Ok, I live in a native village in Alaska and teach here. I have gotten settled in and would like to retire here. As of the last 3 years, I have been introduced to trapping, skinning and tanning by both native and white trappers and love it!
NO ONE here wants to SKIN, FLESH OR TAN! So, the culture is passing on. We have very few native tanneries left adn the ones that are up do good, but, take forever and are fairly expensive....so no one here likes to use them....things can take a year.
I've been tanning with a basic salt/oil formula on beaver and fox, it works great. One of my native buddies tanned a small seal with it and it was awesome!....
So, I have a chance to get alot of business, especially with seals if I get my Fed taxidermy license. I have spoken with the Fed agent and he has me setup. So, what I really need is a decent semi-professional setup.
I have to be careful and not use tanning agents that are controlled substances since I'll have to bottle and ship out...they have to be disposed of in a land fill or dumped in the ocean...that is why the basic oil tan is awesome! pickle in granular salt, rub oil on and break....but, i need a machine to break, i cannot do all this by hand...
so, if you know of a good barrel system where the chemicals are safe, let me know....
Or, if I could work what I have now, the salt/oil method with a breaking machine, dryer for a tumbler, or 55 gl tumbler/wood shavings, etc...let me know.
I'm single, 42, no kids, so, I have some extra money to spend and need to do something like this to do with my hands since I teach.......
with the Fed agent/taxidermy license, i can deal with the native corps, as well as with the individual native corp members and provide a quick turn around on products that take up to a year to get back from teh other tanneries here!
Oh, I've been using the orange bottle, Trappers Hide Tanning Formula, and for me it works great, the worst part is getting the oil ou tof the hair and then breaking.....
just let me know what you think, links, prices, chem's, ideas, etc...
jssbastiat@aol.com is my email
Thanks,
Scotty
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