tanning deerskin

[canemaker]

I live in a very popular area for deer hunting. so needless to say I have access to lots of deerskins.

I have decided to learn how to Tan my own leather and take up some of my free time.

Right now I have 3 salt cured skins and I have read dozens of articles and methods. YES I have become confused.

My question is: What is the best process to obtain quality leather (not Buckskin) for multiple projects I understand brain tanning produces great buckskin and leather but playing with brains just doesn't excite me. yuk

Tanning kits

tanning solutions in a bottle

veg tanning (does this work on deerskin it feels pretty thin)

Potash alum

aluminum sulfate

bating

pickling

neutralizing

help

I'm dizzzy

[Jim]

Well Canemaker, I've tanned a deer hide or two and there is another way besides mushin' up them brains. All you need is a quick trip to the grcery store and buy two cans of Alum. Yep. it's a pickling angent.

Now, you can stretch the wet hide in a rack, let dry, and then scrape the hair off while it's still "green" or soak it hair and all. Either works as well as the other. The only difference is that with the hair scraped off first, you only need to soak it in the Alum and water solution for about two days, stiring it a couple of times a day. Then remove the hide, rinse well, and proceed with the drying and stretching, or softening process.

The again, if you leave the hair on you will need to soak it for about four days or untill the hair begins to slip off. At that point you can remove the hair with a wet rag. The Alum will loosen the roots and the hair just comes right off. I learned that by accident when I was tanning a Hair-on Hide and left it in the Alum Solution too long.

Then, you can go ahead and do the drying and softening.

Have fun

[canemaker]

Well Canemaker, I've tanned a deer hide or two and there is another way besides mushin' up them brains. All you need is a quick trip to the grcery store and buy two cans of Alum. Yep. it's a pickling angent.

Now, you can stretch the wet hide in a rack, let dry, and then scrape the hair off while it's still "green" or soak it hair and all. Either works as well as the other. The only difference is that with the hair scraped off first, you only need to soak it in the Alum and water solution for about two days, stiring it a couple of times a day. Then remove the hide, rinse well, and proceed with the drying and stretching, or softening process.

The again, if you leave the hair on you will need to soak it for about four days or untill the hair begins to slip off. At that point you can remove the hair with a wet rag. The Alum will loosen the roots and the hair just comes right off. I learned that by accident when I was tanning a Hair-on Hide and left it in the Alum Solution too long.

Then, you can go ahead and do the drying and softening.

Have fun

Thanx Jim I truly appreciate the help

what type of alum do i get at grocery store and does it need to be neutralized afterwards?

thx again

[rawhide1]

canemaker

There's a site called taxidermy.net they have a ton of information. It's a forum just like this and doesn't cost anything to join. I will warn ya there are some real jerks on that site. But there are a lot good people who will answer your questions also. So just ignore the jerks. They also have a list of stores that carries anything you would ever need to tan a hide.

Take a look and maybe it will be of some use.

Best of luck!!!!!!

Mike

[Des804]

Well Canemaker, I've tanned a deer hide or two and there is another way besides mushin' up them brains. All you need is a quick trip to the grcery store and buy two cans of Alum. Yep. it's a pickling angent.

Now, you can stretch the wet hide in a rack, let dry, and then scrape the hair off while it's still "green" or soak it hair and all. Either works as well as the other. The only difference is that with the hair scraped off first, you only need to soak it in the Alum and water solution for about two days, stiring it a couple of times a day. Then remove the hide, rinse well, and proceed with the drying and stretching, or softening process.

The again, if you leave the hair on you will need to soak it for about four days or untill the hair begins to slip off. At that point you can remove the hair with a wet rag. The Alum will loosen the roots and the hair just comes right off. I learned that by accident when I was tanning a Hair-on Hide and left it in the Alum Solution too long.

Then, you can go ahead and do the drying and softening.

Have fun

Do you mix the Alum in water if so how much to two Cans of Alum... Also does this work with other hides as well or just Deerskin ( like Rabbit or other furs )

[Jim]

Thanx Jim I truly appreciate the help

what type of alum do i get at grocery store and does it need to be neutralized afterwards?

thx again

Hmm, didn't know they came in different types, I just always got the can that said ALUM. And I don't figure it needs to be neutralized, I never did. I just rinsed the living daylights out of it be for I stretched it for dyying.

[canemaker]

Hmm, didn't know they came in different types, I just always got the can that said ALUM. And I don't figure it needs to be neutralized, I never did. I just rinsed the living daylights out of it be for I stretched it for dyying.

Thanks Jim

That makes everything so much simpler

sorry for the delay in my response i've been considering tanning my computer. its been uncooperative.

many thanks to you also mike that site is very informative

[Jim]

To answer all, yes Alum Tanning works for all hides. Now, it you want the hair left on, soak the hides for two days only. Then rinse and work the hide untill dry.

I made a rabbit hide pouch this way that lasted me for about eight years - untill I lost it.

Deer hides = two cans

Rabbit and other small critters = 1 can