I've been doing my own tanning for a few years now (Lutan F). In my acid bath I use saftee acid. Okay, no problems so far. Trouble is on this last cape I had trouble getting it to stay submerged with weighted bottles of water so I used a new piece of fine mesh galvanized wire screen and placed the bottles on top. That took care of the submerge problem. Maybe two hours later I checked the bath and found that it had a strange smelly odor. Kinda sour and putrid. I never had that before so I assumed that it must be a chemical reaction with the galvanizing. I made a new bath just incase and washed the hide out and placed in the new bath. My worry: Can I expect a failed hide as a result of this possible chemical reaction? I need a chemist for this one I bet?
One Box
Return to Tanning Category Menu
what type of acid safety acid is but you have dissolved the zinc from the galvanized screen and some of the iron as well. This is not likely to harm the hide especially with the steps you have taken.
However, why should you have trouble submerging this hide and not the others you have done in the past?
I too use Lutan. I always thought that the hide should be "floating freely", not completely submerged. I have had great results, though not nearly as long as you have, One Box.
Michael
Actually, I think this hide was bigger than any I've done so I guess it was just more hide to sink. Also it seems that when the hair on a hide is thicker and fuller it creates more boyancy? This hide came from Washington and I'm used to tanning hides from my home state (Hawaii) where the hair on a hide is thin due to the constant warm weather. Who knows?
One Box
There's no need to use contraptions to push the skins or capes under the surface. Simply turn them over twice a day for the first 3 days - then go to once a day. You shouldnt have any problems!
I heard of guys using 5 gallon pails half filled with water and sealed to push the skins down. My opinion - its a lot of unnecessary extra work! Anything with metal is your worst option! Almost all the acids react with them and it could drastically change the PH of your pickle and make it useless!