Guy's, can someone clarify how to neutralize a cape? I have checked the archives and I am somewhat confused. Regular tap water is a neutral ph of 7 right? Now if I add baking soda ( 1 oz. per gallon of water), is'nt that number going to be higher? I tan with EZ100 and if you need the hide to be close to a ph of 4.0, does that mean after 20-30 minutes in a neutralizing bath that if you test the ph and it will be close to that number? Just confused! Any help on explaining this will be greatly appreciated. TD
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to neutralize a cape,you can add baking soda,as you say. Tap water can have a PH of from 6.5 to 7.5, depending on the area where you live.7 is neutral PH . This means it is neither acid nor alkaline.If you pickle a cape at a PH of 2.5 -4.0, to neutralize, you must bring the PH to 7.0 or above 7, probably 7.1 or 7.2. My water here where I live has a PH of 6.8,which is on the acid side already before I mix my pickle.
An alternative,which I use to neutralize, is to put in a handful of borax ,which has a PH of around 11. This effectively raises the PH of the pickle to a neutral number. Also helps to bug proof the cape.
Hope this helps.
When you neutralize a skin or a cape thats been pickled - the neutralizing solution must be higher than the pickle (for Saftee Acid its 1.5 PH) in this case a Sodium Bicarbonate solution using 1 oz. to each 1 gallon of water will read approximately 7.8 PH.
Now when you place the skin or cape into this neutralizing solution - the solution will slowly neutralize the acid from the outside in. The outside of the skin or cape becoming somewhere in the range of 4.6-4.8 - but the inside of the skin or cape will be much lower - perhaps in the range of 3.5-3.8. This is why you cannot measure the PH of a neutralized piece - you only neutralize it 20-30 minutes - otherwise the hair will begin to loosen - so the whole piece does not completely neutralize. This is good because EZ-100 first of all likes a piece with a PH higher than itself and likes to penetrate and bond to the more acidic center of the flesh first - then tan outward. Thats how you achieve a thorough tan!
Bill and Bruce, thank you guy's for answering my response. I now know and understand how to neutralize and what is going on when the cape is in the bath. I appreciate your knowledge and sharing it freely with me. Thank you again. TD