hide softness

[Pope]

I've tanned 20 or so hides using Lutan and they've all turned out good, the only problem is the hide is stiff which makes the pelt not feel as soft as desired.  I think the problem is the hide thickness.  I've tried using a fleshing knife after pickling to thin the hide but got no results from that really.  If I had a flesher to thin the hide would that give me the soft supple pelts I'm looking for?  If so could I do it after the hides are finished tanning or does it need to be done while the hides are still wet.  I'm just talking about wallhanger type pelts.  Thanks for any insight

[msbraintan]

I bought a Dakota Pro to do just that.. well I didn't start out with the Lutan but I'm using it now. Along with degreasers AND pickling agents.. lotsa salt and still some elbow grease.. between all of those one should be able to almost do a decent job (without a tumbler) Ha!! Bull.. time for me to buy a tumbler..well like 7 or 10 years too late, possibly.. but I can see where one of those might be real handy as well as a person to DO all of that.. LOL. Send them out!  J/kidding.. well maybe I'm not.

Making burritos to freeze for later among watching my 1 y/o grandson. No hides or skins in the works RIGHT this very minute. That's enough for chaos for me right there. Hey.. tanning perfect wall hangers at home is no 'quick and easy' or inexpensive deal! or ordeal could rephrase.  Tanning at home and in your backyard takes a good bit of $, plenty of common sense, lots of time not to mention physical effort, and lots of patience, but it CAN be done and done fairly well however the old adage fits in here real well.. You get what you pay for.   I don't know how satisfying all this is. I guess it helps if you can then make something useful with the stuff or sell it? I now think that it'd be a lot more satisfying watching someone else do it, lol.. sorry.. hope this helps.

[Keyda81]

I use the Lutan as well, and have the same problem.  I've only done some squirrel, deer and a coyote tail as of yet.  Just got my first deer, and I'm thinking of trying to mount her, but I don't want to have her cape all stiff either.  Tumbler's just not in the budget.

[msbraintan]

Kinda tough to compete with mechanical means for achieving soft skins.. Skins need to be staked or cabled to get them soft.. proper thinning is 'usually'  essential for proper tannage. In ANY method. (THere are exceptions with every rule, of course). Anyway between thinning and tannage, proper degreasing, and oiling.. sometimes it's easy to achieve results close to tanneries.. If I were tanning for taxidermy, it would be really nice to have the BEST of soft tanned furs. My skins tan much nicer at home between the electric flesher the power washer and the taxidermy chemicals and degreasers.. even with all these things without hand manipulation those babies aren't getting soft, period.. one must pull, stretch, stake.. cable.. whatever it takes during the final 20% of drying. and that is if they were done properly before this point. Nothing comes directly out of any bottles for home tanning purposes.

[muscle20]

even with all these things without hand manipulation those babies aren't getting soft, period.. one must pull, stretch, stake.. cable.. whatever it takes during the final 20% of drying. and that is if they were done properly before this point. Nothing comes directly out of any bottles for home tanning purposes.   Right on msbraintan!

[oldshaver]

What the heck is cable? 

There are products out there that "come right out of the bottle", that can produce a soft skn, with a thin shave, and a little hand breaking. Have you ever purchased one of these products, making the claim, "little to no breaking'"?

The reason some folks think this way, is because MOST of their WHOLE TANNING PROCESS is flawed, and they refuse to change, or except new, better ways of doing things. For one, not salting a skin, will make a skin MUCH more difficult to get soft, at the end of the process.

When tanning, it is like you are building a brick wall. You start with a GOOD FOOTING(salting), and work you way up. If one step is flawed, the WHOLE WALL suffers!

[muscle20]

        I would like to try one of those bottles oldshaver give me a name if I can get it I will experiment, I think what she means by cable is running a skin between or against a rope to break it?

[Pinebear]

Try Trubond 1000B Pope. So far my wallhanger hides come out softest and easiest to break using it compared to others I've tried. Mine come out pretty supple then with oil and some stretching and working over the back of a chair they are about as good as I can hope for without owning a shaver or tumbler. Just be sure to SHAKE THE BOTTLE and degrease well.

[10bears]

It sounds like you are trying to do a garment tan,Lutan F is NOT a garment tan,try the Trubond i have heard great things about it.

[muscle20]

   10bears    I have been using lutan for the past 40+ years for garment dressing (tanning), specific for fur dressing.

[10bears]

   10bears    I have been using lutan for the past 40+ years for garment dressing (tanning), specific for fur dressing.

I have never been able to produce a suitable garment tan with lutan,they always turn out stiff.

[msbraintan]

I'll be happy to stand corrected on that. Guess I'll be needing to do some more research !  Thanks.

[RedFoxTrapper]

Cheap tumbler...clothes dryer with the heating elements and fan disconnected....don't get much cheaper than that..

[bigbucks1980]

guys got a quick question for ya.never self tanned before.most everything goes to the tannery.I'm going to try krotan.seems to simple on the bottle.now would a dryer work with the heating element taken out work for a tumbler on delicate cycle???

[oldshaver]

It MIGHT help soften something like a fox, VERY LITTLE, but it wont do anything for heavier skins. The drop is not high enough.

Spending 15 minutes, with a small plam sander, the kind you just stick on the round sand paper, will DO WONDERS to soften a back skin. Dont stay in one place too long, and use 60 to 80 grit, like you would sand wood with. Also try not diluting your oil your oil as much as reccomended. Make sure the oil is warmed, but not past 90degF.