I currenty have an Elk Cape in the Pickle. I am using Saftee acid and EZ100. I pulled it out of the pickle yesterday and took it to a freinds house and we shaved it on his fleshing machine from a little over 1/4" to about 3/16". When would be the best time to shave the hade again? Should I pull it out of the pickle and shave again? Neutralize and then shave? or Tan an then shave?
If I nuetralize and then shave would i have to nutralize again and for how long. Thanks
Michelle Wilson
Michelle's Taxidermy
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Not quite sure why you wouldn't have shaved it out completely the first time, but don't neutralize it yet. Pull it out and finish it this time, then put it back in the pickle for a day before neutralizing it and tanning it. Right before I mount a hide, I will flesh some areas again, but it's usually facial detail that I'm working on then.
The area of the country it came from, and time of year it was killed will determine the thickness of a elk cape. Some are so thick that they will not pickle all the way through. I have seen some an inch thick- these will have to be cut as thin as possible, and pickled some more, over night , for a second shaving. Stir that pickle with the cape in it. Aggitation of some sort will make it pickle faster.