Im tanning my first raccoons and choose to alum tan them. Iput 2 coons(one was tiny)in the bucket with the solution I only used 1 gallon of water which left them about 2-3 inches inder the solution. Everything was fine until the 3 day when Almost all of the solution was absorbed. The skins are still soaked but there not submerged and theres only about 1/2 inch of water left. Shouls I retan them or shouls the 2 days they were fully submerged work
Thanks
Dave
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What tan did you use?
I used alum sulfate and salt. Thats all the directions said to use
was your alum to salt to water ratio? Sounds like you didn't mix enough solution to start with for two hides.
1 pound of Alum to a gallon of water and2 cups of salt. I only made one gallon up because the hides were covered completly. My biggest concern is if they hides were in long enough or should I retan them. They appear to be white all the way through. Thanks for all your help I appreciate it
Dave
If you press your thumb into the hide and if your thumb indentation stays it's a pretty good bet they're tanned, if not you need to tan again. My alum tan mix is 1 to 1 ratio of water and salt and only 1/2 to 1 ratio of alum, the ph is about 2.5 - 3.
For two coons I would have at least mixed five gallons to submerge and be able to turn the hides in the solution.
Thanks for the help. I did the finger impression and it stayed very well. I gthink I might have gotten lucky this time. I will defently Use more next. Once again thanks to all of you.
Dave