Or, does it need to be worked?
thanks in advance
Zac Perry
A.K.A. Trapkid (on trapperman.com)
Return to Tanning Category Menu
Sorry to burst your bubble. But no tan is going to produce a soft tan by itself. The fur needs to be broke, and oiled to produce the soft tan.
Coyote
in the timing (more than anything). If you purchased a kit, it probably came with oil. If not, you can purchase the oil seperately. I don't know the system you reference, but with the ones I have used- after the final rinse and hanging briefly over a line to drip off, stretch the hide on a frame. The frame should be suspended to permit air circulation all around, and the skin side should be up. As the skin surface just dries off, heat your breaking oil and apply. The oil will soak into the skin and make the breaking much easier. You need to break the skin as it dries. This means you will break the edges much sooner than the thicker middle and neck. Break it by stretching the hide apart in all different directions- you will be able to see the hide turn white where it has dried and is broken. As time passes, work your way inward. The tough part, is that you need to stay with it- can't walk away for 8 hours and expect to break it well. Good luck.
a bench-knife works great. I think Rawhide sells them. They are used by some Furdressing companys, and are not very expensive.