I've searched the archives and have even asked this question earlier, and I still don't fully understand when a hide should be put in the tumbler for softening. When I've broken hides by hand, I waited until they were just starting to dry out and then started teasing the hide by stretching and pulling and using a breaking bar. I haven't used a tumbler for breaking purposes before, and I am wondering is this the right time for using a tumbler for breaking also. I know the tumbler should be at least six feet in height and have at least a 100 lbs of hard wood sawdust. But when do you put the hide in? Soft, or completely dried out hard, or somewhere in between. How long do you tumble a hide to soften it (approximately)? I'd appreciate any info. on this. I've been trying to make sense out of this for some time. Most folks tell me to buy so and so's video. I have several video's including Bruce's on fleshing, but it's still hard to learn many tricks of the trade when it comes to tanning.....Thanks, Steve
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Put your skins in the tumbler when they are about 80% dry. Softening goes quickly on light skinned animals such as fox and takes longer for heavier leathered skins, especially if you have not thinned them.
Chris
to finish softening them. Use clean sawdust. I have an 8X4 foot tumbler, and use only 25-30 pounds of sawdust in it. I used to use 100 pounds until I found out a tanning school in Montana only uses 25 lbs per load, so I tried it, and the hides turn out just as nice as with 100 pounds. I don't know if it would make a difference in a smaller tumbler. Some tips that helped me: hang your oiled hides skin side out until the oil is soaked in good, then turn them over to dry the hair as much as possible before tumbling. Hope that helps.