hi all i have a question.. i got a cape and it is salt dried and i was wondering what i sould do to it before pickeling it any help would be most greatfull
thank you all
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This is not putting off your question nor a refusal to answer, but do you see the orange button to your left? Behind it is an immense storage of past posts and threads on virtually every concieveable question you may have, affectionately known here as "The Archives". If you type in "Cape Prep" or "Cape Prep Prior to Pickel" or any other combination you will be overwhelmed with information on the very same question you have asked, not to mention probably answering 10 others you have not even thought of yet! Now, so as not to be misleading, you do have to review the information THOROUGHLY to ensure your question is answered. Being a beginner like yourself, I have had many, many questions, but can honestly say that with a little effort on my part, I have been able to answer virtually every question I can think of in regard to the taxidermy process. So again, there is nothing sarcastic meant, just try a search first! If in the off chance you come up with a question that does not show up in the Archives, by all means ask it as there is a wealth of info in the form of the great Ladies & Gents who make up the site!
Good Luck
Mac
ok here is the thing this is the beginners forum and i feel if you have no clue how to do something like your self and come in and put comments in here you really have to much time on your hands and for another thing with this being a forum i thought that it was ok to ask questions in here with out gettting a smart a$$ answer like i got from you so please don't respond to my questions
Hunter, #1 The answer I gave you was not "Smart A$$'ed" That is the problem with a written forum, you cannot hear voice inflection. If you read my post and really understood it, you would have seen I was only attempting to assist, not to put down.
I did'nt have to respond to your question, but I felt that if I can assist you in finding your answer faster, as others have done for me, that would be a good intention. I could cuss & fuss in regard to your response, but I won't. The answer I gave you has been given by countless others in the past. Look it up if you think I'm wrong. Yes, you questions are invited and encouraged, but I've found the people here would like you to do your homework FIRST in the archives, then like I stated above, if you find you cannot locate an answer then ask. Fear not, know it or not I will no longer respond to your posts.
Gee, George & others, Looks like I got a small taste of what you have gotten before! LOL
hey all
ok i took it all the wrong way and i hope you will forgive me for getting so upset with the answer i got... i will start takeing a little more time to read the responces i get from you and others to try to understand what you are saying a little better
once again i am verry sorry and i hope this will be see by you for i feel like an A$$
you are not alone in the way you responded initially. I learned from reading the posts of others who just happened to be in the same situation as yourself. At that particular time there were those here that were weary of repeditive, what some may call "basic" questions and the responses they recieved. The "foundations" of this site were being blasted for refering newcomers to the archives. After reading those posts I decided I better try and do my homework before I ask much! LOL! Trying to decipher HOW someone wants something to come across can be rather difficult, especially when your limited to quotation marks and capital letters.
Now, in regard to your original question & my response. I do not believe there is any additional prep until you rehydrate the hide, but double check. If you have time WASCO has a Sallie Dahmes video on mounting the whitetail deer that covers the process very well from fleshing through pickling.
I may not have phrased the search keywords well enough as I even had a bit of trouble in running down a direct answer. (I'm at work so my time is limited) But here's some quickies from a search listed as "pickling prep"
Tanned or salt dried, there is a difference
This response submitted by Craig Rusin on 1/1/00. ( CRtracker@aol.com ) 24.92.226.220
I don't know what posting you responded to Todd B. but the only ones I found were about rehydrating tanned hides. The procedures from green hide to tanned hide are very diverse depending on the tan you use but one thing is for positive bacteria will ruin your day. There is a major difference in the procedures for rehydrating tanned vs. dry salted hides or capes. The physical structure of tanned leather is much different from raw salted capes or hides. Soluble proteins have been dissolved and tannins have been ionically attracted to the remaining insoluble fibers. Bacteria is not present to grow and present problems. With a dry salted cape or hide the minute you reintroduce water or moisture above a certain level to the equation, whatever bacteria was present prior to salt-drying becomes active again. This is why we use a bactericide in our rehydration soaks.
Copied from prior posting...
Drying or re-hydration: Unfold and hang to dry for later shipment to the tannery or re-hydrate prior to the introduction into the pickle with a solution of plain cold water with bacteria-stat until it is somewhat pliable (This step also cleans any dirt out of the cape and saves my pickle solution for more than one cape). Some people add some salt to this solution but it is my understanding that salt, in solution, slows the re-hydration effect( due to the hydrophilic nature of salt, excess salt in solution will hold the water outside the skin preventing solution penetration). Some form of bactericide is very important and must not be omitted. Remember once you re-introduce water whatever bacteria was present in the cape will begin to grow again.
Once re-hydrated add to pickle solution and any bacteria will instantly be killed in the lower PH of this solution. (1.5 to 2.0)
* Remember to check PH levels every few hours as they can change and you might have to add more acid.
*The purpose of the pickle solution is to kill whatever bacteria is present in the skin, puff the skin for easier shaving and remove the soluble proteins. This creates a positive ionic charge in the skin allowing the skin fibers to attract the tannins.
One other thing guys and gals, stating that the answer is in the archives is one way to answer but the posting title along with this response might better help the person looking for information. Especially if you have a slow computer.
This response submitted by Craig on 12/22/99. ( CRtracker@aol.com ) 24.92.226.21
Rehydration: Prior to the pickle soak in a solution of plain cold water with bacteria-stat until it is somewhat pliable (This step also cleans any dirt out of the cape and saves my pickle solution for more than one cape). Some people add some salt to this solution but it is my understanding that salt, in solution, slows the re-hydration effect( due to the hydrophilic nature of salt, excess salt in solution will hold the water outside the skin preventing solution penetration). Some form of bactericide is very important and must not be omitted. Remember once you re-introduce water whatever bacteria was present in the cape will begin to grow again. This is why a good bactericide is so important.
Pickling: Once re-hydrated add to pickle solution and any bacteria will instantly be killed in the lower PH of this solution.
* Remember to check PH levels every few hours as they can change and you might have to add more acid.
*The purpose of the pickle solution is to kill whatever bacteria is present in the skin, PUFF THE SKIN for easier shaving and remove the soluble proteins. This creates a positive ionic charge in the skin allowing the skin fibers to attract the tannins.
Again, Hunter, when you do use the Archives, you have to do some searching to find the info you need, and it does get frustrating at times, but persistance will pay off. As you read you tend to find (at least I did) answers to other questions along the way.
Hope this helps!
Mac
since I got home from work. The primary thing Ive found seems to be that you or the person who originally worked the cape ensured that it was adequately fleshed PRIOR to drying. I know that this does not address your original question, but everything I'm reading covers fleshing and turning the eyes, ears and lips prior to drying. I'm getting this info out of the Sallie Dahmes whitetail/mule deer taxidermy system book I have. I am not directly sure as to the consequence of salt drying the hide and not turning the eyes, lips and ears. Others here would be able to answer that question better. I guess knowing what your intentions are with the cape would help provide others in guiding you to what you want to accomplish.
Again, hope this helps.
thanks mac i have the hide in the pickel ty for all the info you gave me and yes i will be sure to look all over before putting my question in here.. i'm just new to the site and wasn't sure how to work anything in here but now i do have so what of an idea how to go about looking... thanks for all your help
Hunter
or at least guide you to an answer. As I have stated earlier, the folk here who are the staple of the site, George Roof, Bill Yox, Paul C., Cecil B., Superpig and the other great contributers of their time and personal experience want nothing more, (if I have not misinterpreted their direction,) than for those of us who are up & coming, to do some digging & study prior to posing a question. Such is the basis for the Archives. More than once I've gotten a good chuckle or laugh reading the information posted,(especially when it comes to washing & tumbling birds) and still learned stuff along the way. Some suggestions that have been passed along to me both directly and indirectly have been: - If your serious about pursuing taxidermy -
1- Read, read, read.
- Subscribe to Breakthrough and other periodical industry magazines.
- Purchase books on the procedure you want to learn.
- Prior to attempting your project, aquire and read as much reference material as you can. This is so you do not get to critical point in the mount only to find your clueless as where to go next. Good materials can be aquired from WASCO and other suppliers relatively reasonable $$ wise.
2- Join your local and a National taxidermy association.
This puts you in direct contact with those in the industry already and are willing to share some of their experience with you.
- Attend the shows & conventions when you can to see the work of others first hand.
3- Most of all enjoy what you are doing. If you do not enjoy it IMHO you are not going to do a quality job. If you do enjoy it, never give up.
Bottom line is this - Like anything else in your life, you get out of it what you put into it, but what I have found is that you have to put a bit more effort into this hobby! LOL! But it is well worth it.
Good luck with your project, before long I'll probably be asking YOU about some things!
Enjoy
Mac