to get the acid swell out of a cape do you apply the water and baking soda solution on after you rehydrate or when it is dry before you rehydrate.
the some with fabric softener?
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Water and baking soda is used to NUETRALIZE the acids of the pickle before your shaving. You don't want to take the swell out your cape. The pickle causes the swell so that shaving can be done easier. Re-check whatever tanning reference you're using and it should become apparent . Good Luck
After your final shaving your cape will go back into the pickle for at least another 24 hours. At THIS point, before tanning you will nuetralize. This brings the ph level of a skin up thus creating a better bonding surface for the tanning agent. Jeff F.
What he MIGHT be referring to is our practice of taking a commercially tanned cape thats tight or not willing to stretch and wiping a bit of soda and water on the skin side to get it to let out. Its a very risky step that might get you in trouble if you arent careful. Definitely not for the beginner!
So at this point it might help knowing what stage this cape is at so a proper response can be asessed. Would a cape have that much swell if it was shaved properly? Jeff F.
Take Salt and water and make a strong salt brine. 2 lbs of salt per gallon of water. Soak skin for a few and feel and see the Acid swelling go down. usually is back to normal within a half hour or less. Then, give the skin a good rinsing in cold water. Works everytime.
Acid is swell is caused by oversoaking a skin in it's rehydration bath. Add a handfull or two of salt when you are rehydrating a skin .
the cape is already tanned, I just was wondering how to get more stretch
out of the next one if I need to. It sounds like I forgot to sweat it
over night.
All I did was rehydrate over night to relax it, and started trying to mount it
What about the fabric softener? When is it best to use it for a more stretchy
cape?