|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 4, 2012 8:27:59 GMT -5
Hey all! I've been doing a bit of reading and have been wondering about the process of hair on tanning. I'm not real familiar with some of the terms so I'll just ask. What does taw mean? When doing the hair on using salt and alum I have read that you're using baking soda to neutralize the solution......how much? When? Is there someone who could actually write down the process for me so when I get to it I'll have something to follow? I do have Matt Richard's book and DVD but cannot find anything in there like I want for hair on also I can't get to the Braintan.com site as my computer keeps telling me it's a malicious site. Hmmmm.... Anyway, thanks in advance.
|
|
|
Post by Buckskin Billy on Jan 4, 2012 16:38:37 GMT -5
there is more than one way to skin a cat so you'll get more than one answer. but this is what i do and it works good for me. after you flesh the hide take a 5 gallon bucket full of water add a pound of alum and a pound of salt. i perfer livestock salt but it aint neccessery. stir it up real good and then throw your hide in the mix stirring it well. every time you think about it stir the hide around in the bucket real well, at least a couple of minuets. after about a week it should be done. a sure way to check is to make a small slice in the thickest part of the hide like the neck and see if the flesh side is white in color all the way through. if is its done. if not keep it in the mix. after the hide is done i rinse real good with a water hose getting any ecess salt and alum off the hide, you can shampoo the hair if you like. throw hide over a clothes line with the hair faceing up and let drip dry over night. you said you have matt richards video so you should be fimiliar with brain tanning. so at this point the hide should be damp. mix up some brains or eggs as described in matts video. i lace my hide in a frame and lay on buckets with the flesh side up and "paint" on brains or eggs with a brush and cover with old towels or bed sheets over night. do it again the next day and then allow it to dry some. when the flesh side fells damp to touch you can start softening the hide in the frame as describe in your video. it sounds like alot but it aint to bad. i have never had to use baking soda, but like i said every one has there own way, this is what works good for me. good luck and ask questions as you need them. there are plenty here that can help. post pictures if you can. just so you'll know hair on deer hides shed real bad.
by the way welcome to the buck rub
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 4, 2012 20:14:36 GMT -5
Did a little reading and it is 4oz each of alum and salt per gallon of water.. the baking soda is an oz per gallon.. do it in the same container.. and for only 1/2 hr max. You really can't use too much baking soda..but you can over do it in length so.. Don't neutralize them for months!
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 4, 2012 20:37:02 GMT -5
Wonderful! BuckskinBilly thank you for the process instructions. I'm feeling pretty confident I can do this. I know the hide is going to shed and I'm hoping it's not too bad. I have 7 hides to do and would like to do 3 or 4 hair on. I have someone who would buy them from me so we'll see. Paulette, I promise I won't wait for months to check them. LOL
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 8, 2012 9:07:28 GMT -5
Hey all! I've got two hides in the solution now. I used about 25 gal. of water, 5 lbs of salt and 5 lbs of alum sulfate. Stirring everytime I walk by. It's in the kitchen where it's warm. Too cold outside. I hope this works!!!! thanks for all your help!
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 8, 2012 11:31:52 GMT -5
Definitely make a frame. My deerskin is now hang in out in the frig! If it were in the frame it'd be much easier to stake as it dries. IMO staking is easier than pulling and or cabling.. they all work but the frame and a stake is EASIESt Least for me! Good for you! Glad you're motivated to just do it.. best way to learn!
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 8, 2012 18:45:33 GMT -5
I have a frame made. I'm not very good with the frame as I don't have a nice paddle to use. I always tie up my buckskins to soften and end up taking them down and do them by hand. lol I hate that! I'm going to get a paddle this week so I can use it on these hides. I'm very excited to see the results. Thanks for all your encouragement Paulette! I really appreciate it!
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 9, 2012 8:09:07 GMT -5
I have a frame made. I'm not very good with the frame as I don't have a nice paddle to use. I always tie up my buckskins to soften and end up taking them down and do them by hand. lol I hate that! I'm going to get a paddle this week so I can use it on these hides. I'm very excited to see the results. Thanks for all your encouragement Paulette! I really appreciate it! Good you have a frame. Hopefully you don't have to work out in the cold. Long as the humidity is down, the cold doesn't really matter (except for your own comfort!) An old axe handle tapered to a nice abrupt edge and rounded is wonderful to use. I like to use these ladder rungs for a kids play center thingamabob.. If you do hang things up to work by hand, I like these kinds of things a lot.. The one on the left is some kind of salad chopper I think.. and the one on the right is the metal taken from the middle of an old horse blinder (bridle part) I like that one a lot as you can use the warmth from your hand to warm the skins a bit. one hand on the back had of the skin and this tool pushing the skin up against your palm with the opposite hand. Helps if you're an octopus and have about 8 hands if the skins are a substantial weight and unsmoked if you're brain tanning alone? The thinner ones SOMETIMES come in handy.. but the ladder rung thing is better all around.
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 9, 2012 9:09:12 GMT -5
interesting.......hmmmmmm I have a spoon that my brother brought back for me from Kenya, Africa that the women used for stirring and I use that for stirring the solutions I make and have used it for the buckskin but I don't think I'm getting the skins tied up very good as I keep taking them down. LOL Maybe I just need to get used to it more. Still expecting to find an easier way and maybe there isn't. LOL I was thinking of making something sorta like a trampoline type of frame.....got the idea while in church yesterday....hmmmm daydreaming while I should have been listening to the sermon. ooops! lol
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 9, 2012 10:22:41 GMT -5
WD, :-) I like the staker tool that is a ladder rung because of the long length.. you can use BOTH hands! SO this is why those tools are so very useful.. leverage!
Okay.. another thing too is the way you put them in the frame. Perhaps you're ripping it out because of the weakness of the skin and/or the slit you made.. make slits that are at least 1/2 away from the edge of the skin and some areas are likelier to rip out.. because of like say the belly or the edge skin on the hind leg area being very thin? these are all likely spots.. you need to go a bit easier with softening in these areas at first because the skin gets a bit less likely to 'tear out' after it dries a bit, too.. ONe time I put a hole right in the middle of a really nice skin that was brain tanning.. because it was too wet from having just framed it and the skin was thin and well the tool maybe a bit narrower than a paddle right off or at first like that! aw these mistakes ALL teach you. lol I know it was sure a surprise right off the bat like that! LOL.. I'm sure my eyes rolled.. hahaha. If you pay attention the skin does kind of TELL you what you need to be doing with it? brain tanning. you want to use both oil and smoke! in that order too. if you let the smoke work for you, it's less WORK .. I certainly don't KNOW IT ALL but I probably will before this trip is over!
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 9, 2012 15:40:11 GMT -5
Oil and Smoke? I braintan as I like it better than eggs....but have never used oil. I haven't smoked my hides yet, I'll probably do that tomorrow or sometime this weekend. do you smoke before drying and stretching? What do you mean? Man, I'm gonna have to pay you for all the information you've been so kind to give me. lol Sorry about all the questions. I'll bet when you ripped that hide right in the middle you cussed! I would have! SH#@! LOL
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 9, 2012 16:05:26 GMT -5
Brains and eggs are the oils. :-) water soluble oils but still oils! Brain tan is still all in all an oil tan...well the brains of course, do not tan. It is the aldehydes in the smoke that do the actual tannage. Yes I like the brains best too. Pork brains being the oiliest. Sounds logical. I don't mind all your questions at all. Be fine to hear others chiming in, anytime. Buckskin Billy and P.A. Skinner are both tanners. Known PA now for many Internet years. Kinda like light years or something! Yes that skin I put the staker tool through was very much like this very short haired deerskin was. Maybe smaller and thinner.
My hubby is getting checked out at the ER as I type, so it's helping to pass the waiting time just answering. Hopefully he'll be fine.
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 9, 2012 22:15:54 GMT -5
Gosh Paulette, I hope your DH is okay! Ahhhhh......okay, about the brains and smoke. I get it. It would be nice to have others jump in our little conversation. I finally finished the hide I worked so hard on, I had used eggs as I didn't have the brains to finish him off and it seemed like the eggs didn't quite penetrate well enough and I rooted around in the freezer the other day and found some brains so I soaked the buckskin in the brains and it finally came out ok. This was one thick deer....probably an old boy and he was really hard to work. I worked for 7 hours on him on Saturday and stuck him back in the brains and then on Sunday I worked on him for 4 to 5 hours and he's just beautiful now. I'm sure getting my practice! I really need to get the stretching frame thing down tho as my hands are just a mess after so many hours of working that hide. YIKES> Well, prayers going up for your DH! I hope he's ok.
|
|
|
Post by paulette on Jan 10, 2012 9:01:01 GMT -5
Well they decided to 'observe' him in their 'hotel'. Hopefully all will work out.. thank you for your prayers, wild dreamer.. very appreciated!
Well your time with softening sounds like you've got a great deal of stickittuitiveness and that's great! It gets old and extremely tiring quickly however and then your wish is all about thinking of easier ways and yes.. the frame will be an immense help to you.. yep.. smoking is a good thing for those thick heavy pcs of leather. and once smoked there really isn't a need to 'RESMOKE' even after resoftening with some more oils. So bear that in mind when you're all weary and all! Try not too work so hard in the future, Friend! They'll come soft in the end! Hard to get much done without the help of a tribe! I keep trying to employ our kids.. trying to harness some of that energy! That seems like too long to work at softening to me.. but then by hand.. so yeah.. get those skins in frames and keep them there and if they're not totally softened SMOKE Them then rebrain.. let the smoke help you!
well need to get ready for maybe another long day! thanks again for keeping us in your prayers!
|
|
|
Post by wilddreamer on Jan 10, 2012 20:38:51 GMT -5
Well, maybe it's a good thing that they're keeping him and watching over him. I'll keep praying tho. My dad always said I was a very "concrete" type of person. Stuck on something until I get it done. lol I guess he was right after all. I find the smoking deal you are talking about very interesting and I think I may find it helpful. Too bad I didn't know about that sooner. I just finished smoking the 2 hides tonight. the smaller nicer one came out just beautifully and the larger tougher thicker one came out much darker and streaked which is fine but I was hoping for a more uniform tan. It's okay tho. I'd like to stick it back in some brains tho and re-soften it and see if I can get it better than it is. I don't know if it will soften anymore as it is so thick. I may give it a shot tho. But I'll have to wait until it gets warmer as we're finally going to get cold cold weather and snow finally. YIPPPEEEEE! Camping time for me! I love snow camping. I hope you had a good day even tho the DH is in the "Hotel". Take care, talk to you soon.
|
|