Can I do a lifesize wolf in the 16 gallon auto tanner?
It is an XXL male timber wolf.
I fear it may not fit "comfortably" in there. I know I can jam it in there but will that work?
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The elk are tight, but they can be done.
You may need to run it for 30 minutes and chnage the position of the hide in the A-T. You may want to add a bit more water and crystals.
The wolf fit in there fine. Once fleshing started I saw it was a female, and she was only 9 pounds wet drained weight and about 75", so not a HUGE animal, but definitely bigger than an elk cape. She moves freely in 6 gallons of water with all the usual pickle stuff in there.
My AT will only get to 35 pounds of pressure. All machinery is new. Could the air inlet be clogged do you think? Bad air hose maybe? Or did I not shut the door tight enough?
your problem. As far as not shutting the door tight enough is out the window too, if it wasn't sealed it wouldn't hold 35 #s. I would be suspect of a bad air gauge and I'd be careful I wasn't over filling it. Check the air gauge with a tire pressure gauge {only works a few times as the salt content kills them}. I also doubt a clogged intake would be the culprit if you're getting 35 #s into it. Please, check your guage and if all else fails, contact Steve Rotramel. {the manufacturer, his advise is invaluable}Or maybe your compressor is limited to putting out 35 #s? I doubt it. I don't even use the bolts to hold my door on, just let the air pressure do it. I thread two opposite nuts on a couple threads just so the door doesn't fall into the tank and chip when air is released.
I began to suspect the gauge as well because I would watch it fill up - the needle would be "jumping". It also will go from 10 to 0 and then if you choke down the red ring, right back up to 10 again and then gradually back down to 0 (while releasing the pressure from the tank). Seems fishy. The tank holds air perfectly, the hose is new, all junctions are tight, I hear no hissing anywhere, door was closed well (all 4 bolts), the machine is new, the compressor is capable of putting out 180 psi at like 9 cfm and is new.
For a thousand bucks I'd have wanted a reliable gauge! Sheesh.
The wolf came out great with no slippage and as easy to peel the membrane, muscle, etc. off as a big fox or coyote. What a surprise. A lifesize wolf in 7 hours. !
Side note: There was degreaser "carryover" into the pickling phase. Degreaser is one of those "combustible no-no's". Was afraid I was going to get blown up but guess what? It's okay for a tiny bit of degreaser to get in there.
We're gonna do fifteen bobcats tonight! Air dried since 1987, say the CITES tags! We're only filling it up to 35 psi of course, uh I mean 55, whatever that screwy dang gauge says. Aiming for one or 2 batches. Whee!