i have a 1/2 mount to do on a black bear ,how much pickle should i mix up to do this , i was going to use saftee acid ,its 1 lb of salt and 1/2 oz of acid to a gal of water , and when u nuteralize the acid do u mix up more water or do u just add the baking soda to the acid bath .
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to float the hide and mix a separate bath to nuteralize.
I use the "Rule of Thumb" - for every 1 Lb. of wet drained skin weight - mix 2 Quarts of solution. First weigh your piece - then if it weighs 10 Lbs. - mix up 5 Gallons of Pickling solution. It's the safest and most economical way to tan.
The purpose of pickling skins is to block the protein groups that would react with the positively charged tanning
solutions of basic Chromium and / or Aluminium sulphate thus allowing them to penetrate the skins without reacting at the surfaces
only. In this regard the amount of protein available determines how much acid is to be used and this normally
works out at approximately 1.5% of acid by weight on the weight of the wet drained raw skin. The addition of
Sodium Chloride salt is needed to reduce the swelling of protein caused by acids and is required in an amount
in excess of 6 % for safety on the same wet drained weight of the skins. Using a lesser amount of salt can increase
swelling. Normally the amount of water used in a tanning drum is about 60% to 100% on the raw weight, but in a
home tanning situation using stationary containers a float of over 100% is often what it takes to completely
immerse a skin and only the absolute necessary amount of water over and above the 100% needed to do this
should be used. In this instance I use even more salt....up to 10 % to maintain a higher concentration of salt in
solution. Remember when dealing with acids such as Suplhuric or Hydrochloric acids you must always
add the ACID to the WATER ....not the other way around. Adding water to acid can make it explode out the
container and slpash onto you.
Best Regards for a Happy New Year to all.
Leith
The purpose of pickling skins is to block the protein groups that would react with the positively charged tanning
solutions of basic Chromium and / or Aluminium sulphate thus allowing them to penetrate the skins without reacting at the surfaces
only. In this regard the amount of protein available determines how much acid is to be used and this normally
works out at approximately 1.5% of acid by weight on the weight of the wet drained raw skin. The addition of
Sodium Chloride salt is needed to reduce the swelling of protein caused by acids and is required in an amount
in excess of 6 % for safety on the same wet drained weight of the skins. Using a lesser amount of salt can increase
swelling.Normally the amount of water used in a tanning drum is about 60% to 100% on the raw weight, but in a
home tanning situation using stationary containers a float of over 100% is often what it takes to completely
immerse a skin and only the absolute necessary amount of water over and above the 100% needed to do this
should be used. Remember when dealing with acids such as Suplhuric or Hydrochloric acids you must always
add the ACID to the WATER ....not the other way around. Adding water to acid can make it explode out the
container and slpash onto you.
Best Regards for a Happy New Year to all.
Leith
One of the purposes of pickling skins is to block the protein groups that would react with the positively charged tanning
solutions of basic Chromium and / or Aluminium sulphate thus allowing them to penetrate the skins without reacting at the surfaces
only. In this regard the amount of protein available determines how much acid is to be used and this normally
works out at approximately 1.5% of acid by weight on the weight of the wet drained raw skin. The addition of
Sodium Chloride salt is needed to reduce the swelling of protein caused by acids and is required in an amount
in excess of 6 % for safety on the same wet drained weight of the skins. Using a lesser amount of salt can increase
swelling. Normally the amount of water used in a tanning drum is about 60% to 100% on the raw weight, but in a
home tanning situation using stationary containers a float of over 100% is often what it takes to completely
immerse a skin and only the absolute necessary amount of water over and above the 100% needed to do this
should be used. You can increase the salt concentration to compensate for the extra water..to about 10%. Remember when dealing with acids such as Suplhuric or Hydrochloric acids you must always
add the ACID to the WATER ....not the other way around. Adding water to acid can make it explode out the
container and slpash onto you.
Best Regards for a Happy New Year to all.
Leith