Wet vs. dry tan

[pir^2h]

I was not sure if I should post this here or in the beginners but here goes...

What is the difference between a wet tan and a dry tan.  I see it all the time when someone is selling a hide that this question is asked of the seller again and again.

[Hawks]

hi i just saw your question on the wet v.s. dry tan , i was at the new jersey convention last weekend and they had Global tanning there and let me tell you they did a remarkable seminar on the two tans . i know because they do all my regular and african work. anyway the stretch on the wet tan is remarkable 4 to 6 inches, give them a shot  631-648-9470.

[Keith Daniels]

It all depends on who is doing the tanning. If it's done correctly a "wet" will be the exact same process up until the oiling step. We use a little different oil for a "wet" tan because it cleans up a little easier, but the same oil will work for both. From there on, the dry tan will be simply continue on through the drying, drumming staking etc. by whatever process the individual tanner uses and when finished is dried out and can be used as a wallhanger, rug etc.

Finishing out a "wet" tan varies greatly, some have even tried it without oiling, not a good idea, some will simply let it drip out then bag and freeze, others will go through some degree of a drumming process to clean it before freezing. The difference you'll see when mounting is you won't have to soak the "wet" tan  as much to relax it for mounting as you will a dry tan, but you will need to keep it frozen until you're ready to mount.

Hope this helps.

[George Roof]

OK Hawks, I know you're all pumped up and you're impressed with your tannery, but please tone down the bullship meter a bit.  FOUR TO SIX INCHES???  If that's true they've turned your hide into a rubber bedsheet.

[pir^2h]

Thanks for the explanation Keith.  I appreciate it.
Vic

[George Roof]

pir^2h, Keith gave you a good answer, but it may surprise you to know that if you'd just typed your question in that blank "search" block up there, you'd have found this question answered many times previously.

[David Patton]

OK Hawks, I know you're all pumped up and you're impressed with your tannery, but please tone down the bullship meter a bit.  FOUR TO SIX INCHES???  If that's true they've turned your hide into a rubber bedsheet.

I guess a hide can stretch that much, but it would have to be a very large hide that hadn't been stretched yet. I watched a guy stretch a deer cape that had been tanned with Aubrey's paint on tan. He took it off the drying rack and stretched it 4 inches. Then he rehydrated it. It was shrunken by the tan to about 15 inches and then rehydrated back to the original 19 inches it was supposed to be. So, stretch can be deceiving. The real test is getting a hide to go back to the original measurement without a lot of pulling and tugging to get it there. I have seen tans that could bend all 3 rods on a cape stretcher and not go back to the original measurement.

[Keith Daniels]

Yes a dry tan that is soaked can give you that much difference, but no tan is going to give you something that much bigger than the true size of the animal when it was alive.

The problem I see with this whole deal, and I think what George was driving at is, somebody giving opinions on a tannery's work is fine, that's part of what this is for, but when somebody asks a question, and you come on with a reply that doesn't address the question at all, it's a pretty blatant advertisement, so stick to the subject matter of the question?

[David Patton]

Yes a dry tan that is soaked can give you that much difference, but no tan is going to give you something that much bigger than the true size of the animal when it was alive.

The problem I see with this whole deal, and I think what George was driving at is, somebody giving opinions on a tannery's work is fine, that's part of what this is for, but when somebody asks a question, and you come on with a reply that doesn't address the question at all, it's a pretty blatant advertisement, so stick to the subject matter of the question?

X2

I mentioned Aubrey's tan as an example and I think it has a good application. I realize that Hawk was "hawking" Global. But, just like Keith has said, the question really isn't how much stretch is found but rather the difference between the two conditions, dry or wet.

I have found that dry or wet, tanned properly, should do fine at the end result. The guys that consistently ask for dry tanned shoulder and lifesize mounts do so mainly because they don't have freezer space for a bunch of wet tans to sit while they work through their workload. I like to use the dry tan process on some of the species because it cleans the hair and hide during sawdust tumbling. Great on bears and small mammals. Keith and I disagree on the deer, but that is OK because we have different formulations of tan. I simply don't trust my formulation to stand up to the tumbling process without loss of epidermis around nose and eyes. Plus, I am a smaller operation and try to keep it as simple as I can.

The other great benefit to wet tanning versus dry is the wet tan is ready to work onto the mount right from the box. The dry tan has to be rehydrated and that puts you behind by 24 hours. If you are pulling cartilage out of ears and using earliners, you absolutely have to soften the ears to remove cartilage. That can be readily handled by using bondo instead of earliners though.

[Keith Daniels]

So you guys did join up Dave, Bob was talking about it at the Pa. show, hope it works out well for both of you.

Tumbling or not is a personal thing, the oiling is the step that can't be left out!

[David Patton]

So you guys did join up Dave, Bob was talking about it at the Pa. show, hope it works out well for both of you.

Tumbling or not is a personal thing, the oiling is the step that can't be left out!

Thanks Keith. Bob is in town and we are working to convert the tannery over these last 2 weeks.

[Hawks]

THANKS FOR YOUR OPINION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     ILL CHERISH IT FOREVER...........

[eb226]

Can I leave a re hydrated dry tanned bear cape in the refrigerater for more  then 5 days before mounting.

[muscle20]

        I would not advise to keep a hydrated dressed skin refrigerated for a lengthy time without checking on it, as mold and mildew love these conditions.