I'm finding some conflicting info. on degreasing, and thought I'd ask again. I tan with lutan-f. I usually salt till hard, rehydrate, pickle, neutralize, degrease, wash and rinse prior to putting in the tanning solution. I see where several people say to pickle, degrease, pickle some more for an hour or so, then neutralize and then tan. I'm just wondering which is best. I am also wondering why put a degreased skin back into a dirty pickle. Wouldn't that be counter-productive. Thanks for your help...Steve
Return to Tanning Category Menu
I have not, even been to some big tanneries.
Heres the deal you neutralize the skin, then add an alkaline soap to remove the grease.
Where is your pH??
By pickling, degreasing and repickling. You have made sure the skin is pickled and never risk slipping the fur.
You work the alkaline soap into the hide and it still removes the grease.
25 years of doing hides this way and I have never lost a hide, never had slippage.
Do it your way, since you are already such a pro, why did you bother to ask?
Anyway a properly fleshed hide can be degreased just as I have posted here several times this week.
I appreciate your answer. The reason I'm asking is because I know I'm not a pro...Steve
I was always told never to put an unneutralized hide in water without salt. If you rinse off the degreasing solution with water prior to returning it to the pickle won't it acid swell? Probably not because I know some directions for degreasing say to rinse in water prior to neutralizing. Thanks Steve.