Barebone Cost To Veg Tan Hides?

[DavidL]

for pit tanned veg:

Where to buy hair on hide or ready to tan hides?

can a regular artisan splitter be able to split half hides or would one need a full size splitter and how much would a tannery sized splitter cost?

What other machinery or tools are there for flattening and decreasing leather?

What chemicals, oils or fats are necessary?

[stelmackr]

Perhaps these places could help:

http://www.manta.com/world/North+America/Canada/leather_tanning_and_finishing--E806F/

Bob Stelmack

[simontuntelder]

Have you ever been to a tannery?

Edited February 14, 2015 by simontuntelder

[oltoot]

The investment in machines, etc is not small. In addition, tanning produces nasty by-products and getting set up to get permits (if you live in a community) is not small either. The Artisan would not be suitable for working with green hides. That would take a band knife spllitter which you can price on the internet. If you go to developing countries where tanning is still an important local industry, the pits are usually made from clay and are above ground so that every once in awhile they can be broken and drained. In short, why are you even thinking about this in the worst, oops I mean first, place. If it is to save money, forget it. If it is to produce something a little different than you can buy, look around some more, you'll probably find it. If you are looking for a new hobby, keep looking. The buckskinning craze has popularized some primitive home tanning methods but they, to my admitedly somewhat limited knowledge, all emphasize either a soft product or rawhide. There are my opinions on the matter and they are wort at least what they cost you.

[DavidL]

never been to a tannery. I would like to visit baker..

The way baker leather tans their hides looks simple enough, just a multiple pits/containers with water and bark. Sounds simple but it would take time (over a year) to establish a working formula. waxes, fats and fish oil as a finish.

Would be nice if I could in the future be able to tan hides locally and not have to worry about cost of hides as much since I could be able to cut some of the cost of bridle/veg.

Oil tanned and chrome tanning would be out of the question. I will try it out eventually on a small scale.

Anyone knows how hides were split back before machinery? Are there any full size hand crank splitters out there?

Edited February 14, 2015 by DavidL

[simontuntelder]

Seriously, go visit a tannery, that'll give you a more realistic perspective.

The amount of HEAVY machinery needed is huge - even for tanneries doing "simple" pit tanning. Then comes buying raw materials. Securing useable hides - where will you get them? The cow living in a field near you might not be suitable at all. And you have to find a middleman selling wet whites or wet blues - unless you want to do the liming process yourself.

Then comes finding and securing tanning agents. Do you know where to buy mimosa, oak, or whatever you need?

Then comes 10.000 other variables that makes it virtually impossible. I could keep listing them, if you want.

Go visit a tannery. Any will do. That'll give you a much needed insight and perhaps also a deeper appreciation of the work that goes into a piece of leather.

[Ingrid H]

Why would you want to tan your own leather when it's so cheap to buy? Tanning is a disgusting and labor intensive process. And as you already know, there is a lot to learn about doing it right. Trial and error isn't really a feasible way to learn how to tan cow hides unless you've got a huge trust fund.

When I was younger, I thought I could do anything I wanted to do. That's what the "grown-ups" told me and what I believed. Now that I'm older, I've come to realize that it takes years to get good at something and there is a reason for apprenticeships in the trades. If you are serious about tanning, I'd recommend getting a job at a tannery and learn from people who know what they are doing.

[thefanninator]

http://www.amazon.com/Tanning-Chemistry-Science-Anthony-Covington/dp/1849734348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424065861&sr=8-1&keywords=Science+of+leather

[DavidL]

appreciate the responses. The 10,000 variables is something thats interesting to me. Within the 10k variables there are thousands of options that can make a finished hide and the equal amount that can ruin the hide. The opportunity to be able to create my own hides for veg/bridle only (not pull-up or chrome) is great as I could tan 20 sides for 1k - 2k and over time the cost will lower vs

3 -4k for 10 bends of english bridle. The risk is it could fail, but its worth the shot.

Materials:

Large enough containers to fit multiple sides or smaller containers to fit bends, shoulders and belly. Lime water, fleshing knife,oak bark,water, cod oil, fats, dubbin.

Did more research and from suggestions of the replies I think the best way to go about it is to buy the leather in salted state either with hair + flesh taken off (no mess) or to take it off myself (cheaper but timely). Put it into a weak tanning solution to get rid of the salt, limewater and hair bits ( Oak bark or tanning powder from the company silva team). Then move it over to a stronger solution of oak bark or other tannins, stretch on frame to dry. Dye the leather, treat with cod oil,fats, dubbin and hand polish.

Does anyone know if the 9-12 month tanning period is for sole bends or hides like english bridle that baker leather does?

Edited February 16, 2015 by DavidL

[Macca]

Do the replies so far not give you a strong enough hint that this idea is ridiculous ?

Why am I even bothering, I've just seen who the OP is