I mounted my first deer with dry preservative and it came out fine. So, I thought I'd move on to tanning. I ordered a Basyn Tan D-L-E Kit. Anyway a friend asked me to mount his buck and I agreed. I received the hide/head three days after he got it and it was warm these days. So the hair slipped after pickle and tan. I expected it, but hoped for the best.
I ordered a cape that arrived frozen and in good shape. I fleshed it, salted it for 24 hours, refleshed some, then salted for another 24 hours. The cape was starting to stiffen when I put it in the pickle (pH was between 2.5 and 3). After a couple days I fleshed more, then finished pickling for another 5 days. Last night I neutralized in baking soda solution for 20 mins, then placed it in the tan. I removed from the tan tonight, rinsed and drained.
........THE HAIR IS SLIPPING AGAIN.........
Is there anything I can do? Does it need to dry out? Am I pickling too long?
Thanks for the help!
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next time try to keep your ph at 1.0 to 1.5
Many skins will not accept a pH of lower than 2.0 they will not even soak up.
I think you may have over neutralized. this assumtion is based on the fact you did not report a pH level for your neutralisation period.
I try to keep it at 5.5-6.0 this is critical. Some tans work best at 4.5 - 5.0.
Better luck next time.
one of ya says 1-1.5 the other says 5.5-6.0. Just curious. dont want to cause problems
your ph after you placed your skin in the pickle. I like mine just a little lower that 2.5 to 3.0 but you ph may have raised once you placed your skin in the pickle. Once a skin is placed in a pickle solution it begins to "soak up" the acid. If you don't have enough acid then your ph will raise, or at least this is one reason it will raise. I check my ph the first two hours I place then skins in the pickle then everyday until neutralize them.
Read the archives too. Look at my asnwer, pH below 3 (where does bacteria live and grow?
Now look at the tanning pH 5.5-6. I also state that some tans work better 4.5-5.0
Yes this can be very criticail, the tannins may not attach at lower pH.
What I see by your response is you dont have one book on tanning, you lack experience in tanning. But you are ignorant to spending money for seminars and knowledge.
I don't know who Larry it but a acid base of 1.0 is totally acid by saturation point. Many hides will not work at that low pH, infact I have seen skins acid burn at less that 2 pH.
Each hide has to be treated as a individual, they cannot all, be always grouped together.
Since Larry states acid pH and I state tanning pH. This proves you Kyle, cannot read and cannot cypher the answer.