Im about to tan my first bear for a rug. Im using saftee acid and ez tan to do it. Just wondering if I should add Alum to the pickle to help set hair. Also I have heard of people who put it straight into the pickle and salt after it has pickles and shaved. Does this make sence?
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You have good products working for you already, don't go screwing with the recipe of a documented winner.
and any other tips on bear tanning?
Bruce markets one, McKenzie has a good one, and I've used Van Dyke's ProTal since I started decades ago.
Another question in regards to bear tanning. I own a quebec fleshing machine, a 6 foot drum, large plastic pails, the tanning ingredients (saftee, ez tan) and a 6 foot drum. Is there anything else that I will need for tanning of bear hides or things to keep in mind?
When I was brazen enough to do my own bears, I used an old bathtub and a boat paddle. You're already out of my league as I send ALL my bears out to be professionally tanned.
This is almost a must - everytime! Always skin, flesh, salt and dry Bears! This sets the hair. Rather than add Alum to the pickle - this is much simplier and less costly. Once you rehydrate them they are ready to pickle and the fur is set tight!
Shave them when they are fully pickled and plump! Remove them from the pickle, drain for 30 minutes and shave.
Degrease them while they are pickled. If working with 4 or 5 Bears - I wait until I've shaven them all and repickled them at least overnight. Then I remove all of them, drain for 30 minutes, place them in a degreasing solution fof 30 minutes (I use our Super Solvent degreaser) - then I rinse them well and return them to the pickle until I'm ready to neutralize and tan them later.
As for Drumming them - since you have a 6' drum - be sure you use 100 Lbs. of sawdust in it! If you expect a nice soft Bearskin - it's a must! And your 6' Tumbler should do a very nice job!