I am trying to eliminate one of my wet steps, if I can.
I sometimes experience hair loss after pickling or after washing.
First a brief discription of my process.
- Salt 2 or 3 applicatios 'til hard. Remove obvious meat & fat
- Pickle 2 PH for 1 week
- Neutralize PH 10.5 for 1/2 hr, rinse,quick tumble and sit overnight
- Application of Liquatan
- Let harden for 3 - 4 days
- Wire wheel machine fleshing, 3/4 hp motor rips it down well
- Rehydrating and in the washing machine, cold water wash
- Final tumble and ready for mounting
My question is that if I can eliminate one wet step I believe that I can reduce some of this hair loss, not a major loss, but down at the bottom of the cape I can pull it off in clumps with little effort.
My question, can I wire wheel machine my hides after salting hard so that after pickling I could wash,liquatan and mount them right away, thus eliminating one wet step.
Or does the hide flesh / machine better after pickling.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
7th step should read..
Rehydrate with wet towels overnight and then cold water wash in the washing machine. sorry.
You need to remove the obvious meat and fat BEFORE you salt. This will give the salt a much better chance to get the moisture out and that will help. Then it's been my experiance that fleshing is easiest after the pickle/neutralizing steps. Some people even do ashort pickle after it's been fleshed. I'm sure this will solve your problem.
If you want my opinion I will give it too you, You are making it way to hard on your self with the steps you are taken.
1st- like stated above flesh the hide then salt and it does not have to be rock hard.
2nd-from the salt it goes straight into the pickle, make sure it stays submerged, stir it around. let it stay in there until most of the flesh side has turned whitish in color.
3rd- remove and soak in plain water for 1 hour , then do your shaving or wheeling or what ever you do...
4th- put back in the pickle...atleast 8 hrs.
5th- remove and neutralize. spin or tumble dry then apply tanning oil.
6th- Why let dry? either mount it or freeze at this point. You can tumble again after the oil has set in.
This is the way I tanned capes for years...(200 heads yearly) it works. I always used formic acid, For my application I feel that nothing compared. I can remeber way back when Joe coombs recomending leting the capes dry out completly then resoaking.I am sure it worked for him... I feel its over kill and unneeded.(my opinion)Remember that the tanneries dry them for easier storage and shipping. There are obvious advantages if they are not let to dry. Why else would "wet" tanning be gaining in popularity? I wish you the best,Bill
Thanks Bill,
Unfortunately for me the cape must be hard for me to wire wheel machine it. A soft cape will not tear, or shread from the wheel.
I just did not want to soak them, dry, and resoak unless I have to.