I'm just wondering about this one. Again, I'm trying to make sense of all the conflicting info. concerning tanning. I read some articles a while back that stated that it is a good idea to salt skins until they are rock hard. This supposedly sets the helps set the hair. So I've been doing all my capes this way for the past several years, then rehydrating them prior to mounting. I mean this involves a lot of extra wait time and work, but I figure if it really works that way it would be worth it.
But....I've also talked to a lot of folks whom I respect, say that this is unnecassary. They say salting 24 hours to two days is enough, and then place the skin directly into the pickle.....This would surely be easier. So, what's your take on this? Is salting rock hard needed, or does it even help? That is if you don't want to store your skins? Thanks, Steve A.
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I meant to say salting rock hard prior to rehydrating and pickling, rather than salting prior to mounting. Thanks again, Steve A.
And it's a carryover from the days when trappers were on their lines for weeks and months at a time. The salt helps set the hair simply by collapsing the follicle when the water is removed. Salt by itself has no chemical properties to "lock" hair in. Glen Conley has a doctor friend who posted an extremely good article on salting a year or so back. If anyone knows where to find it in the archives, please post it here so many of your questions can be answered.
salt was never really used by trappers in the past or currently to preserve skins until they are sold. Air drying skins is the preferred method when handling fur for the fur market. While salt itself does not chemically lock the hair in, it does help draw out a lot of body fluids besides water. Really how much time are you losing if you allow say a deer cape to dry completely. After I have double salted the skin it is 98% dry after hanging for 1 to 2 days. If you are waiting on a single skin to dry before beginning the next step then you are working very inefficiently (unless your working space is a 4' by 4' closet).
Chris
Salting and its effect on cellular material
Submitted by Yoshan Moodley on 05/15/2003. ( moodleyy@cardiff.ac.uk ) 131.251.29.225
Glen Conley made some very good points as well in the same post, so be sure to scroll all the way down. Very smart fellas as you will soon see. Oh it is in the taxidermy industry section.
My .02? If you ain't got freezer space just as well dry them. If you got a questionable hide, i would think that pulling the moisture out of the hide shrinks the hide enough to set the hair a little better. Otherwise most of the hides out there aren't dried til after they get mounted, And they don't have problems for not drying hard.
Salt will keep it!
This response submitted by Bruce Rittel on 3/24/99. ( Rittel@ici.net )
I usually skin, cut away any fat, meat and Salt for 1-2 days and put it on a slant or over milk cartons so it drains. Then I put the skin or cape on my Beam and flesh it thoroughly. Then I resalt it for another 1-2 days folded, and then shake out the loose salt and hang it over a line to dry completely. The Salt besides helping to dry it quickly, also leaches out all the fluids, and has a preserving quality too. Once its dried hard, if you can keep it dry, it should last 2-6 months, until you have to rehydrrate it and pickle. Some guys freeze them - but I prefer hanging them dry. It sets the hair up better before pickling, and I like to keep my freezer for Deer meat instead! I dont like to keep dried capes over the summer months, the heat that builds up sometimes causes problems. Its usually a good habit to get them in the pickle before the warm weather moves in.
Griz,
This is one of the articles that I read earlier. Bruce believes that drying rock hard helps better set the hair. So I'm just wondering if this is really the case. A lot of folks are saying, this isn't needed. They salt a couple days and then pickle. Thanks, Steve
Steve,
Take a look at Glen's web site WWW.whitetaildesignersystems.com
Stop Rot is an amazing product and I would recomend giving his system a try.
In reference to response submitted by Chris on 03/16/2004 at 19:46.
You must live in a very dry climate. In South Texas it can take up to a week for a hide to dry completely. I have tanned hides that went straight from the fleshing beam to 2 days of salting the Bruce Rittel slant to let the moisture run out, shake out that salt and re-salt for 2 more days and straight to the pickle. Salting completely dry is by far the best way but it can be very time consuming. I have never had a problem with hair slip using my method of madness.