Tanning hides and furs
- Thread starter kodiakjack
- Start date
I've done 3 deer hides and sort of helped with a bear skin. If you have the time (quite a bit of time) I think you'll enjoy doing it and be happy with what you get out of it. One of the deer hides was used by my son when he was quite young as a blanket, the rest was used as leather for various projects. Just my opinion, the chemical kits are (were) available but the cost was WAY to high. I've only used salt-borax-alum solutions and was pleased with the result. I did spend many hours stretching, scraping and sanding to get what I wanted. In short, I'd avoid the chemical way and just read up on an alternative. By the way, I've read, but not tried brain tanning. Seems like a lot of people use this method. You should be able to source a lot of info on the web. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll enjoy the process.
sulfuric acid pickle... By doing that, you're just bypassing the chemical reactions in the alum taw. Alum taw and pickling can wash out over time, and are not considered permanent... It's usually used with just furs. You can actually do leather with just oil. But I don't recommend that. Everything you touch with that hide will smell of that oil... You can buy tannic acid and use that. However it doesn't have some of that character of using oak, hemlock, hickory, or other high tannic acid tree barks and leaves.
If you have any of those trees there, just strip the bark off of the firewood you have collected (doesn't have to be fresh), lay out a tarp on the ground, get a chopping block in the center, and chop the pieces into toonie sized pieces. Gather the bark up on the tarp, and boil some of the bark, and use that to tan. You can't overtan it. You can't burn the hide. You can leave it in the bath for a few years, pull it out, and use it. Not so with most of the other methods...
Lime, baking soda, borax, clorox ph testing papers, and vinegar all come in handy...
Believe it or not, in the really old days they used to use feces and pee for tanning. It works... Neighbors might raise a stink over the aroma however...
If you have any of those trees there, just strip the bark off of the firewood you have collected (doesn't have to be fresh), lay out a tarp on the ground, get a chopping block in the center, and chop the pieces into toonie sized pieces. Gather the bark up on the tarp, and boil some of the bark, and use that to tan. You can't overtan it. You can't burn the hide. You can leave it in the bath for a few years, pull it out, and use it. Not so with most of the other methods...
Lime, baking soda, borax, clorox ph testing papers, and vinegar all come in handy...
Believe it or not, in the really old days they used to use feces and pee for tanning. It works... Neighbors might raise a stink over the aroma however...
What is in brain matter that is suitable for the tanning process? Does it not stink like heck after a few days and make the hide stink also?
The elderly fellow on the tv show Mountain Men uses the brain tanning method. It seems pretty simple, but a lot of work goes into prepping the hide first. He then uses smoke from a small smokehouse stove setup he developed to give it color and preserve it further. But no details are really given on smoking time, heat etc.
- Location
- Hamilton, ON
If you are anywhere near Hamilton (New Ontario name is "The Hammer & Sickle" under the auspices of grand mother Wynne) Tundra Leather is one of the best fur resources I have come across. Just look like the guy who styles his hair using a carpenter's square.
What is in brain matter that is suitable for the tanning process? Does it not stink like heck after a few days and make the hide stink also?
I've been told there's chromium sulfate in the brain with acts like a chrome tan... The smoking is to make the tan stick and waterproof the leather. It works for making buckskin type of leather. I don't think that method is suitable for heavy leather...
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
Gander Mountain sells a good kit that I've used and am very happy with the results.
http://www.thetanneryinc.com/basic_home_tanning_kit.html
http://www.thetanneryinc.com/basic_home_tanning_kit.html
Thanks for the info
I feel a little dumb asking but, where does one buy borax or alum? Not things I've had to buy before :-S
Interesting, thanks. $36... Probably about what one would pay to buy borax, salt, alum, and oil anyway?
I like the idea of the bark, but it sounds pretty time consuming, and the only thing growing in my back yard these days is that friggen Japanese knot weed.
Something to try someday though... Thanks!
Thanks for the info
I feel a little dumb asking but, where does one buy borax or alum? Not things I've had to buy before :-S
Borax is anywhere they sell laundy detergent. I use it on my coyotes all the time
I'll look them up next time I'm in the hammer (and sickle)
you can tan rabbit furs with old teabags and a few other ingredients that are easy to find... Don't remember them off the top of my head... You have to clean the flesh side of the fur up really well first... You have to do less cleanup with the sulfuric acid pickle mentioned earlier... Then you can use the teabag method later...
I like the idea of the bark, but it sounds pretty time consuming, and the only thing growing in my back yard these days is that friggen Japanese knot weed.
Something to try someday though... Thanks!
You can use alfalfa for that too...
Thanks for the info
I feel a little dumb asking but, where does one buy borax or alum? Not things I've had to buy before :-S
alum is anywhere they sell bulk canning supplies. Used as a preserver for pickles... Some feed stores sell it in a 50 pound bag...
I did a few coyote hides.... post #7 gives the details
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...aring-some-completed-home-tanned-coyote-hides
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...aring-some-completed-home-tanned-coyote-hides
