I just inherited a load of deer hides. They were leaft out in a car port and they look nasty! They have been salted and are partly mildewed. All I want to do it get the hair off scrub them down and make raw hide out of them. I started messing with them and over half the hair is already off. I was told to get Lye? I bought RED DEVIL lye and i'm ready to get the hair off. Can anyone tell me how long it should take per hide and how much to use. I live in apt complex and wanted to let them sit outside during this process. Any help on this is great apreciated. I just don't want to hurt myself or anyone else with the lye or eat up the hides.
thanks
david
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www.braintan.com for the whole procedure
David , you want lime , not lye to remove the hair . Your neighbors will love you when they get a wiff of that smell . Rick
Try not to use lime. It can leave deposits of calcium in the rump and neck areas, and make the hide stiffer than needed. If you use any type of lye or chemical to remove the hair, they will need to be rinsed clean to get the solution out of the skin. If all you want is rawhide, just soak the hides in water for a couple of days, and the hair will slip right off. Sounds like your almost there, anyway. By the way, I am a full time braintanner, doing a couple hundred deer a year and about 50 Buffalo this year, so I deal with hair off daily. Good luck. Ron Z