I would like to know if you need an area that is heated for salting and drying hides and capes? my shop is only 16'x 24' and I do not have alot of room to spare. I have another building i could use for this purpose but it is not heated and i do not want to spend the money to insulate and heat it. right now I just work around the salt pile in my shop and I am tired of doing that.
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Tom try this and if you don't understand e-mail me stop working hard for nothing.
Most of you send the skin to a tannary,here is another area that you can have problems,salting the skin ( ALWAYS USE CLEAN SALT ) rub it in and use plenty of it get all the moister out. Boy this is the hard way,you do all the fleshing and salting then the tannery gets it and it goes right in the pickling to mush labour for me, I do all my own tanning. Remove the paws the skull do the ears, eyes,nose you know what I am trying to say. Now I will leave fat on the skin I only remove the biggest parts no more then 1/2 inch of fat.
You guys are reading this and saying this guy is brain dead ! LOL
Then it goes directly in the pickling NO WAY yes way.
First I will wash out the skin soap and cold water and rince in cold ( no not in the washing machine ) in the laudry tube.
Now 45 gal barrel of water 45 lbs of salt you can put more standard picling salution.
45 gals water
45 lbs salt
1 liter formic acid 1.5 to 2.0 PH
5 lbs ALUM ( alum will haren the fat ) so you can flesh it on
a fleshing machine
Stir your solution to disolve the salt and the alum
Now this part is very very important place the skin in the pickling and stir it up really good then DO NOT TOUCH IT AGAIN
The alum will seatle on the skin and cook the fat. Leave for about 24 hours. Remove skin and drain only DO NOT RINCE.,Now flesh it on the fleshing machine, If their is any pink stots after fleshing put it back in the pickling for a day or 2 or 10 it will not harm the skin.
After it is pickled remove drain wash the skin out really good soap and water ( clean skin, clean solution, less cost to you )
Now Tanning I used Lutan for many years now only Bruce Rittels tanning
45 gal water
45 lbs salt
3 lbs tanning powder
Place in tanning , remove when tanned ,remove when tanned,drain skin only ,dry to the touch.
Now oilling heat oil rub on skin in the worm shade is best let the oil penatrate as much as possible ,then tumble it changing the sawdust as you tumble and bracking the skin as it dries.
Sounds hard but it is not
32 years and never lost a skin Must be doing something right.
Any questions you can e-mail me direct,I will give you my number and you can call me I do not have the time to do this all day.
Laurier
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With your method you don't neutralize after your pickle? How about acid swell?
Sorry if I left out this VERY IMPORTANT step.
ALWAYS NEUTRALIZE THE ACID.
eg. yesterday I skined a large black bear for a rug
I removed the paws the skull,turned the ears eyes lips and into the pickeling with about 1/4 inch of fat and meat though out the skin
on the lips and all.Sunday ,day of the lord no bussiness work.Monday I will remove it and drain it NO RINCING and flesh it on the fleshing machine. I will have about 1 1/2 hour of my time on the skin,if their is any pick or redish colour,back in the pickel next day or 2 later,
remove drain NEUTRALIZE and then in the tanning.
( REMEMBER DO NOT STIR THE SKIN WHEN IT IS IN THE PICKELING )
ONLY THE FIRST TIME IT IS PLACED IN THE PICKELING SO THE SALT ACID AND ALUM WILL FALL ON THE SKIN AND COOK THE PROTEIN.
after the first fleshing is done you can stir till your hearst content.
Remember tanneries do not neutralize unless you ask them to.
" Would you take their word on this "
I would not,If you want the job done right, do it yourself.
E-mail me if any questions.
Laurier
You don't need a heated building to do your salting, just keep it dry. The heat in your buiding may dry the hides out to fast, not allowing the salt to do it's job.
I work a full time gig, so I do not have time to tan my own stuff. I just salt dry everything. I have a tannery up the road who does an excellant job for me. (K+K Tannery in Hillsdale Michigan) if you haven't tried them give Gary a call,(517)523-3196. They are super nice people and will do you a good job. The only problem is they are a little slow sometimes, but what tannery isn't I was just worried about the capes drying right with no heat, it seems like it would take forever for them to dry in the cold. I guess I will just have to try it.
Mike you don't have to heat the buiding but if it is humide you will have a lot of problems. If your salt is wet this will be a problem, if the salt is re-used and dirty this is a problem.
Even if you send your skins to a tannery it is still faster and easier to use my method , then let the skin dry out and send to the tannery,it will make their jod easier , but it will be cheaper and less labour for you.
It's up to you.