/ Register

  1. Welcome to Taxidermy.net, Guest!
    We have put together a brief tutorial to help you with the site, click here to access it.

Borax tanning

Discussion in 'Tanning' started by 3Maria3, Feb 13, 2008.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Feb 13, 2008 #1
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    I have a fleshed and shaved beaver hide and would like to tan it with borax. I read on the old forum someone soaked they're hides in denatured alcohol then tanned them with borax. I do want to do it fur on. How long should it soak in the alcohol and how do you use borax for tanning?

    Thank you!
     
  3. Feb 13, 2008 #2
    John Brown

    John Brown Active Member

    5,091
    7
    San Antonio Texas
    You can absolutely not tan a skin with alcohol and borax.
     

  5. Feb 13, 2008 #3
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    Supposedly the denatured alcohol is perfect for weak pickling and it has a PH of 4. How do you use borax for tanning?
     
  6. Feb 13, 2008 #4
    John Brown

    John Brown Active Member

    5,091
    7
    San Antonio Texas
    Perhaps you misread my post. You Cannot tan with Borax.
     
  7. Feb 13, 2008 #5
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    Then what about this thread?

    http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,67295.0.html

    I can't find the thread that I read before but the one I just linked still talks about tanning with it.
     
  8. Feb 14, 2008 #6
    Phillip

    Phillip New Member

    112
    0
    All the previous post are correct 3Maria3. You can cure them but you most certainly not tan them.
     
  9. Feb 14, 2008 #7
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    OK then, how do you preserve them with borax? I'm not wanting some fancy hide I just want something I can lay on a table for looks. But I don't want something that will go bad.
    Thank you.
     
  10. Feb 14, 2008 #8
    GWebb

    GWebb Well-Known Member

    1,170
    28
    Beckley, WV
    You can mount a skin with borax but you can not make a soft garment/rug with it. To do this the hide needs to be tanned with tanning chemicals and the hide broken before it dries. Do a search through the archives and read for a week or so, buy a tanning kit for under $20 and go to town.
     
  11. Feb 14, 2008 #9
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    I am not wanting to make a garmet or rug with it. Just a wall hanging or something to lay on a table, just for looks.
     
  12. Feb 14, 2008 #10
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    Maria, simply stated, DP is a dry preservative that simply dehydrates a hide while providing SOME insect protection from the borax included in it. However, for what you have in mind, you're going to end up with an orange peel on your table. DP dries it out, but the edges will invariably curl as the skin shrinks during dehydration. It will become brittle and when it becomes damp, it will revert back to it's natural state. Simply put, that hide needs to be tanned.
     
  13. Feb 15, 2008 #11
    TD

    TD My GGG Grandfather John "Tanner John" King b 1820

    2,336
    3
    Ila, Georgia
    Get a rainy day and it might go to stinking if you DP it.........
     
  14. Feb 15, 2008 #12
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    What about brain tanning? How many brains would you need from sheep or goats? those are the only ones I can get. I've only seen "recipes" that called for pig and cow brains.
     
  15. Feb 15, 2008 #13
    John Brown

    John Brown Active Member

    5,091
    7
    San Antonio Texas
    Geez buy Rittels tanning kit.
     
  16. Feb 15, 2008 #14
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    The beaver was (fresh) ROADKILL. It had a couple big holes in the hide, I don't want to put $20-$40 + shipping into it. I am looking into the powder though, since it is $5 + shipping. It is allot cheaper in the long run, and since I work at a rabbitry butchering rabbits I can tan those hides as well instead of buying one kit that would only tan a couple things. I know I'll still need pickle and oil but it is still cheaper.
     
  17. Feb 15, 2008 #15
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
    4,550
    Magnolia, Delaware
    Maria, I don't think you're grasping what we're saying. You CANNOT TAN with "powder". You're simply drying the hide out. It may be "cheaper" in more ways than you're imagining.
     
  18. Feb 15, 2008 #16
    Roger E

    Roger E Member

    275
    0
    MT
    Maria, I find it entertaining that you come to the forum to ask better-informed folks about specific subjects, then reject the very answers to your questions...never, ever, let facts confuse the issues...especially if the message received isn't the one you wanted.
     
  19. Feb 15, 2008 #17
    3Maria3

    3Maria3 New Member

    43
    0
    USA
    I mean Rittels EZ-100 tanning agent. You mix it with salt and water so you don't really tan with powder. It just comes in powder but you mix it what is needed and you end up with liqud. I'm sorry that I read something about someone tanning a deer hide with borax and thought it was possible.
     
  20. Feb 15, 2008 #18
    joeym

    joeym Old Murphey

    14,559
    10,590
    Chunky, Mississippi
    Maria...small time tanning is more trouble than it is worth. You will have more invested in that beaver than if you just send it out.
     
  21. Feb 16, 2008 #19
    Laurier

    Laurier Active Member

    1,472
    0
    Canada
    that's right George , and then dust mites will get in it and eat the skin , leaving you will something that looks like sawdust , but it's the beavers skin , ( reason ) it is not tanned.
     
  22. Aug 10, 2008 #20
    Cripple Creek Farm

    Cripple Creek Farm New Member

    3
    0
    every animal has enough brain to tan its own hide, i.e. 1 bunny brain=1 bunny hide or similar sized animal. so I would go with the size of the animal. Brain tanning is not hard and the end results are fantastic.
     
Page 1 of 2