i usually lutan f tan and mount as soon as they are ready but i was wondering (as i have a couple in the freezer waiting to be tanned), can i tan and then store the capes some how and for how long or do i just keep salting and freezing the untanned ones till ready to tan & mount.
I seems a waste of solution with 1 cape at a time but i can only manage 1 mount at a time (money wise).
Return to Beginners Category Menu
Samantha there are a couple of ways you can do this.
First option is to flesh and salt the hides after 24 hrs shake off and resalt. Let them dry hard in a cool dry place. Never freeze a hide that is salted. From there you can store them elsewhere till you are ready to do some tanning.
Or you can take whatever hides you are going to tan and tan them up. After the tannning is done I wouldn't and don't recomend having taned hides hanging around in the shop. Air will in time dry them out and they can be a pain when your trying to rehydrate them. If it's going to be just a few months you're fine but if it's longer don't.
What I do is tan 6 hides at one time, oil,and then tumble in a dryer till there damp, place them in a bag and freeze them till I'm ready to mount. This is what they call a wet tan. This way you just take the hide out at night and by morning I'm ready to mount.
It comes down to space and how much do you have. I have two frezers going and there are time ai have no room for raw hides. Instead I salt them and hang them else where till I'm ready.
This is confusing.
The manual i have says to salt and freeze.Though with each thing i try im having less and less faith in the manual.
So i CAN put hides straight into the freezer (with ears n lips split?)without salt? Or does it have to be as is?
Almost 1 page is dedicated to how its important to salt b4 going in the freezer. :<
If i have salted a cape say, while out hunting, do i wash off the salt before freezing?(if not tanning right away).
I usually dont tan straight away as i thought i couldnt store for at least a month till i get the form.(tight budget!)
Can i ask why no salt?I dont mean to be rude id just like to know.
And as you said i can tan and store them for say ,at least a month,do i put them in a plastic bag to keep the moisture in and bugs out?
Sorry for all the questions - im such a beginner and im learning a lot of stuff on this site that makes the correspondance course i paid for (and im getting no support as promised!)look like a joke.
Oh, one last thing - i want to subscribe to one magazine only.If you had a choice out of "Taxidermy Today" and "Breakthrough" which would it be?
Im in australia and i dont know if either will help but they look (on their web sites)better than my manuals!There is nothing like them here.
Samatha after you get your deer you can cape it out split the lips,eyes,nose,turn ears take off large chunks of meat than you can freeze it till your ready.When your form comes in take out salt and tan.Or you can tan your hide double bag it than freeze it till your ready to mount it.Make sure you get as much moisture out of the hide before you freeze it.You can put it in your washing machine on spin cycle that works great or take some rage and dry it that way.NEVER put salt on a hide and freeze with the salt on it still the salt will never let the hide freeze and that can cause major problems.Hope this helps you out a little more.Good luck.Nick
Samatha sorry forgot to tell you I think Breakthrough is the better magazine.
Ok lets see here. Never salt a hide and freeze. Try it and see how long it takes for it to happen. While it's taking it's time to freeze bacteria is growing. ( place salt on a ice cube does the salt freeze )
If your going to just freeze them and you have time then split and flesh the hide.
If you salt a cape while hunting make sure you you flesh it as best as possible, salt for 24 hrs and then resalt, let dry, no need to wash off the salt and freeze it.
After you save your money you just rehydrate the hide, pickle, netrulize, tan, oil, hang to dry,mount, freeze. That's your choice, there is no right or wrong on this one.
Again why no salt when freezing, a hide will no properlly freeze this way.
If you tan them and don't freeze your hides just hang them up to dry out and then rehydrate when your ready to mount.
Breakthrough is the best way to go!
I wish the guy who sold me the course would answer his phone.Im gonna give it to him. 4 yrs of doing it "his" way and now i know what may have caused a few problems and a loss in confidence.Bloody salt b4 freezing.
i have several deer hides in the freezer that have not been salted.i do not know the first thing about tanning hides,but i want to learn how for my own use.i really need to know each step,what kind of salt,and oil to use.i want to tan the hides to use as throws,seat cushions,ect.please help me