I have been tanning deer hides and coyotes using the Lutan F kit from Van Dykes, and have had good results. I have read that Kemel 4 works great as a cleaner and degreaser (mix with a quart of Coleman fuel to degrease), but am wondering where to use it. The Lutan instructions say to degrease after neutralizing, however, I would like to clean up the hide beforehand to get a good clean pickle. Does anyone have any opinions about adding a capful or so of Kemal during rehydration, then proceeding to the pickle, neutralize, add more Kemal with the fuel as a degreaser? I'm talking here about the coyote and maybe a beaver.
Also, I'd like to try the acid bate, also. Will that be okay using the Kemal? I know I can add the bate right to the pickle.
Any help would be appreciated.
Just experimenting for better tanned hides,
Mike
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degrease after pickle but before neutralizing, if that makes any difference.
Mike again
Mike,
If you dislike putting degrease hides back in a dirty pickle just put a second pickling vat into the line. We have one vat that is set aside for cleaned and degreased skins. When that vat becomes slightly dirty we dump the "dirty pickle" vat and make it the "clean pickle". It really isn't necessary though. Skins that are degreased and placed back in the pickle shouldn't absorb anything that isn't already water soluble.
Chris