I STILL KEEP GETTING HAIR SLIPPAGE AROUND THE EARS ON A DEER CAPE AND ALSO RANDOM SPOTS ON THE DEER CAPE. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING WRONG! CUTTING THE MEAT OFF, SALT 24 HOURS, RESALT ANOTHER 24 HOURS, REHYDRATE, SOAK IN ACID PICKLE BATH 24 HOURS, FLESHER, SOAK ANOTHER 2 HOURS IN THE ACID PICKLE BATH, NETURALIZE WITH BAKING SODA, USE LUTAN-F AND SOAK FOR 48 HOURS, DRY IT, USE SOFT-TAN, LET SIT FOR 4-5 OR UNTIL IT'S HARD, REHYDRATE AND PUT ON MANNIKIN. I'VE USED THE SAME INSTRUCTION THAT COMES WITH THE LUTAN-F. WHY WOULD THE HAIR STILL WANT TO SLIP ON THE CAPE AND ALSO AROUND THE EARS? PLEASE...NEED SOME HELP!
RED
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Red, you gotta get off that CAPS/LOCK key. It's a tough read and you're asked not to do that right above that "Submit Response" icon you pushed.
NOW, it seems you're caught up in a "rehydration" cycle. STOP with all the water. Your cape being salted twice is not enough to require rehydration. In fact, 24 hours in the salt is sufficient before the pickle. Your pickle cycle looks good as does your tanning, but you keep adding those rehydration steps. Slippage is caused either by improper fleshing or failure to remove flesh before it spoils. If neither of those is happening, then it's all that water you're using.
Could be any of these..
1. Salt is not penetrating properly.
2. Salt has added ingredients, usally raising your pH.
3. Too hot of climate.
4. If washing, soap residue is boosting your pH. May be bacterialcide.
5. pH of pickle is too high. Keep lower than 3.
6. pH is out of control on your tanning process.
7. As George said, "bacteria love water".
8. Speaking of water. Maybe your water "city or well" is having an effect upon your tan. Specific chemicals have adverse effects upon your process.
Tips:
Try a simpler tanning process, if you a new to tanning. Maybe Liqua tan, McKenzies brush on, Krowtan or EZ tan 100 would simplify your problems. Good Luck
I not nearly as experienced as George is about this,butto me I salt as much as needed .Salt is cheap'sometimes I resalt 2or3 times aday depending on how much moisture is being pulled out of the hide. I always pickle for 3 days keeping a PH of 2. Then shave my cape. Put it back in the pickle 1 more day watch your PH! Then shave thin around eyes,make sure ears are turned all the way. As far as any formula for lutan-f the time it should stay in is 18 to 20 hrs. I have left my capes get hard after oiling but I freeze then now after they have sweat 4 or 5 hrs then thaw and mount. Could be in your rehydration bath after tanning. keep trying and don't give up.
Plus those are not the directions I receive with Lutan-F.I have ordered LUTAN-F(N) from many companies over the years, you need to read the instructions you are adding to many steps.
Plus those are not the directions I receive with Lutan-F.I have ordered LUTAN-F(N) from many companies over the years, you need to read the instructions you are adding to many steps.
When the directions say neutralize you are taking the skin to a pH of 4.5-5.0.
I bet your other mistakes are to much baking soda.
Sometimes it's easier to just start from scratch.
On your next cape do this:
1. Turn ears, split lips, eyes, nose.
2. Flesh off all meat and fat. I also will flesh face really well at this point.
3. Salt for 24 hours, shaking off and resalting once in that time.
4. I have a mini-flesher so at this point, I shake off salt and shave it good.
5. Acid pickle at PH of 1.0-2.0 and I leave it in about 3 days.
6. Now I do final shaving.
7. Neutralize and wash it good using Dawn and water, then rinse well.
8. Let it drain or spin in washer (no water just spin it out)
9. Making sure it's fairly dry (not HARD just not dripping), I apply Rinehart tan cream. McKenzie tan will also be good. Cover in plastic and let it work overnight.
10. Mount right NOW or freeze and thaw only when ready to mount.
Maybe you just need a new system. I highly doubt you'll get slippage this way. I never, ever have.
is I do a first shaving before the pickle. I let cape salt dry hard first, then rehydrate about 8-10 hours before shaving. I also limit neutralizing to 30 minutes. Sometimes I get some hair slipping around the ears as well. I think this has to do with the incoming condition of the hide or from thawing it out prior to skinning.
Thank you all so much for all of the help! Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
red
Dear Red, I,ve been doing taxidermy for about a year and a half now and i remember going through the same sort of problems as you have. I feel the need to help you, because i remember when i was despert. I may not have been mounting as long as many of the other taxidermist that replied on your plea for help, but i believe that i may be of some help in your case. Here goes-
#1. The Lutan method, and the steps you fallow are correct, except i need to mention a few facts that are very critical to fallow.
When rehydrating never soak your cape more than a half hour. Twenty minutes should be good. This also applies to nutralizing.(very important.)Also: Fallow directions to the tee. Do not over use the amout of pinesol in your wash or the baking soda to your nutralizer.
#2.It is also very important to make sure that during the acid bath period you have to maintain that 1.5 to 2 on your PH. When you put the cape in the solution, check it a half hour later to make sure it had'nt risen. And if you need to add more crystals, be sure to remove the cape before adding and stir well. Keep that Ph right, or else.
#3. It is equally important to keep the PH right when in the tanning also. Dont ever think its ok to let the PH slip a little, because so will your cape.
#4.Also keep in mind that you have to cut down on the wet time. Dont forget less time on the rehydration and nutralizing. For pickleing 20 to 23 hrs is plenty. For the tanning cut it down to 16 to 17 hrs. These changes has helped me stop the slippege problem. And when you rehydrate for mounting, not more than 10 hrs. Oh and also very impotant to stir the cape when in the pickle and tanning solutions atleast every couple of hours so the chemicals can get every where especially for behind the ears.
Final pointers: Remember take it easy when working a wet cape, hair will come out a lot more easy when wet. When the animal dries, the hair follicals will close and hold the hair in much tighter. Make sure your mannican size is perfect to fit your cape. Alter if not. Lastly, Make sure your customers take care of their animal properly in the field, for this is where it might have all started. And keep a lot of extra deer fur around incase you incure a little slippege behind the ears, you can always glue some on using the right shade, no one will notice. Hope i was of some help. Curtis