Tanning

[headspace]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for the subject but I'm sure the mods will rule on that. Anyway, I'm interested in tanning some hides, mostly fox skins, but could also get into some deer hides as well. I've read a bit about the various things on the web, and doubt that I want to use the animals brains (gross) or mix up some home brew. I reckon that if you've gone to the trouble skinning a stinky fox the least you can do is tan it properly. I've salted skins before and you need a fair bit of salt. Then I reckon on buying one of the commercially available tanning kits and going from there. Eventually I want enough fox skins to make a nice rug of some sort. The deer hide will probably go on the floor in my boys room.
Cheers,
JD

[Oldbloke]

Here is some info and recipes:
Salt-Alum Tanning
Dissolve 1 pound of alum in a wooden or plastic container that is holding 1 gallon of warm, soft water. Dissolve 2½ pounds of salt in a second similar container that is holding 4 gallons of water. Pour the salt solution slowly into the alum solution, stirring constantly. Let cool. Make this solution the same day you begin the tanning process.
Alum-Carbolic Acid Tanning
Prepare a solution of 1½ tablespoons of carbonic acid crystals for every gallon of water needed to cover the hide. Immerse the hide and soak overnight. The next day, prepare a solution by dissolving ½ pound of salt, ¼ pound of alum and ½ ounce of carbolic acid crystals for every gallon of warm, soft water needed to cover the hide. Let it cool, then remove the hide from the first solution and soak it in the second until it is done. Determine this by cutting a small piece of hide from the edge to see if the color is the same all the way through. Make the first solution on the day you begin the tanning process and the second solution the next day when you continue the tanning process.
Sulphuric Acid Tanning
Fill a wooden barrel or plastic container with enough water to cover the hide. Dissolve ½ pound of salt for each gallon of water, then carefully stir in ½ ounce of sulfuric acid per gallon of water used. Cool the solution before adding the hide. Make this solution on the same day you begin the tanning process.
Acid Oil Tanning
Dissolve ¼ pound of salt in a wooden or plastic container containing ½ gallon of warm, soft water. Let it cool, then very carefully pour in ¼ ounce of sulfuric acid, stirring constantly. Apply the solution to the flesh side of the hide with a paintbrush, then sprinkle a layer of sawdust over it. Cover with plastic and let sit for 8 to 12 hours. Scrape off the sawdust and apply a coating of neat’s foot oil mixed with an equal part of lukewarm water. Stretch the skin until it is dry, then dampen with a mixture of 1½ tablespoons carbolic acid crystals that have been in dissolved in 1 gallon warm, soft water. Roll tightly and let sit 24 hours before resuming the tanning process.

[tom604]

leaders?? the spellings wrong but im not going into the shed to find my kit it comes with a fleshing tool as well puts a slight blue tinge to the skin. works well

[RoginaJack]

there's a mob in Vic. (?) called PIZZARIS, give them a try. Also, there is another company LEDERS.

It's hard work, good luck and let us know how you go.

Cheers

[headspace]

Thanks crew, lot's of good info here, I'll keep you posted. Not hunting though until the weather up here cools a bit.

[on_one_wheel]

I successfully tanned a dingo pelt by nailing it out tight on a old door, rubbing a mountain of salt into it and leaving it that way for several weeks. I then peeled off all the excess stringy bits and worked it over a broomstick skin down.

It lasted for 25 years untill the missus got sick of seeing it.

I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but that was cheep and easy.

I

[bigfellascott]

I've done a few goat and roo skins like that on one wheel, the roo skin sling on my 22 was done like that a million yrs ago and is still as good as the day it was done, no hair slip nothing, I occasionally rub a bit of veg oil or lanox or whatever I have laying around into it and its as supple as anything tanned the other ways.

[bigfellascott]

Headspace just make sure you get as much of the fat etc off before you do the tanning so it tans correctly.

[1290]

I successfully tanned a dingo pelt by nailing it out tight on a old door, rubbing a mountain of salt into it and leaving it that way for several weeks. I then peeled off all the excess stringy bits and worked it over a broomstick skin down.

It lasted for 25 years untill the missus got sick of seeing it.

I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but that was cheep and easy.

I

What you did was cure it, not tan it.... either way, if it lasted that long great...

But as far as brain tan, most animals come in a convenient kit form with enough product (brain) to tan their own hide except for Bison/Buffalo apparently....

The last Fox is skinned, was stretched out and air dried. the skin last for a while until I got sick of looking at it and remembering the stench of it being skinned.... then I tossed it

[Gwion]

deleted double post: see below

[Gwion]

Try skinning a fox next morning after a skin full of booze and a 3am finish. The the stink really hits you! Had two to do but the second one ended up tossed into the bush. This was probably 12 years ago and skin is still being used for tying flies. Probably a couple of life times of rusty coloured flies in it for me and a few grey ones from the belly too.

This was just cured, not tanned as above. Have done goat, bunny, etc. thought I'd try tanning a cow hide for leather from a steer we are eating at the moment. It did not go well! Large skins like that are more than a one man job.

I have a good old book by RM Williams that covers a number of tanning processes for pelts or leather. He suggests curing the hides and storing them so you can do a batch of tanning. Saves making up a full brine just for one skin.

Oh and you think brains is s rough way to tan; try human piss and dog s**t!!!

[Oldbloke]

"think brains is s rough way to tan; try human piss and dog s*"

Yep, saw a docunentry a while back and in England they basicaly used sewerage and lime i think for tanning. Yuck.

[tom604]

"think brains is s rough way to tan; try human piss and dog s*"

Yep, saw a docunentry a while back and in England they basicaly used sewerage and lime i think for tanning. Yuck.

thats where the phrase "haven't got a pot to piss in " comes from, people used to save their pee and sell it to the tannery's

[Oldbloke]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning Yeh, more info here,

[Noisydad]

Human urine used to be used by "Fullers" (people who dye cloth) to set the coloured dyes fast in cloth. They were often required to be located out of town along with the tanneries because the barrels of pee would stink after a while.

[Blackened]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for the subject but I'm sure the mods will rule on that.

It'll do

[headspace]

Headspace just make sure you get as much of the fat etc off before you do the tanning so it tans correctly.

I'll do that mate, I used to get a few fox skins some years back and I'd salt them well then roll them up until I could get them to a tannery. I just thought I'd do it myself this time 'round.

[sbd3927]

google "leidreiters tanning"

That's the old chrome salt tanning kit that gives blue shaded leather. There's a modern copy called Leders. Not the best method for pelts, it's not a particularly strong, and tends to absorb atmospheric moisture, but probably the simplest.
Alum works well, a fair bit of work to soften afterwards
Brain tanning, a LOT of work to soften afterwards, also apparently the absolute best for clothing. Search for info on buckskin
An old recipe, rather smelly, kerosene and bicarb soda.
I've used all the above in occasional bursts of enthusiasm, but I draw the line at that, urine and dog turds exceeds my interest level. Tannin based recipes are even more work, with 6 to 18mths soaks its too much effort unless you really want to make saddlery leather or somesuch.

[Noisydad]

Tried bark tanning (Wattle bark) on a fox skin and made a hat from it 30 something years ago and it lasted about 25 years. The bark needs to chopped up and boiled for a good two hours then strain out the bits of bark, dirt and rubbish. Salted skins are dropped in the solution and left in for a month wringing out and put back in every few days. Then it was nailed on the shed wall to dry then lubed and broken over something curved.

[hiyoh]

Human urine used to be used by "Fullers" (people who dye cloth) to set the coloured dyes fast in cloth.

My shirt isn't feeling so comfortable suddenly

[Patrol66]

My boy bought a tanning kit from a gun shop in Canberra. Sorry but that's all the info I have from him atm and can't talk with him for another four weeks. Last report was that the goat hide was looking ok. The biggest problem we faced as newbies was how much fat etc to take off. Think he went a bit to far in a couple of places . All good learning though

[Oldbloke]

Looking at the recipes the salt and sulfuric acid one looks the go. Salts cheap and ther are plenty of old car batteries out there.

[headspace]

I'll probably wimp out and just get an off the shelf kit. I thing the idea of saving them up and doing one decent lot has merit. It's mostly fox skins I'm looking at but I wouldn't mind doing a nice deer skin some time I thought about the pee 'n poo method but my wife drew the line at pulling the lid off the septic tank.
JD

[Gwion]

I thought about the pee 'n poo method but my wife drew the line at pulling the lid off the septic tank.
JD

Funny that way, aren't they!? Mine wasn't overly impressed with a steer hide soaking in limy water for ages!
Was pretty gross in the end. Just buried it.

Might try again one day but not in any hurry. Smaller hides shouldn't be such an issue to deal with.

Good luck with it!

[Ken]

thats where the phrase "haven't got a pot to piss in " comes from, people used to save their pee and sell it to the tannery's

Ah the good ole' days

[headspace]

Ah the good ole' days

Yes, nor a window to throw it out of.

[Ariat]

You want the real good old days... Medieval times where they did just throw it out the window.

Bet a few pedestrians copped a bucket from a careless throwing now and then

[Oldbloke]

Went to Bunnings and they sell in the swimming pool aisle 20kg bags of salt for about $7 and 2kg flocculent (alum) for $11. Enough to get u started no worries. I grabbed some alum and will give it a go when I get a chance.

[alan j]

I to did some research on finding alum (aluminium sulphate) on the net and found it at bunnings. Most people say to use 1 cup alum 1 cup salt in 7.5 litres water and soak for a week stirring twice a day. Then peg out to dry. This seems better than the kero and bicarb method i just used, it stunk to much but worked very well.

[alan j]

Just finished a alum / salt tan on a couple of rabbit hides. Came out really soft. The key is to stretch and break the hide in all different directions just BEFORE the hide is dry. It will not break and go soft if the hide has already dried out completely.