Hey Guys,
Sent a very large bear hide to the tannery and just got it back. They did a great job(no slips, holes, missing claws) the only prob is that now it looks like a very medium sized bear. How do I stretch it back to origional shape? Was going to soak it in plain water for a day, and then stretch and nail to plywood to dry. Any prob with this? Any other(better) ideas.
Thanks very much for any help.
Spike
spikefrb@aol.com
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First off, the hide was tanned. When you get a tanned hide back, there are some things YOU are required to do. You didn't say, but I'm assuming it was a dry tan. If it was, it needs to be rehydrated. (look in the archives if the term is unfamiliar), but NEVER for a day. From a few minutes to 2 hours should be the maximum you ever soak a tanned hide. Then it needs to be "sweated" overnight. THEN and only THEN can you stretch the hide back to its original dimensions.