PH for gator skin pickel

[clinton ms.]

after pickeling several gator skins {6ft & 8ft} for 2 days I noticed that the teeth were crumbling and scales comming off in several places.  the PH in pickel is 4
pickel :1 gl viniger to 1 gl water to 1lb salt
should this be nutrelized before adding the tann
also tried a citric acid pickel, same results after 2 days on 8 ft gator
any advice would be appreciated

[Redwolf]

Are you using Rittel's? If you are, you don't neutralize. You add the tan to the pickle.
The pH should be between 2 and 2.5 for the pickle. I always get a high pH when using the water/salt/vinegar pickle, so I slowly add water to the vinegar and adjust the pH as you go. Usually the pH of the vinegar and salt alone is 2.4 so I wont even add water.
Pickles brake down teeth so it shouldn't be in for too long. Usually 2 days. I just did a 9 1/2 footer and used citric acid and had no troubles. But Dan uses the tan that coonhollow sells and swears the pickle wont mess with the teeth.

[bullwhipcracker]

Slippage was most likely caused by bacteria before the pickle. It has been hot.
 I do not use vinegar either.
I have used Lutan-F and Krowtann with reasonable results.

[clinton ms.]

got plenty of krowtann in stock but wasnt sure of the mix. what do you measure out for gators

[bullwhipcracker]

Did a 7 footer. I measured it out for a Mt. Lion.
Seems like it was 7 gal or so. I put 'em in really clean, especially since you only get 1.5-2 days with the head on. I called Ozark Woods, and they basically said put it to 'em.
Ron

[Redwolf]

I use lutan f. I used to use the water/salt/vinegar pickle, but because of the pH thing I started using the citric acid. But these last 2 I did I decided not to follow the instructions that come with lutan. They say pickle, neutralize, then tan. After doing some reading on here and then asking oldshaver what the right way to use lutan was I stopped neutralizing before tanning. Now I wait till it's time to take it out of the tan to neutralize and the skin was white as a sheet and the sides and belly really have a better stretch. WAY better results.

[psycho]

I would be interested in what you were using that made the teeth crumble.  If you leave small gator in the acid for more than 2 days you will have soft teeth.  The bigger gators don't seem to have any problems like that.  However, when you are dealing with the small gators you have to get them super clean before you pickle them.  This allows you to leave them in the pickle for a shorter amount of time.  I actually show people in my seminars how soft the teeth becomes and how quick.  I swear by the pickle because the penetration is FANTASTIC!  You can get the enviro pickling acid from Coonhollow or Justin at Tru Bond!  Dan

[coonhollow]

For smaller gators you are better off limiting the time in the pickle I have changed the directions for  the pickle to reflect the amount of time they should be soaked and also the amount of acid to be used but as far as scales coming off I would say its from your ph being too high. 

[alan webfoot]

are the acid crystals safe for gator hides??

[Redwolf]

Do you mean Van Dyke's pickling crystals? If you do, it's a citric acid, and yes it's safe.

[alan webfoot]

no it was the WASCO true tan acid crystals!

[Redwolf]

Found this.

http://www.taxidermy.com/cat/15/pickle.html

Any pickle will work.