hi guys i was wondering where i can buy Aluminium Sulphate to start tanning rabbit skins.
i live in the UK so any ideas as my local ASDA probably wont sell that.
thanks in advance
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Regular alum that's used in pickling cucumbers is what you're looking for. IMO alum is a very poor substitute for other more effective and permanent tans, but you gotta go with what you can get I suppose.
Alum is hard to find in small quantities but you can get it at local chemical companies. We purchase our in 50 pound sacks. excellent tan for what you are doing, Mark
The UK has a company called B.A.S.F. they will have it
BASF is a great place to start. They won't sell direct to you but they will provide you with an agent that can hook you up. Give them a call (161 4885223). I think George has hit a good point too. BASF has "Lutan F" that will work much better than alum. An even better bet throuhg BASF would be Basyn Tan DLE. This is a syntan that will hold up even better. Good luck to you.
Lutan F hmm i wonder if that has to used in the same quantities as Alum.
Basically i am using the information from http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1983_January_February/How_To_Tan_Rabbit_Hides
Hey, I've been tanning for a good many years and figured I'd help you guys out. You can buy Alum at the grocery store, basically any food market or anything else. The McCormick condiment company sells Alum in 1.9 oz containers for about $2.50. Although this is a small amount, I've found that doing math and making smaller quantities of tanning formulas saves money, time, and ingredients. You really never use all of your formulas anyway, am I right? Also, Neats-Foot Oil is expensive and over-rated. If you go to the grocery store and buy olive oil, it works just as well as Neats-Foot and it has a more pleasing smell. When cleaning your furs, especially furs of animals who give off an odor (skunks, opossums,Groundhogs. Yes Groundhogs often smell disgusting, like body odor, vomit, and rotting vegetables combined) you can make these furs smell better by shampooing them, this is done before the tanning process during the soaking process. Some very stinky furs will need to be shampooed several times and afterwards rinsed in warm water. Shampooing furs also helps to make some of the grease in the skin itself come out. I have tons of other tips I can give, just ask a question and i'll get back to you. Those were just a few of the more helpful and often asked answers. I specialize in tanning groundhog skins (don't laugh) so any questions about that are definately welcome. Actually, in my opinion, groundhog furs are probably the best hide to tan. The fur is tri-colored which looks neat and the skin is often thick, making for great utility furs, tanned hide, and rawhide. Well i'm tired of typing so just send any questions, anytime. Cya.