I was reading what's been said about these two tanning methods and am interested in trying one or both of them. Could someone quickly outline the steps necessary for each. Thank you in advance.
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I just love telling you guys to check the archives. or use the search and type each set or wrods in.
Not only that check McKenzies site for thier stuff!
I spent time sorting through the archive articles before I made the post, but I was more interested in the "steps involved with each process" than I was with flaming opinions. I found tons of the latter.
MIXING DIRECTIONS FOR A LARGE DEER CAPE
(ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE VOLUME MEASUREMENTS)
IN 2.5 GALLONS OF WATER ADD
8 OZ. (1 cup) OF KROWTANN 2000
64 OZ. (8 cups) OF SALT
NOTE: ALWAYS SHAKE UP KROWTANN 2000 BEFORE USING
BELOW ARE SUGGESTED AMOUNTS TO USE FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS:
LIFESIZE BOBCAT -- USE 1/2 OF ALL THE INGREDIENTS ABOVE
ELK CAPE -- USE 3 TIMES ALL THE INGREDIENTS ABOVE
LIFESIZE BLACK BEAR -- USE 3 TIMES ALL THE INGREDIENTS ABOVE
CARIBOU CAPE -- USE 2 TIMES ALL THE INGREDIENTS ABOVE
LIFESIZE COUGAR -- USE 2 TIMES ALL THE INGREDIENTS ABOVE
FOR BEST RESULTS -- FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
DIRECTIONS FOR USE -- Use only plastic containers. Always wear eye and skin protection (safety goggles and gloves). Use in a well ventilated area.
1. Rough flesh the skin, turning the lips, nose, ears, and eyes. Degrease oily skins before going on to step 2.
2. Mix up the prescribed amount of tan in a plastic container and submerge the skin and weigh it down with a water-filled milk jug. Put a lid on your container.
3. Leave the skin, flesh side out, in the tan for 3 to 4 days. Each day lift the skin out of the tan, and return it to the tan in a new position to ensure that the tan is reaching all parts of the skin. Always use eye and skin protection (safety goggles and gloves) when handling skins in solution.
4. Pull the skin out of the tan and wash the skin in clear water for a few minutes.
5. In a separate bucket put 1 oz. of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in 2 gallons of water. Submerge the skin with a water-filled milk jug. In five minutes add another 1 oz. of sodium bicarbonate. In 5 more minutes add another 1 oz. to the solution for a total of 3 oz. and leave the skin in this mixture for 20 minutes. This amount is what is needed for a deer cape. For a bobcat use a total of 1 1/2 oz. of sodium bicarbonate in 1 1/2 gallons of water. For red fox use a total of 1/2 to 1 oz. of sodium bicarbonate in 1 1/2 gallons of water. Add the sodium bicarbonate in 1/3 increments every 5 minutes. Larger skins will require more and smaller skins will require less.
6. Wash the skin in Liquid Tide and rinse well in clear water. Then let it drip dry for 2 hours with the hair out.
7. Do your final fleshing at this time. Afterwards, if the skin is not soft and stretchy at this point, then re-neutralize the hide in a fresh batch of baking soda and water (step 5) for 5-10 minutes.
8. (optional) Shampoo your skin at this time with Krow-Soap.
9. The skin is now ready to mount or can be frozen to mount at a later date.
10. Slowly add baking soda to the tanning mixture to neutralize it before disposing of it.
TROUBLESHOOTING
1. The skin is not soft or stretchy. You have either not neutralized the skin long enough, or have not fleshed the skin thin enough, or your skin has become to dry and needs to be re-hydrated with clear water.
2. The hair is slipping. You probably had a bad skin to start with, did not follow step #3, or you over neutralized the skin. Using Krowtann 2000, slipping should not be a problem
3. Hair in my fox's tail is slipping. Either split the tail out all the way or I prefer to insert a cotton string all the way through the tail skin to act as a wick.
If the directions are followed correctly, your skin should feel like a wet dish towel and have good stretch. However, due to this product being used in conditions beyond our control, we make no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. We suggest you try Krowtann 2000 on a scrap skin first.
Step 1.
After skinning, turn lips, ears and eyes; remove red meat and fat.
Step 2.
Salt the hide as soon as possible to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Completely cover the flesh side of the skin with non-iodized salt and let it set for 4 to 12 hours. You may proceed to step #3, or shake off most of the salt, place the salted skin in a plastic bag and freeze the skin until you are ready to continue the tanning process.
Step 3.
Rinse the skin briefly in cool water.
Step 4.
You are now ready to mix the pickle solution. We recommend the following pickle using Saftee Acid:
The formula is 1/2 fluid ounce of Saftee Acid and 1 pound of non-iodized salt for each gallon of water. Minimum batch size recommended is 5 gallons of pickle for each whitetail cape. (It is important to maintain the pH of the pickle solution between 1.0 and 2.0 at all times. We recommend the 0-3 range pH paper for testing. The pH of some water may require that you add more or less Saftee Acid to achieve the correct level. To lower the pH, add more acid.) Pickle the skin for 3 days, stirring and checking the pH of the pickle solution each day.
** USE ONLY PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR PICKLING USE **
** Note: When pickling greasy skins (i.e. Raccoon, beaver, or bear), they should be degreased during the pickling stage. To degrease, add 1 ounce Tannery Degreaser to every 5 gallons of pickle.
Step 5.
Remove the skin from the pickle and drain in order to perform the shaving process. Thicker skins such as deer should be shaved, but thin skins such as bobcat, etc. can be simply fleshed of all membrane. After shaving, we recommend returning the skin to the pickle for at least 12 hours.
Step 6.
Remove the skin from the pickle and mix a neutralizing solution that consists of 1 tablespoon of Baking Soda to each gallon of water and soak the skin for 30 minutes. Minimum 3 gallons for each whitetail cape.
Step 7.
Take the skin out of the neutralizing solution, drain, and roll in a towel (flesh side out) to dry for 15 minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, brush McKenzie Tan on the entire flesh side or the skin. Allow the tan to penetrate for 4 to 5 hours.
Step 8.
Rinse the skin in clean cold water. Next, roll skin in the towel (hair side out) to remove excess moisture.
Step 9.
The skin is now ready to mount or freeze for later use.
Please note: If you do not have enough time to complete any one of the steps, you may freeze the hide at any point in the process and thaw the hide and return to the process at a later time.
I was the first person to post the KROWTANN-2000 instructions, I typed KROWTANN-2000 in and darned if they were not the first post that popped up.
Additionally what you are calling flames are the experiences most of the people have had with the product likes and dislikes.
Just sounds like you are to damn lazy to do your research!
Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate your time. God Bless.