fur tumbler

[fuzz269]

I have a question for you fellas.  I was wounderin if a cloths dryer with the heatin elemint removed, would work for doing the final softing of the hides, I strechthem and break them first, but want to get the leather that little bit softer and was wounderin if saw dust would help clean the fur side and give it a nicer fealing??  Is there somthing you can put in the saw dust to help it clean and shine the fur??  Any and at all would be great.  Thanks in advance.

[J Brown II]

NO

[fuzz269]

No the dryer is a bad idea,,,, no the saw dust is a bad idea,,,, or no there is no such cleaner to help with the fur ??

[J Brown II]

You might say the saw dust is a good idea but in a much larger tumbler. There is simply not enough room in the dryer to tumble the hides. The will just roll around in the saw dust.  Bird guys use old dryers for tumbling birds. What kind of hides?

[fuzz269]

Mostly smaller beavers, with the fur market on them being non existant, we have started tanning them for our own use and are startin to make mitts and such from them.  Later on I might do a coyote or 2 and maybe a lynx.  The bigest critter I could think of might be a wolf but I am tryin to sell them with out tanning.  Thanks for clearifying what you ment and for helpin answer these questions.

[J Brown II]

You could probably tumble them in the dryer with hard wood sawdust just to clean the hair on smaller critters. However it will not break them any further.

[fuzz269]

Ok Thanks, could or would you sugest any thing elles in with them to aid in cleaning.   On anther site a fella mechined puttin borax in with the saw dust, good or bad idea??  Thanks for the help

[J Brown II]

just the saw dust

[David Patton]

You will need to degrease the beavers or the oils and fats will stick to the underdown. Knobloch's, McKenzies, and Bear Essentials can get you started with your home tanning needs, but without shaving the water furbearers down thin, you will have a hard row to hoe softening the hides in a dryer. There are oils available through the vendors mentioned that can help get you halfway there.

Of course, you can experiment with lawn mowers, weed whackers and such. I think there is a post about it here somewhere .

[fuzz269]

Actuly they are faily soft already, I streached them when they were about 80% dry by hand and after they were dry I gave them each a few rubs on my breakin beam.  I just wanted to clean them up alittle more and mayby gety them alittle softer with out the elbow greese,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,a weedwakin lawn mower you say,,,,,,,,,kinda gives me an idea