I'll be old and grey or maybe even dead before I get a response from somebody in this profession. I know theres more guys or gals that read these letters. I would sure appreciate it somebody could lead me in the direction of hair removal. If I put it out in the sun, it would be frozen where I live. Thanks. If I don't do something before long, I'll be frozen.
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Quote from their catolog: "This two-part system is ideal for people who wish to make their own buckskin leather items. It consists of both the Hair-Off powdered chemical and Delimer."
LT158 2 lb. Hair-Off Kit 11.66
LT159 5 lb. Hair-Off Kit 22.18
Order today and use next day air-- dont get much quicker than that.
Just soak the hide in hydrated lime and water until the hair slips, usually 5 or 6 days. A couple of handfuls of lime in about 5 gallons of water. It won't hurt anything if you get to much lime. Bill
As Bill said, just use a few handfuls of lime to about 5 gallons of water (be sure to use gloves!). After the hair begins to slip, don't try and pull it out- wait until you can just push it with your finger and it falls out. The lime solution is going to stink to high heaven, but it is supposed to. After the hair is slipping good, remove the hide and throw it over your beam and scrape the hair off. This is remove the epidermis as well as the hair. Be kinda careful or you could mar up the hide pretty bad, making uneven and not as attractive leather. After all the hair is off, soak the hide in a bucket of water overnight. Next day, soak it again in another soluton of either vinegar, or ammonium sulfate. If you are making rawhide, this is as far as you need to go- just soak it in your deliming solution overnight. The next day, tack it up to a piece of plywood or something- stretch it tight and let it dry. If you are proceeding to leather- then you have to bate. You can use Oropon bate from Van Dykes and mix it into your deliming solution. Bating replaces enzymes lost during the liming. I have found that Oropon is a bit difficult to go into solution, so make up your deliming stuff with hot water.
Hope this helps and you aint too gray,
Mike
Thanks Mike, Bill, Andy for the info on the hair removal. This will help me out big time. I had a lime recipe from the internet at one time, but I lost it someplace. Thanks