I've being sifting through the archives for the best way to freeze a hide.Salted or not! Seems that this is a 50% for not salting and 50% for ok to salt before freezing.
So my question is what if i make a salt solution(salt & water) to dip the hide for +- 1hour then hang to drip dry a bit and then freeze.
Also what if i in stead of salt solution dip the hide in a antibacterial chemical and then freeze.?
Thanx
JP
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Better not put in salt "solution", (ie; water) and don't use antibacterial "solution" (water). Just freze the cape dry. I think what you saw in the archives might be where someone recommended salting a cape to let it dry out after it's been turned, then freezing it after it's dried out. That's do-able. But DO NOT soak it in salt and water then freeze, even if you drip dry. Moisture is your capes enemy. Even if you rub salt on it without the water part, that would draw moisture out of the cape and it would puddle in the plastic bag in the freezer and the cape would likely not freeze. That moisture would reap havoc on your hair folicles and kill your cape.
What if you cannot "freeze" the hide for a couple of days but have it in a cold room or in a normal fridge(not the freeze compartment) and then freeze it afterwards.?
Thanx
JP
.....an unsalted hide from freezing, the greater the chances are that it will slip. If you can't freeze it, then go ahead and flesh and salt the skin. The purpose of storing a salted(dry) skin in a freezer is to control the moisture. A cold environment(freezer) is a DRY environment where bacteria will not grow. Either salt or freeze it but it is best not to do both.
Go back and "reread" the archives, what you initially stated is NOT the proper way to handle a skin for taxidermy. In very humid conditions the salt dried skin will draw moisture, then the freezer will prevent deterioration. Other than that, salting and freezing are not a necessary combination.
Just WHERE did you find 50% of any of us ever saying it was "OK" to put a salted hide in a freezer. We've spent countless reams of computer space explaining why you should NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES attempt to freeze a salted hide. You either salt it or you freeze it. No reputable taxidermist would ever suggest a combination of those methods.
Nowhere does its say to salt before freezing. You only read part of the question and not the answers.
Please use the "Search" button and go through the archives.I started doing just that.You will find that every second person has a different opinion.Some say only freeze, some say its ok to salt and freeze.So who do you believe.Seems to me that in Taxidermy there is a lot of methods to do certain things that all works, it's a question of what method you will choose to do your thing.
Since I and Bill Yox were here on "Day one", I have never EVER seen anyone who remarked about freezing a hide not be immediately rebuked. There are literally dozens of posts where experts like Bruce Rittel and even the Fabulous Cur (Bill Gaither) who go into detail in telling people that a salted hide will not freeze properly and that to do so is usually the ruination of a hide so prepared. You'd better start reading the entire post before you make a remark like "50% recommend salting" If you're talking salting OR freezing, you are probably right though I find even that hard to swallow. Most people simply freeze the specimen. NO ONE SALTS BEFORE FREEZING and if they do, they only do it once.