Tanning An Oily Raccoon Issues - Help

[TahlinRedwolf]

I recently skinned, tanned, and oiled a raccoon pelt with Rittel's Saftee Acid and Degreaser and McKenzie Brush-On Tan and Oil.  I have used these products on several other animals (coyote, fox, squirrel, groundhog, etc.) and all of them turned out excellently.  This raccoon is a different story.

I first noticed there was a problem when I pulled him out of the pickle for the second time and brushed on the McKenzie tan.  I left him overnight and came back to him the next morning.  Usually, that is ample time for the tan to soak in and I then apply the oil.  But the raccoon was still too "moist" to apply the oil so I waited til that evening and applied it then.  This was a couple days before Christmas.  He has still not dried out all the way (I've realized now that it is grease and not water) and I do not know what to do with him.  I've left him in the pickle for an ample amount of days, fleshed the excess membrane and fat off of the skin side of him, and had him in Rittel's Degreaser for a half hour before soaking him in the pickle for an additional couple days.

He's a nice sized coon and I'd really like to save this skin if possible.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[Pinebear]

Hi Redwolf. I'm just a hobby tanner but you didn't mention salting after skinning...? Coons really need to be salted till dry before degreasing and pickling to draw a lot of the grease out. You didn't mention neutralizing after the pickle either which is required.   You said, "I first noticed there was a problem when I pulled him out of the pickle for the second time and brushed on the McKenzie tan." Might wanna start over.

[TahlinRedwolf]

Thanks so much for your help!  I did salt him but I probably could have used more salt; I'm used to animals that aren't as greasy.  I did put him through a neutralizing bath too.  So I guess my next question is, would I be able to start over (salting, pickling, fleshing, degreasing, more pickling, neutralizing, tanning, and oil) with him?  And it would not hurt the skin at all?  I have no qualms about starting over and doing it all again, I just want to double check to make sure that doing this process to a skin that has already had tan and oil applied would not hurt it in any way.  Thanks again!

[Pinebear]

Well the tan didn't take so now you have a neutralized skin with grease still on it and bacteria still possible. Can't leave it as is so you have to try again right? Degrease again and get back to pickle asap I'd say but maybe a pro here will offer help. I had same problem as you and started over and skin was alright.

[TahlinRedwolf]

Sounds good.  I've got him in the degreaser now then it will be into a freshly made batch of pickle bath for the next three days.  I really hope things turn out better this time. 

[msbraintan]

"He's a nice sized coon and I'd really like to save this skin if possible.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks."

Well...... perhaps some of these primitive morons can thin down case skinned skins with a piece of obsidian rock or something, but I found I couldn't, so I just had to bite it and buy a danged Dakota Pro. I bought a power washer too.. A belt drive because I buy tools of good value.. not junk.. they need to outlive ME.   I blew seals out of washers that weren't strong and powerful enough! That could have been MORE expensive. Just like getting a lousy fleshing machine.. one can kill them if one puts them to a job that's too difficult.

The pros will tell you to pickle and then to thin and then to repickle.. this is so that the entire skin is both pickled AND degreased FIRST. It won't be tanned good and proper until the basics are established.

One doesn't NEED to pickle at all OR buck a hide if they're planning on tanning primitively, but both thinning and degreasing properly ahead of time might be what is needed before tannage can be accomplished. Well they should be degreased, and thinning too can help to prevent multiple braining and oiling and staking till dry.. ETC! There's a lot to it!!, but therein lies your answer, IMO! Good luck and yep.. I know it hurts to hear it! But only MONEY can solve some of these issues .. and that is often HARD TO COME BY . Before the washer and the Dakota, I worked HARDER ! not necessarily, smarter ! 

BTW.. wire wheels and bench grinders are really lousy substitutes for electric fleshing wheels.  and a hand flesher and beam is really is a lousy substitute for a good power washer and turbo nozzle.. at least IMO.

[mr.T aka mr. friendly]

Try degreasing in the pickle for two weeks or more, and agitate it often so the degreaser gets into the skin, a half hour soak is not enough, even if the directions say so. If you notice a fat scum on the top of the pickle, change the pickle and degrease again, until it is gone.

[TahlinRedwolf]

If I was to degrease the coon IN the pickle for two weeks as suggested, how many ounces of degreaser should I add per gallon?  Thanks!

[ginevive]

Just wanted to chime in regarding the power washer idea. I had just started out (not too long ago) and tried fleshing a deer hide myself. I was ready to commit suicide; my hands were hurting, my hide had holes from my own pathetic tries and it was going nowhere. I actually wanted to cry, and almost did (lol.) So I tried the power washer with the hide nailed to some board.. wow! It got every smidgen of flesh off of that sucker; that hide was pearl white everywhere. No holes, either. Not sure of the pressure you'd use on a coon, but it worked great for me; definitely great advice.