I've tried tanning beaver in the past with limited results. I've ended up with very stiff, humped up hides that don't lay flat. I've been picking another taxidermists brain and I think I'll do okay this time using lutan-F. Let me know if you see any flaws in this because I'm still learning.
1. I plan to scrap my mini-flesher and buy a real fleshing machine.
2. Instead of trying to break them by hand and end up with humped up skins, I plan to dry them after tanning on hoops and then put them in the tumbler to break. (He says to break them after they've completely dried out flat.)
3. I plan to enlarge my tumbler to a full 7 or 8 ft. in height.
4. I plan to oil the skins more than once.
5. I plan to thin the skins more than once using the pickle between times to get them thin enough in the fleshing phase.
(any other pointers you can think of? I've got about 15 beaver skins (rough fleshed and in the deep freeze.) Thanks for your help.....Steve
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Breaking the hide for any reason allows the natural shape of the beaver to return, i.e. round, cylindrical, fat, BEAVER. If you are wanting beaver rounds after tanning, simply put it back on the hoop after the tanning is complete and allow it to dry hard and FLAT. If you tumble the hide, it's going to bulge where nature had it bulging before.
Beavers are made flat for the garment trade by splitting the leg holes. I don't think he means flat as in non-circular, George. He means flat as in, lays on the table without a Camel Back. The only ways to get rid of this are to let the beaver dry under a big heavy book or books, or to split the legholes.
It can be done. I've had this taxidermist do my tanning on beaver in the past. He does a wonderful job. The leather is soft and they do indead lay flat. He says his secret is to stretch them on hoops after tanning (to let them dry out) and then tumble them. I'm far from an expert myself, but I hope to someday tan beaver as well as he does....Thanks for your input....Steve
I forgot to add that they are skinned in the conventional manner from vent to mouth. The legs are not skinned out..Thanks again. Steve