Im just learning how to tan. Can you make your own homemade pickle solution,if so can anyone tell me the right measurements and what to use. Is there a homemade tanning oil too. thank you
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In the Knoblochs catalog they give some formulas for pickle.I have never tried any of these but I'm sure they would work or they wouldn't advertise them. Most of the acids in their formulas would have to be ordered from a taxidermy supplier anyway except for vinigar. Here is one made with vinigar.
To each one gallon of water add the following
1-2oz Bascal S
16-32oz 5% White Vinigar
16 oz salt
1/8 oz Basacryl NB-KU
The Bascal S is supposed to set hair and break down non tannable protien.
The Bascal NB-KU is supposed to help with hair slippage.
I'm not sure if you could just use the vinigar, salt and water solution without the two others or not.
The main pupose in a pickle is to help break down the flesh. It uses acids to do this. For a picle to be effective you have to check th PH level which can be done with PH test strips.
Try to maintain a PH of between 1.8-2.2
Using homemade pickles can be nice when you run out of a commercial pickle and need it now, but it usually ends up being more expensive in the long run. Vinigar looks cheap until you realize how much you will have to use to get the same PH level of a commercial pickle.
There are alot of companies that have alot of different pickles. They are really not that expensive and you know for sure they are going to work.
You should try a homemade pickle and try some commercial pickles and use whichever you like. It's just a personal preference.
I too am a beginner and try to find the cheapest ways to learn, but for such an important step I dont like to take chances, especially when as a beginner I usuall have to pay for my critters to practice on so I dont want to screw them up.
I wish you the best of luck, and have fun with it.
This is a formula I've used very succesfully many times.
For every 1 gallon of Pickle needed, add:
2 Quarts of Water
2 Quarts of White Vinegar
1 Lb. of Salt
The PH should be around a 2.5 PH.
As for homemade tanning oils - there are none. Its a very specialized oil that must be bought from a Supplier. Pure oils like Neatsfoot oil will not work!