Looking through the orange button on the left I couldn't find where both chemicals were used in the same pickle. I read that both chemicals attack the proteins. Can you use them both or do they preform the same function?
Would I be better off using Bascal S in the rehydration bath and the acid bate in my safetee acid pickle?
If it makes any differance the critters I tan are beaver, deer, elk, coyotes, bob cats and very few buffalo back skins.
Thanks.
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From my very limited experience (2 batches of skins) with Bascal S -
Reading the instructions the first time, I thought it was a rehydration agent. So I mixed it up and popped a few pelts in the solution, as usual, but just using Bascal S instead of Enzol-B.
I normally do not check pH on rehydration because it's not meant to be one of the "curing" solutions.
The next day, I realized I should add salt... so added some salt. Read the instructions again. Realized I was pickling the pelts! Threw a mini-fit ("if you'd checked the pH..."), added a ton more salt, added some Saftee Acid, added some Acid Bate, and stirred them well.
Pelts all came out fine. (fox, others) Didn't lose any of them. No excessive ripping. The pelts did not slip and I noticed they were easy to flesh after "rehydration" as well as "pickle". I did not notice a significant difference in the leathers of the skins. Maybe they are softer, but that could also be because of the extra oiling I gave them to compensate for the bad "pickle".
One thing I have noticed is that if you add just a little degreaser to your pickle, not only will you attack as many protiens as possible, but also as many fats as possible. Or at least by elimination of the fats in the collagen spaces, you can attack more protiens. So the theory goes. In practice it still means a lot of swearing and getting pickle in your eye when you flesh.
Something which 'eats fats' (from Acid Bate taglines) is termed a Lipase
A degreaser would be a Saponifying agent or a Rendering agent
I don't know what Bascal S is (calcium something?) but suspect it's more like Enzol-B than Acid Bate.
In a nutshell, test! If it works better for you, do it. I'll be testing again soon.
Hope that helped.
Flint hard african hides normally need a acid bate to help soften them. Just be carefull with using it.