Used a commercial tanner in Texas for a number of years....and they always sawdust drummed the hides before returning wet.
Used a local taxidermist who tanned my hides for a year....and he did the same. Really liked his work. Saved me a lot of shipping.
He went out of business....soooo....back to Texas I go.
They returned my hides in 40 days.....wet....no sawdust drumming.
I called them about it and they said.....most taxidermist are requesting this now....because they don't want the sawdust on the form and the hides are easier to slip on the form.
They said....just wipe it down with a sponge and brush.
Well....I did a half mount black bear today. I did what they said. And so far....I ain't happy!....and myself and the customer got a lot of money wrapped up in this mount.
The hair side is flat......not bushy like a bear I did earlier this year.....and certainly not as soft. It is also still damp.
It's too late for me to do anything about it now. I would imagine on a deer this would be fine as their hair lays flat.
What can I expect? Will it dry out completely? How is it going to dry? When it dries.....will it brush out better?
I just don't know what to expect.
Thanks for any help.
Also...any truth to this that more taxidermist are shunning the sawdust drying?
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take a hair drier to it. Back brush as you go to fluff up the hair and alternate between hot and cool with the drier. It will take days for the hide to firm up so a little tlc each day will get the look yyour after. And yes I tumble all my capes and hides and so does the tanneries I use.
take a hair drier to it. Back brush as you go to fluff up the hair and alternate between hot and cool with the drier. It will take days for the hide to firm up so a little tlc each day will get the look yyour after. And yes I tumble all my capes and hides and so does the tanneries I use.
Paul.....
Should I start the process immediately?
I was always told it's not good to brush and/or use a hair dryer until the hair sets.
A leaf blower will dry the hair faster giving you more time for something else.
A good commerically tanned hide should not loose hair. A bear im working on now (wet tanned) has no loose hair, in fact I can pull on it with no loss of hair, getting it on the form. You can dry it after a day after mounting, use a hair drier, air from compresser or leaf blower as stated above. You dont have to do it all at once, it will take weeks for the mount to dry altogether anyway, just a little a few times a week until you get the look you want.