Heres the steps I took.
1. Fough flesh, turn eyes,ears,nose lips
2. salt 24hrs then resalt till cape is rock hard
3. Rehydrate cape
4. Pickle in 4gals water 4lbs salt and saftee acid at PH 1-1.5 for 3days
5. Shave then return to pickle for 24-30hrs
6. Neutralize in 2gals water and 2tbls. Baking Soda for 20 mins.
7. Spin cape in washer for 5 mins then absorb excess water with towell.
8. Apply Liqua Tan, let cape set for 24-30 hrs then mount.
Ok , heres my problem,I started mounting this deer and noticed the brown area between the front of the eyes and the tear duck was pealing really bad. What could have caused this?
The mount looks really good around the eyes after I COLORED them, You cant really tell that the brown layer of skin had pealed away.This was a quick fix but it doesnt solve the problem if it should occour again.
Return to Tanning Category Menu
Sounds like you over neutralized it. WHat was the pH of the bath and what was the damp-dried cape pH?
I pit my money on that. People dont pay any attention, they just read and say I did it that way. Most times they have missed those things I mentioned.
I always neutralize in bath for 20 mins with a PH of 4-5, I didnt check the bath this time because it has read a PH of 4-5 with a mixture of 2gals of water and 2 tbls of Baking Soda. I will keep a better eye on this.
I am on well water here so I try to keep an eye on all my solution that contain the well water.
Well water varies from time to time, and also it can have bacteria. How long you handle the cape while prepping, how long you soak to rehydrate, and how long (too long, in my opinion) you sweat it after the tan might all have something to do with it. By the way, we paint the area around the eyes either way, in case you were figuring you didnt have to if it didnt slip there. I wasnt sure, based on your post. Good luck to you.
You didnt mention "how" you neutralized the salted dried hard cape? That could be important in knowing why the soft tissues around the eyes gave you problems.
As for neutralizing - usually using a Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) bath - the PH starts out at about a 7.9 - but after the bath its 4.5-5.0.
I goofed in my first sentence! I meant to say - "You didnt mention "how" you relaxed the salted dried hard cape?"
I somehow said neutralize! Sorry.
I relax all my capes in cold water, I let them soak for about 45min the I break any are that is still hard then soak till everything is pliable again.
You would have to search for it but I though about a month ago I heard of capes going in to "shock" when two bins are being used in the pickling process (pickle and neutral bath).
I could be wrong but if you search I think there's something in there about it.