I have a question that the orange button does not seem to answer. I am preserving a weasel and two stoats and I am not going to use a tanning solution but rather an alcohol solution to fix the skins. My question is:
What is the minimum amount of time that the skin should be in a solution to fully fix it? ( I am assuming that 2 - 3 hours would surfice but I can't find any information on it)
Kindest regards
Return to Beginners Category Menu
My experience with alcohol and skin is: It will probably work to preserve the skin, but will shrink and dry up hard when removed. Alcohol can be used to preserve velvet antlers by soaking them in it. It works to lock the scales in on a crappie before skinning by shrinking the skin. Alcohol will pull any water out of the skin causing shrinkage. If you plan on mounting the hide, no way. There are better ways to preserve it. If you plan on leaving it in the solution in a bottle for some type of study. You should be okay. To relax a hide that was in alcohol it will have to be soaked in water.
Once alcohol evaporates from a skin all you have left is the dry skin, the alcohol leaves nothing that will in any way protect or preserve the skin. It's pretty much the same as an air dried skin when you're done. An hour should be enough time to dehydrate the skins. I would suggest that you then rehydrate the skins in a "strong" borax solution before they dry hard, then rinse completely and let them air dry. That should keep the bugs out of them.
If you are going to mount them, keep them in the alcohol until you are ready to mount, then do the rehydrating and mount.