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Mostly from michaels leather bundles but I sometimes buy from ebay or I also tan my own furs. This morning was great, started off with getting a squirrel, my buddy got me a chipmunk, and then I got a rabbit! For the first time I ate some of what I shot instead of just going for the fur. The rabbit just tasted like really strong dark chicken meat that was tough.

I know this might strike an animal rights chord with some of you but I mean this is the basis for leatherworking so cut me some slack. My 4 year old wants rabbit fur mittens for next winter and my 2 year old I am making his first marble bag from the squirrel.

Apparently I am limited to 1.4MB, really annoying to have to resize and make multiple posts.

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The brining bucket, before I got the rabbit. Decided to keep the tails this time, maybe to make key rings or a cat toys?

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I got two hind legs and a front from the rabbit. I actually cooked it like you would squirrel because I wanted to be sure it was fully cooked. My wife picked me some wild raspberries which I think really made the presentation and was a great fit. The seasoning is just some montreal steak seasoning.

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Cool, what kind of tan do you use?

One day at a time my friends

              John

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I egg tan.

-After skinning and getting off most of the fat I brine them for a day or two shaking the bucket whenever I walk by. It's in the porch so I guess like every 6 hours. I honestly just use sidewalk salt, like for the winter. The stuff I had this time was mostly nacl with some mgcl. Not sure how cacl would do and I wouldn't want to try kcl.

-Then I wring them out, remove more of the gunk, cover them in table salt and wrap them in paper towels. I prefer table salt here because it is finer.

-Change the paper towels after a day and make sure they have enough salt.

-Then when they are good and dried out ensuring any breakdown has stopped I scrape them when they are dry.

-Re-wet them and do a final scraping.

-Wring them out and cover them in egg yolks which I also rub in. Put them in some tupper ware and leave it for about two more days rubbing in the yolks about every 12 hours or when ever I feel like it.

I don't stretch my furs like most as I prefer a thick supple skin and fur mass instead of trying to maximize area. The only thing I need to worry about is our alkaline water from the lime but it's only an issue if I use warm water, the hair falls out. If you stick to chloride salts and your water is nuetral the ph should remain nuetral. This time I added some lime juice just to be safe as it is my first rabbit fur, usually I just get squirrels. I shoot woodchucks too but they have coarse fur, are kinda grody, and usually get roughed up so I don't keep the pelts.

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Interesting, I've never heard of egg tanning, I'll have to give it a try. I've heard that woodchuck rawhide makes good banjo heads!

One day at a time my friends

              John

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  On 7/2/2017 at 2:46 AM, JD62 said:

Interesting, I've never heard of egg tanning, I'll have to give it a try. I've heard that woodchuck rawhide makes good banjo heads!

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I suppose I could make a drum out of one then.

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hides can be a lil greasy but not too bad. Hope to see what you do with the rabbit.

One day at a time my friends

              John

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