Relaxing bath?

[Bill Bechtol]

I would be interested in what has worked best for you. After salt drying hard, what type of relaxing bath works best prior to pickling with Saftee-Acid? I like to add a bactericide in this step and have been using 1/2# salt per gallon of water. Any suggestions are always appreciated.
Thanks

[Frank E. Kotula]

No salt, no bactericide, just plain ultra-soft. Work in 18 to 24 hours on thick hides less if their foxes, coons, coyotes. etc.

[fishslayer13]

One of the most over looked rehydrators  is called atesan lpw. I think vandykes sells it. We buy by the drum from manufacture. It already contains a bactericide it soaks skins better than every product we have tried. Plain water lpw are all you need.

[Randy Mac]

I use about 5 to 6 gal. of water ( per deer size cape) and relax R from Knobloch leave in over night.

[RoyalOaksTaxidermy]

Randy  I purchased some  RelaxR from WASCO and I do you just add it to the salt bath? Or do you just use it with water. I have been rehydrating with salt water. Nothing else. WOuld I just add it to that or some other way?

[Randy Mac]

I use it with water before the pickling, but I have used it the pickling bath as well

[David Patton]

Royal Oaks,
It works well in the rehydration water. You can add salt to it also, won't hurt anything. I save the relaxR for rehydration only. The pickle gets a degreaser for tougher hides. That relaxR is great in rehydration and lasts longer if only used in rehydration.

[RoyalOaksTaxidermy]

Thanks David   I cant wait to try it out on my next rehydration IM hoping it will add more stretch than what I got with just salt/water
  Rae

[jrosbor the guest]

I also like LPW.  Only reason I like it is because it can be put right in with the pickle without messing with the pH.  STOP-ROT is another one that goes right into the pickle or used full strength on a salted or air dried skin.  I sometimes relax skins prior to the pickle but usually just use STOP-ROT full strength brushed on the cape or skin, let it sit for an hour and add 1/2fl oz for each gallon of pickle.  Skins are usually relaxed in the pickle in less than 24hrs.  (without signing in, jrosbor aka Joe Osborn)

[oldshaver]

Frank, no salt? That worries me. School me.

[Wayne R]

I'm with Frank on this one, just ultra soft and water.

[David Patton]

No salt? If you skip the salt, there will be some borderline hides that will lose hair. If you are only soaking a few at the time, maybe you get away with it 9 out of 10 times, but it will happen. I think of it as added insurance. Cheap insurance. I buy salt at 8 cents per pound.

[RoyalOaksTaxidermy]

David where are you buying the salt and is it non iodized? I use the non iodized and I cant seem to find it anywhere except at a walmart about 30 mins from me. its 33 cents per container 1 lb 6 oz.  A friend of my husbands picked up a 25 lb bag from Costco for 3.29 but it doesnt say non iodized. Its table salt.. and ingredients list Salt, Yellow Prussiate of soda? IM guessing a non clumping additive? 
  Krowtann calls for salt with no additives. So IM looking for a decent supply so I can by in larger containers than those little 1 lb things...
 

[Wayne R]

When you use Ultra-soft you do NOT use salt. Trust me I'm not cheap with the salt. It's on the cape to dry it out, it's in the pickle, and in the tan, but when you use Ulta-soft to relax a cape before you put it in the pickle you do not add salt. I get 50 lb and 80 lb bags of salt from what are known as Agway stores in this area which are supplied by Southern States.

[Bruce Rittel]

Our Ultra-Soft (US-609) works best without Salt and Bacteriacide added. They only tend to slow down it's relaxing properties. It's a Surfactant - it makes water wetter - and obviously it penetrates and relaxes skins and capes best when it's used alone. Normally you get a full relaxation within 8 hours statically. I personally put everything in the bath about 5 PM and then pull them the next morning about 9 AM - rinse and pickle.

This method works - it's Tannery tested. And very mild on the epidermis. It doesnt tend to weaken the epidermis like some Relaxers and household detergents do. It's an excellent choice for doing air dried and African skins or capes.