This is my first post and i wanted to commend the admin for such a helpful site. By trade i am a reptile specialist managing a tannery where we fabricate high quality leather from American alligator skins, croc and ostrich. Over the years i have experimented with fur dressing on a very small scale as a hobby being done for friends during hunting season. i see a good potential to take this from a hobby to a small scale business if done right. I do not have the skill or experience to even think about mounting, but for tanning and dressing of pelts think i could offer a good product over time. being that there is no furrier located within our state and taxidermists here are obliged to send out of state for processing.
my most recent projects were a few fox and bobcat pelts that were air dried. tanning conducted in small vats with a mixture of chrome and alum. pickled with formic acid and a little formalin. basified with bicarbonate respecting all rules of proper tannage. oiled flesh side with fatliquor suitable for furs. dried. milled. results were excellent. A few days later friend was very impressed with results and brought a few fresh deer hides. kept on ice in the field but not salted. i took the fresh, refrigerated, non-salted hides and commenced tanning. at once a problem with hair slippage noticed. tried to reduce slippage by giving additional formalin but little help. my question is this. what is the procedure when receiving these type hides? it seems the salt-curing is essential to prevent this defect. what is a standard length of time for salt-curing before tanning can be commenced safely? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
jwd
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Mr. Dozier,
First salt the skin for at least a day or two. Better yet inform your customer to salt in the field. What were your proportions in your pickle solution? I use this formula: for 10 fallons of water, add 6 pds. of salt, 3 onz. of phormick acid, half a pound of alum and 2 onz of formaldyhide for long use(eleminates mildue).
If you suspect hair slippage, mix one pound of alum in a pint of bowling water let cool and apply to the inside of the hide. This will stop the spoiling and set the roots of the hair.
Hope this will help,
Gerry
for the pickle i had used 60 gms salt per liter of water. Baume around 5.5 , gave formic about 5cc/L. yielded a pickle pH around 2.5. (looks like our ratios similar). after a few hours in the pickle added a little lutan (3g/l plus some formalin 1cc/l) to pretan. kept overnight. next day tanned in same bath by adding chrome and more lutan. kept overnight. then basified. The fomula u shared is very helpful and informative from which i will learn . The alum solution applied on slipping skins is an awesome idea! salting instructions will be followed as instructed. thanks again. jim
---- i am looking for a way to -{tan or cure } a deer hide /or an animal skin other than the skull method would appreciate all help---------------------------- thx
hi Anthony,
just read your post and hope this will be some help. there is a publishing company that has several books out that may be some help. name of company is "Shoe Trades Publishing" located in Cambridge, Ma. sorry i dont have tel number handy but u can call info and get. An excellent book is the "Leather Technicians Handbook". There is a chapter that covers fur dressing in detail. most of the book covers hair-off tanning but is still very informative. hope this is some help. jim