I have searched all 4 pages in the archives that I found and still no answer... I have a raccoon salting right now and intend on mounting it soon, I know this might start a fight but can I just borax the skin and mount it after I rehydrate it by just covering the flesh side in borax? Do I have to degrease it at all? Will Buckeye hidepaste work ok with that? I know I know tan it... I'm poor and can't afford tanning solutions right now. Just want to do it the old fashioned way if it will work. Do I need to tumble it at all? What should I use to tumble it in? Do I need wash the skin in dish soap? Thanks!
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no
yes
yes
have you tried Ktann yet?
yes you can borax but make sure skin is fleshed good. no fat or meat.put about 2 gal water in bucket 1 pnd borax 2 pnd salt .then put in skin until its rehighdrated .may take 2hrs .then ad some dawn and wash it good .then rins [then spin cycle in moms washer] hair side out .this will get water out .then borax good and mount fast as hair may start slipping .as for glue try dextrin or wood glue .good luck.
If you can't afford tanning solution, you can tan it with the following method. I've used it on squirrels and I imagine it'll do just fine for a coon.
Use equal parts alcohol and turpentine, mix them together and let the skin soak in it for a week. After a week, take the skin out, spread neatsfoot oil onto it, and let it soak into the skin for 2 or 3 days. Keep in mined that's how I did it for a squirrel, so for a raccoon you may need to let the neatsfoot oil stay on it a bit longer. Hope this helps, and email me if you've got more questions!
You could buy the tanning cream, or krowtan. You are not talking a ton of money here for tanning supplies.
Buy the tanning salt at the local feed store, $4 a fifty lbs bag.
Tanning creams are pretty inexpensive as well as pickling solutions.
You can buy small qualities.
The Turpentine and alcohol both are not very good chemicals to have around in your home or shop either. both burn very good, you can start a fire very easy, not to mention deplete brain cells. DDUH!
Why have them around if you don't need too?
Neatsfoot oil is not a tnning oil either. I guess it would work okay on a thin squirrel skin, but it doesn't penetrate like tannig oil and will not bond to the tanning chemicals like tanning oils do either.
That is why there is tanning oils, and not just neatsfoot oil.
As far as mounting a raccoon without tanning, it is just fine.
The biggest probelm is getting the grease out of the skin before mounting. You will be limited in the time it takes because you are not tanning, so do not leave it in the soapy water to long as it will burn the epidermis off and there goes the hair with it.
Follow the advice B Line and Matt have. AS far as the other, you can buy tanning stuff for less than the stuff he is using and it is safer.