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Post by longtrail on Sept 4, 2008 19:41:33 GMT -5
Well gang, we have perfected the art of tanning. This is the elk we prestretched the other day, smoked yesterday and softened today. It is totally soft all over the hide, from edge to edge, neck to butt, even over the lacing holes!! It is like butter. Hey Co! Remember the sample I sent you? This trumps that one by about 50%!! It is 23 1/2 sq.ft. Joe timed his work and from when he began wringing it until it was soft and dry took 3hours 45 minutes. So if who ever is reading this, isn't getting deer hides to come out like this, let alone their elk, forget the method your using and try ours. How can you not? Im' sorry to be so non-humble but hell its amazing even to us. Its got the dropjaw, oooooo and ahhhhh factor for sure. This isn't a photo of our wall! Its the elk hide!!! We will leave it on the frame overnight, work it in the morning and then when it is smoked, I'll post some more photos.
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Post by longtrail on Sept 4, 2008 19:42:46 GMT -5
Forgot to mention that today was cool and partly cloudy rainy. So we did not have a lot of heat on it from sun and wind, and there was humidity in the air.
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Post by longtrail on Sept 4, 2008 19:48:02 GMT -5
Also the step we did not metion earlier, that we discovered even after posting our 2008 version on Native Tech, is to..... After the hide is fleshed, dehaired and the lacing holes have been cut, put the hide on the frame while it is still damp from dehairing, lace everyother hole and the corners, work the hide side to side BEFORE prebraining it open it up as much as possible, should only take a few minutes, then prebrain in a warm brain solution.. These are the results you'll get. thats it. It has made a world of difference in our hides even from just a month ago. So simple and it took us over 20 years to figure that one out! Should have been a friggin NO BRAINER!!!!
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Post by Cody ( The Patriot ) on Sept 4, 2008 20:08:28 GMT -5
23 1/2 sq ft!!!!!! it must have took 6 feild hands to wring that thing thats twice as big as our deer .Oh yea Billy said when are yall ever goin to get through with that VIDEO?I wouldnt bother yall like that but you know that Shady Bill.
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Post by longtrail on Sept 4, 2008 21:08:21 GMT -5
This coming week. Do or die. A presmoked hide is easier to wring than one thats not presmoked. Check out the time frame i just posted. BAck off Buckskin billy you shadyass character!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! smile!! Couldn't very well let sb get away with it eh Co?
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Post by Buckskin Billy on Sept 4, 2008 21:51:33 GMT -5
hey what did i do? ;D i just kind of got drug into this ;D ;D ;D. oh well i always manage to get my self in deep so i'm gonna go on and take the plung: hey longtrail are you ever gonna get that video finished ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by paskinner on Sept 4, 2008 22:27:57 GMT -5
That's a nice un. Last elk I scraped had some ugly scores and scars, hard to get excited about working them ones, but there's plenty more in the barrels.
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Post by brainsoft on Sept 6, 2008 11:52:26 GMT -5
Slick idea to say the least. I guess if you wanted to store the hide you could just let it dry in the frame and put it in the brains dry. I have been doing that and it works good...not stretched wide tho and worked...just stretched. This is a far better idea. The only thing is you have to have brains ready all the time...Since I freeze or at least refridgerate at least, and then brain several at once with I brain after smoking it makes it more complicated to have them on had for each and every hide you do.
However it appears it is worth the schedule change. Thanks for sharing that one.
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Post by longtrail on Sept 6, 2008 15:36:26 GMT -5
We usually do four to six hides per batch. This hide has already been brained the last time and is softened out. Maybe I misunderstood you or visa versa. Check out our tutorial on PaleoPlanet under leather tutorials. Glossy photos and the whole nine.................. The only reason the hide is STILL on the frame is we just havn't gotten around to taking it off, we'd never store it long term like that. Our hides are sold within days from being done.
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