Occasionally my taxidermist informs me that on some of the capes I tan for him have loose hair. Normally I would notice any slip or loose hair some time during the tanning process, especially when drumming, but I haven't noticed it recently. What causes loose hair upon rehydration and would the addition of salt to the rehydration solution help rectify the problem? What other steps in the process should I look at? I use a pretty "standard" tanning process, rehydration, formic acid pickle, either static tan or wet wheel tan, swab oil, dry, drum and finish. Any advice would be great!
George
George
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George,
Find out if the static tans are the ones the taxidermist reports as loose. The wet wheel will do a good job of removing any loose hair. Have you been tanning deer in static? The absence of drumming will leave the loose hair in the hands of the taxidermist instead of on the tannery floor. Proof is the amount of hair in the ears of the drummed deer. (provided you aren't using ties on the ears)
over-drumming in the dry drum. Deer float. I hope you have some way of keeping them submersed, during the pickle, and tanning process. You dont have to drum them, if they are submersed. Stir them a couple of times a day, and re-cover, and submerse. Plywood, with weights on top will do the trick.
If there not totally submersed, there lies your problem. I have hundred of thousands of dollars worth of skins, pickled and tanned in static tanks, with no ill effects.
I have SEEN---
if the skin are not submersed you are looking for trouble.If all is done properly and hair is still coming out , then it was slipping from the start.
With all the good information, what do you think it could be? You specifically mentioned that you weren't seeing over drumming effects and OS brings up good points about his static tans, what have you concluded? Are you using a static tan on your deer? If you are, are you using any type of mechanism to hold them under the solution, eliminating "float"? Just wondering if you have isolated the problem.
you should rehydrate in a heavy salt brine solution.