Questions About Ez-100 Tan Process

No, you cannot reuse your tanning solution. Yes, you need to return it to the pickle after degreasing. I don't think you can reuse the degreasing solution, but I'm not sure on that one.

Basically, if the directions tell you to do something, do it. Don't over think it or try to change it.

 

The pickle changes the the molecule fibers of the hide which in turn turns it to leather after tanning , returning it to the pickle after shaving insures it is fully penetrated you might say . As long as your PH numbers are in the realm of what is called for the pickle being dirty won’t matter , as it’s the acidity that is changing the fibers . As stated follow the directions, they are there for a reason and have been fine tuned to do what is needed for your best results.

 

The question is why do you return back to the pickle after degreasing?
A few reasons:
Using the warm water to which opens the pores to let the grease out now cause other fluids to be leached into the skin. Hence why you put back into the pickle to ensure total pickling. Also depending on what your degreasing, bears it may take up to three times to ensure proper degreasing.
Now can you use your degreasing liquid again? No I wouldn’t use it as it’s now cooled off and would need to be heated back up to be efficient again and plus now your putting more grease into another greasy situation that you may not now know if it’s degreased or now making that skin and hair more greasy even though it’s getting degreased. Plus you’ll have bacteria growing in that degreasing liquid.

 

No you can’t degrease after tanning as the tan really probably didn’t adhere properly cause of the poor process you did.
Start from scratch and place it back in the pickle and do the whole process over again the right way not what you may think or not sure of.
Pickle 3 days
Shave if needed now.
Degrease warm tepid water with salt added 1/4 lb per gallon 104 *is nice.
Do it 2-3 hrs
Drain, back into the pickle overnight. Check to make sure it feels good and not greasy. drain,
Neutralize, tan , check pH buffer at end of tan ) an hour before it’s time) raise it to 4.5-5 that sets the tan
Drain , oil, fold next day open wipe off excess if needed and proceed.....

 

It's pretty simple. As per directions from the EZ-tan website. Shave then degrease, wash and rinse, return to the pickle.

Since you should have degreased after shaving and you always return to the pickle after shaving, you should put it in the pickle. They know what works best for their product. You don't even need to think about it.

1) Shave
2)degrease
3) wash and rinse
4) return to pickle for at least 24hr
It's as easy as that.

 

You probably had a dirty pickle. I flesh everything off the hide, fat, meat, membrane, everything. Then I wash it quickly in Kemal-4 and rinse well. let it drip and then roll up in a towel for a few minutes then I put my clean hide into the pickle. There should be very little dirt,grease or oil in the pickle.

 

You have a greasy cape and you need to start all over cause you didn’t follow directions cause if you did this wouldn’t be an issue. you didn’t shave for one thing and you didn’t say how you degreased the cape ( what was used) not shaving the skin is aiding in keeping the grease in the skin.
It’s easy to say you followed directions to a T but working with ez-100 for 20 yrs I know for a fact you didn’t follow directions. Been there done that till I learned the right way.

 

I think that what everyone is trying to explain to you is that if it says to shave and degrease, then those exact steps must be completed completely. If it’s not shaved and only partially degreased, then you are not following the directions. You should not have went on to tan without the first steps being completed first. You stay on the degreasing step until there is “zero” grease. Then and only then do you continue in the process. Now, do as Mr Kotula stated and start over because that tan definitely did not take. The tanning isn’t the only step that is important, each step, especially degreasing is extremely important. Good luck and I hope it all works out