50/50Farms
Well-known member
DM me and I'll copy-paste the advice I gave the last person.
Tanning hides
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Travlr
Well-known member
Holy COW!
I know times have changed, but that's a LOT of money. I had one tanned from a winter coated Holstein steer back in the early eighties when I was dirt poor... and it was cheap enough that I could easily afford it. I know it couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred bucks, and I suspect less than a hundred. Costs probably vary quite a bit depending on where you are and whether you can find an operation that does it in industrial quantities. I know you can buy one from Tandy Leather much cheaper than $800.
I just looked at Tandy's website and they sell whole-hide, hair on, for $200.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Here, actually I'm just going to do this here in hopes that it helps people in the future. I'll preface this with my experience and I'll wrap it up with variations you can use based on your environment.
I've been working with hides for 20 years, I was taught as a boy. I finish out multiple big game hides a year. I started doing various livestock hides when my buddies and I started our own homekill group to supply our tables with sustainable meat. We'd buy in on an animal, prep it for slaughter, slaughter it and I'd butcher it.
Every hide, universally, needs to be scraped and fleshed. There's more than one way to do this, but the way I'm about to tell you is as good as any. I build a pallet construction of 1-4 pallets depending on hide size. Basically like a pad. I make my holes with nails so that I can secure the hide against shrinkage better than cord will and it also keeps the holes small. I coat the hide with about a half inch to maybe an inch of salt mixed with a powdered detergent. Drying time depends on weather and season. I analyze every property I live on to see what spot gets the most sun all day. Small animals, a few days, a hide like this, 10-14 days. More in next message.
I've been working with hides for 20 years, I was taught as a boy. I finish out multiple big game hides a year. I started doing various livestock hides when my buddies and I started our own homekill group to supply our tables with sustainable meat. We'd buy in on an animal, prep it for slaughter, slaughter it and I'd butcher it.
Every hide, universally, needs to be scraped and fleshed. There's more than one way to do this, but the way I'm about to tell you is as good as any. I build a pallet construction of 1-4 pallets depending on hide size. Basically like a pad. I make my holes with nails so that I can secure the hide against shrinkage better than cord will and it also keeps the holes small. I coat the hide with about a half inch to maybe an inch of salt mixed with a powdered detergent. Drying time depends on weather and season. I analyze every property I live on to see what spot gets the most sun all day. Small animals, a few days, a hide like this, 10-14 days. More in next message.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
So, the drying process. If you have a really shady property the pallet construction comes in handy because you can move it, same for if it rains. I use my garage to stow it if it rains, you can use your house if you want, it's your marriage. Drying is done, you can proceed three ways, you can brain tan, egg yolk tan, or denatured alcohol tan. I don't like to use brain tanning, so I won't comment on it. For the egg yolks, you can apply a liberal layer of egg YOLKS on the hide, laid flat, and cover in damp, not wet towels. Depending on hide size and skin thickness, this may take multiple cycles. For denatured alcohol, get a drum or tub of appropriate size. You need a 1-1 mixture of denatured alcohol and water. Soak for 24-36 hours and check, sometimes depending on hide you will repeat this a few times. More in next message.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Shampoo. Buy a bottle, any kind, doesn't matter. Shampoo with the whole bottle. Wash the hole hide. Put the hide out to dry and beware that it may temporarily assume the shape of its drying position. Now, using the pallet construction or a four way frame built of 2x4s, STRETCH that hide. Don't be scared, it's unlikely to tear, so give it some muscle. It's past hurt feelings anyway. You'll need to oil the hide. You can use many types, but neet's foot oil has been the best in my experience. STRETCH and work and oil the hide, as much and as often as you can, over the course of a few days, until the stiffness or softness you want it achieved. Don't be scared to dismount the hide and work it around in your hands. Apply oil every time you work it. When you dry off the oil, do it fur side out.
Lastly, if you want to protect it longer, buy some crafting felt glue or staple the hide's skin side to it and cut to shape. This helps it slide better as a rug, makes it more comfortable if worn or slept under, and keeps the hide's skin from making first contact with anything that might hurt it. More in next post.
Lastly, if you want to protect it longer, buy some crafting felt glue or staple the hide's skin side to it and cut to shape. This helps it slide better as a rug, makes it more comfortable if worn or slept under, and keeps the hide's skin from making first contact with anything that might hurt it. More in next post.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Variations, variety is the spice of life. Don't use a powder that when wet becomes too viscose in a humid environment, it will accumulate mositure and slake off the hide. If you live in an urban or suburban area, cut the powder in as a out 1/4 the volume of the salt to cut the smell more strongly.
If you have to dry and work it inside, it needs to be in a dry, lit space.
Be aware that you may need help if enfeebled or injured, a wet large hide is heavier than sin.
If this your first time, kill or collect a smaller critter first and stow the large hide rolled up in the freezer.
If you choose to brain tan, be advised that it takes much longer.
If you have questions, ask, I'm not always the best at explaining the first time around. Thank you for reading this, have a good day.
If you have to dry and work it inside, it needs to be in a dry, lit space.
Be aware that you may need help if enfeebled or injured, a wet large hide is heavier than sin.
If this your first time, kill or collect a smaller critter first and stow the large hide rolled up in the freezer.
If you choose to brain tan, be advised that it takes much longer.
If you have questions, ask, I'm not always the best at explaining the first time around. Thank you for reading this, have a good day.
Travlr
Well-known member
I've never heard about using egg yolks. What do the egg yolks (and for that matter... brains) do to make the raw hide into leather?
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Addendum: when you scrape and flesh the hide at first stretching, you need to do the absolute best you can. 90% or more of the flesh and flat. Pick the rest off after drying.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
I'm too dull for science, I really couldn't say how it works on a microbial level. I know women used to use it for their own head and scalp, I'd start there maybe. I've done it, it works. I do 90% of mine with alcohol though.
Travlr
Well-known member
So when using alcohol and soaking for 24-36 hours... and checking...
What are you checking for?
How do you know the hide is ready to be shampooed, dried, and worked with oil?
50/50Farms
Well-known member
A lot of what I'm checking for is color of the hide and the water. The water will basically turn colors to whatever it's dessicating from the hide. The hide, when ready, should be cottonmouth white and void of any spare viscosity. To add, sometimes for a hide that requires more than one round in the mixture, which larger hides most often do, I water wash the hide in between.
Silver
Well-known member
I actually believe it was the tannery in Edmonton. I have a hunch that when taxidermists are involved the rates go up because they feel that people getting taxidermy work done can afford it. That's just my theory though.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Addendum: seal the container the water and denatured alcohol mixture is in, it breathes. A lid works fine. A good piece of wood and some rocks work if it's outside or in an outbuilding.
If you want to do smaller hides, keep back one of those giant pickle jars, that's perfect for anything up to a small fox.
If you want to do smaller hides, keep back one of those giant pickle jars, that's perfect for anything up to a small fox.
M.Magis
Well-known member
Denatured alcohol doesn't tan skins, but it can preserve thin skins like birds and fish. Its not something to consider for something like a beef hide.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
I've got hides that disagree with you.
Travlr
Well-known member
I know nothing about tanning skins but with a little internet search I found that tannins can be extracted from acorns and oak bark by boiling them.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
A lot of tanning solutions are denatured alcohol and glycerin. 
M.Magis
Well-known member
No they aren't. None are. Now, some people use them and CALL them tanning solutions, but they in no way turn skin into leather. The DA can preserve thin skins, but over time they can, and often do, break down. The glycerin doesn't even offer any preservation, its a throwback to when people thought you could "tan" snake skins with it. To turn a thick piece of skin such as from a cow into leather takes a tanning solution that can penetrate the skin and change the cell structure. And that's after a few other steps to get the cells ready to be tanned.A lot of tanning solutions are denatured alcohol and glycerin.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
I never said anything about making leather, but we had hides in our attic done this way and backed with felt that went back generations. Even the most cursory of searches of forums can show you that I'm not the only person who does this, lots of people preserve hides this way. If somebody prefers to, they can buy their solution off the shelf and it still doesn't change the other 80% of the process. You're the same cat that said doing any of this requires heavy machinery, guess somebody forgot to tell all those other previous peoples...
mwj
Well-known member
I can make sandals with old tire tread and twine but that does not qualify me as a '' shoemaker''.
