 put the hide in run for 3-4 hours or over night.Then shave it and put back in tanning crystals, pickle oil and liqua-tan. run again for for a couple hours take out drain, pat dry, rub liqua-tan on the hide fold up and either freeze or let sit over night and mount. I still have heads from back then and they still look as good as good as I could do back then.

Shave good, add liqua-tan to nose and eyes as it dries, and i keep a plastic bag over it for the first few days to slow the drying down a bit.

[Gary A]

I bought an auto tanner when they first came out, can't remember exactly when. In the 1990's sometime. I like it, very little or no shrinkage. I use the tanning crystals, pickle oil and pre tan 110 put the hide in run for 3-4 hours or over night.Then shave it and put back in tanning crystals, pickle oil and liqua-tan. run again for for a couple hours take out drain, pat dry, rub liqua-tan on the hide fold up and either freeze or let sit over night and mount. I still have heads from back then and they still look as good as good as I could do back then.

Shave good, add liqua-tan to nose and eyes as it dries, and i keep a plastic bag over it for the first few days to slow the drying down a bit.

Sounds like alot of supplies and effort.  Have you ever tried pickling it, shaving it and using the liqua-tan only?  gary

[LGrant]

Yes. When I first got it I followed steves directions also using his oil. I didn't get a very good stretch and occasionally some slippage(probably my fault not the tan). So I add the pre tan 3oz. and pickle oil 2oz. along with the crystals. pre tan to help slippage and the pickle oil makes the hide very easy to shave. It seems to plum up the skin. Then I just replaced the original oil 4oz.with Liqua Tan in the finial tanning run. Now I get almost no shrinkage and lots of stretch.

[Gary A]

I'll have to give it a try.  gary