im wanting to get an auto tanner. ive read for hours about it already but have a few more questions. people state that you can skip the pickling process, how easy is it to shave without pickling. i have a quebec flesher. or if i pickle in the auto tanner, how would it compare to the pickling that i do now(3 days, shave then 1 day)
it's hard to believe that the auto tanner can plump up the hide the same way that the conventional way can.
anymore thoughts would also help.
thanks
jon
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I get a lot of capes that relax and even get a lot bigger, you can run the original crystals two capes in the small tanner while you sleep, the next morning you can have them fleshed and ready to mount by noon, now while you are prepping these two capes from last night, you can have two more in a new batch of original crystals.
Its very easy to have 12 cape ready to mount from Sunday night while you sleep to noon of Wednesday.
The capes plump very well, is you have a cape or skin that is spoiled but the hair is not slipping, run the skin for one hour, flesh and run for another hour.
Even those nasty fur bearers than have those nice green bellies, are turned usable within a few minutes in the Auto-tanner.
You can shave a cape, run it for another hour and shave it again, so thin you can tear the hide when pulling it over a mannikin.
The Original Crystals are a Alum tan and irregardless of what others say this tan has been around for several hundred years. Its great for a mount, but no rug work.
overtan or over crystal a cape. say you leave it in too long. what happens. also are you saying that the small tanner would be big enough if i just want to mount mainly whitetails. i dont plan on doing too many large game animals.
thanks
jon
I have done that a few times and a bit of clear water for a few minutes and it will relax. (Original crystals)
I also dont put the tanning oil in the tanner. Makes the skin sticky.
I just got mine a while back and I love it. Its all that John has said and more. The skin is so workable you wont believe it. I have yet to experiance noticable shrinkage. I would definatly get the bigger machine if you can. It does L/S bears like no tomorrow. This machine is a must have for the one man shop or part time shop it saves tons of time. No salting thats a plus in it self. A pickled cape in my opinion is much harder to shave then one tanned in the auto tanner. The stretch is unlike I have ever experianced with a pickle tanned cape or tannery tanned. I can see where one would want to over stretch a cape and go larger on the form size but I don't recommend it. I have used both the original crystals in mine and also have used the recipe I got from Bruce R. for ez100. I like the ez100 recipe the best. It gives better stretch and I think it even shaved a little better. The only draw back to the ez100 is it sticks to the hair in little balls. No problem though it blows right off with the air hose after it dries. The hair is left very soft. I'm not sure if the ez100 does that to it or not but the hair looks and feels better. Also one more thing. I also do not put the oil in the machine. I use one part oil one part hot water and brush the oil on after it is tanned and shaved. Hope I haven't sounded to crazy but I love my tanning machine. Good luck Jack F
I just switched to the arrowhead crystals from the original and man what a difference. You can do rugs or whatever you want. The capes come out soft as ever. With these crystals I don't have to use the ez100 anymore, and yeah the crystals are a little more expensive, but you save in not having to have the ez100, and the crystals come in 1 lb bags for easy measuring. All I can say is that I'm pleased with mine, and I'm thinking of buying the new 55 gallon auto tanner soon.