Makin Rawhide

[bigcountry]

I have never let the hair slip with hardwood ashes.  I used borax in water. 

I was reading an article in PA about using Hardwood ashes, and you know you ahve enough ash when an egg will start to float.

Can anyone verfy that this is the way?

[HoBow]

I've read that too. The PH is what's important- anything to raise it will slip the hair.

[Lombard]

Big country, are you talking about leaching the Lye out of the ash, to make a solution? A similar process is used in the making of Lye Soap, and the floating egg lets you know that the Lye content is right.

[mullet]

 All you have to do is soak the hide in plain water for 3 days. Make sure you stir it occasionally and leave it no longer than that. If you do, you will have a bucket of hairy jello.

[bigcountry]

All you have to do is soak the hide in plain water for 3 days. Make sure you stir it occasionally and leave it no longer than that. If you do, you will have a bucket of hairy jello.

Tried that one time.  Nasty and stinky.  So I went with the borax approach. 

[Pappy]

I just dry scape it,little more work but ,I think better quality rawhide or leather if you tan it,you are coming close to rotting the hide to get the hair to slip,that has to effect the quality. JMO. 
Pappy

[Sparrow]

How much borax in how much water ?  '  Frank

[Hillbilly]

I just dry scape it,little more work but ,I think better quality rawhide or leather if you tan it,you are coming close to rotting the hide to get the hair to slip,that has to effect the quality. JMO. 
Pappy

Bingo. It doesn't take but about half an hour to dry scrape a hide, and it's not nearly as nasty and doesn't give you a wierd Goobledegockus blood infection if you have a cut on your finger.

[MrWinkles]

Is the egg supposed to be raw or cooked?

[okiecountryboy]

I agree Hillbilly
But i do have one question....What is the definition of gobbledegockus?
god bless
Ron

[jonathan creason]

I just dry scape it,little more work but ,I think better quality rawhide or leather if you tan it,you are coming close to rotting the hide to get the hair to slip,that has to effect the quality. JMO. 
Pappy

Bingo. It doesn't take but about half an hour to dry scrape a hide, and it's not nearly as nasty and doesn't give you a wierd Goobledegockus blood infection if you have a cut on your finger.

Then what, just stretch it and let it dry?

[Hillbilly]

Jonathan, you stretch it and let it dry before you scrape the hair off. Then it's pretty much done. Okie, it's one of those horrible little bacteria that look like little villians if you look at them under an electron microscope. They even have little tiny waxed mustaches.

[okiecountryboy]

Jonathan, you stretch it and let it dry before you scrape the hair off. Then it's pretty much done. Okie, it's one of those horrible little bacteria that look like little villians if you look at them under an electron microscope. They even have little tiny waxed mustaches.

HAHAHAHAHAHA...
THAT IS EXACTLY THE ANSWER i WAS LOOKIN FOR. Looked it up in the dictionary...you nailed it...

God bless

Ron

[Pappy]

Like this Jonathan, then whe it is scraped,just cut it loose,trim the edges off and roll it up,you are done till you need it.
   Pappy

[jonathan creason]

Looks easy enough.  Thanks Steve and Pappy.  I'm holding out on finishing a hickory board bow because I'd like to back it with deer rawhide instead of a dog bone.  Unfortunately, the deer seem to have other plans.