I have just got done doing the salting process on some deer which consists of splitting the lips, nose, eyes, and the ears and then salting the deer cape. I was told not to stagger the capes by putting them into the pickle one at a time but to put the in all at once.The capes have gotten real stiff and I was wandering how do I soften them up to put them into a pickle bath for the next process of face fleshing and etc.. Thanks.
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Soak em till rehydrated.(2 hrs plus, depending on stiffness) Proceed with fleshing- get em into pickle, ASAP. You should have done all your fleshing before the skins got stiff. At this point, you might be better off to put them straight into pickle for rehydration, then flesh, then back in pickle. You make the call.
Rob, I don't see a reason to put all skins into the pickle at once as long as they are marked and you make a note of when they each start so that you know when each has been in 3 days, (then shave and do face work). I soak deer capes in salt water over night, drain and put into the pickle next morning. This is if they are dry and hard. Enjoy, Aaron H.
Get yourself some ultra-soft from Rittles. Follow the directions on what to use per gallon of water. It goes a long way. Now using this no salt is added to the water, it's straight ultea-soft and water, that's it. It make take 4 or more hours to rehydrate a hide. Your best bet is to make this up before you leave for the night and place the hides in the solution. By morning check them so that you have no hard spots. If you do let them soak till there gone. If the cape is folded with a hard spot you have to begin to pry thise spots open so water can get in there.
Once their soft, don't keep soaking them. Take them out and rinse well. By rinsing it now you get over 95% of bllod and dirt out if not more plus you need to rinse the ultra-soft out.
Now I gently squeeze the water out and place them in the pickle for the three days and go from there.
the stuff works. It washes also and makes it easy for the pickle to go to work.