Oh oh, I had a freezer go out, I found it, it smells rancid, the deer capes will never handle for thawing and being turned and salting.
What would happen if I put the capes and skins in a pickle and kept it under 3.0pH?
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If slippage has started a pckle will not save it.
and start praying. I have been using STOP-ROT and Rittles PRESERVZ-IT together for a short time and the results are verry positive! here is how I have been using it. Mix a preservz-it/stop-rot solution by adding 1oz of preservz-it and 1oz of stop-rot and 4oz of borax to each gal of water. Then I add stop-rot treated hides and leave them in this solution for about seven days. I have only done this with rabbit hides and it seems to work! I have never done this with a deer cape, but the rabbits have come out "feeling" like a pickeled hide! I have then went on to the salting and pickeling. hope this info helps! Joe
I have been doing this on rabbits that are just starting to slip. Joe
I have read many times in this forum that borax should never be used in conjunction with pickling. It will screw with the PH I think.
this is how I have been "pre-treating" some rabbits that are starting to slip. I am doing this on purpose because of all the "yup I just shot him this morning" (actualy 3 days ago) then I get it in the shop and it stinks and the hair is slipping. this is with no salting or fleshing, these are just skinned rabbits that are left in a warm humid condition till they start to slip. then are pre-treated and after that I go on with normal treatment. salt, pickle, shaving, exc. does this clear this up? Joe
All the borax will do is keep the bugs away. Salt works better for what you're describing or at the very least, dry preservative that will contain some talc and alum, but as John implied, it's going to screw with the pH on your pickle all the way through the process.
Sarah,
Stop Rot is no doubt a great product. But I suspect those capes are past that point. Like Nitro Glyserine is good for heart attack victims, but not the ones that are rigor mortis. Yeah, gte some stop rot, but I'd hate to see you work so hard trying to save unsavable capes. If you dont mind the labor... go for it!
Keep it simple! If you want to save these skins - simply salt and dry them hard! It will at least set the fur or hair - or at least the part that is left. Then when you are ready to tan them - rehydrate the skins and you should be fine! DON'T SETHE BORAX! Use sawdust or Cornmeal to take up the wetness! Then blow it out using an airhose! Borax plays hell with the tanning PH.
Use STOP-ROT first, then salt.
Use the orange search button. Enter stop rot.
put some stop rot on
if it can be saved
this stuff is the answer
look on the site www.whitetailsys.com on the case history
and see what Glen did with that one
its truly remarkable
I take two days off, and this is what happens! first off the borax is only in there because the original recipe for preservzit had 4oz of borax in it and I never changed it! I simply added stop-rot to it. Make sence? I have been using borax to help get a grip on slick hides for years before salting. and it doesn't seem to hurt the ph in the pickle any. or should I say I havent noticed any change in the ph in the pickle. I should also note this is only testing two verry great products! I am not trying to set a new standard for taking care of bad hides or capes. this is only testing of a few rabbit hides to play around some. if it works... GREAT, if not... oh well I am only out $20.00 in rabbit hides. I also agree "keep it simple" if you can use stop-rot or preservezit then salt and pickle and it works thats great. Joe
Remove the capes and dry them HARD! Then after drying them - rehydrate and count your losses! Drying them hard is your best way to ensure they may make it through the tanning process - intact! Using other products like our Preservz-It tightens the hair - but salt drying them adds a lot of protection! Drying them hard even on "iffy" capes improves their survivability!