Author Topic: Making Rawhide (Read 6031 times)

bigcountry · « **on:** January 04, 2011, 11:31:13 am »

I am trying my hand at making rawhide again. First time, got nasty, and I thought the skin was bad, so I tossed.

So, I have three deer hides in my liming mixture for 3 days. I have it outside because of the slight odor.

But its very cold. At night it gets down to 25F or so. The hair is not slipping yet. Do I need to bring it in? I figured temp wouldn't matter as the lime should be swelling the hide to slip the hair. But wonder if its keeping the hair on.

HoBow · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2011, 11:41:17 am »

The colder temps will slow down the reaction time, so you should be fine. I'm not sure how that soaking will affect the rawhide quality though

JackCrafty · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2011, 12:07:26 pm »

Take it out and try scraping the hair off anyway. If it comes off with only minimal effort, I would say go ahead and finish scraping. If it doesn't come off, just make sure the solution has enough lime and put the skins back in. Check twice a day.

If you are using hydrated lime, make sure the solution has reached complete saturation... there should be some lime at the botom that won't dissolve.

bigcountry · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2011, 04:00:13 pm »

Thanks guys. Some say it might take a week in this weather.

iowabow · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2011, 05:19:18 pm »

I made a bowsting from a hide I found from a deer that died in my creek. The animal had be there all winter and in the spring I went and recovered the hide and scraped it. I made a bow string from the raw hide and tanned another part of it. I think because this was very effective that deer hide could be placed in a small creek and the hair would slip at this point you scrape and stretch and let dry.

bigcountry · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2011, 12:58:04 am »

Wow, thats a man that needs some rawhide no matter what.

Pappy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2011, 10:08:03 am »

I just rack them up and scrape them, It may be a little harder but I can do it when I want to ,not when I have to and also don't have to worry about spoiling the hide.

I can rack one in about an hour or less and when it dries and gets tight I can scrape in another hour. Not much of a mess either.

Pappy

bigcountry · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2011, 11:45:29 am »

So pappy, you dry scrape with a sharp knife or something?

Pappy · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2011, 11:59:45 am »

I have a scrapping tool on a handle.Works great as long as the hide is dry and tight.

bigcountry · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2011, 11:25:33 am »

Thanks pappy for the picture.

Well, I took it out of the lime sat and started dehairing. Lots of little hairs left so I put back in the lime. Got 80% of it off.

wildman · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2011, 10:43:23 pm »

I got two hides in a tub now been frozen for about a month. I have mine in wood ash It always works , hope it will just be like having it in the freezer.

iowabow · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:19:04 am »

after you have it in wood ash and scrap it what do you do? do you put it in another solutions? or do you just stretch it.

Pappy · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2011, 08:51:04 am »

Not sure but I think you have to rinse in something,some one that dose it that way will chime in,I always dry scrape mine so when you get the hair off it done if all you are doing is making rawhide.
Pappy

JackCrafty · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2011, 10:52:22 am »

Iowabow, yes, you need to rinse the hide before you rack string it up on a frame. The hide needs to be rinsed with fresh water. You can put it in a barrel of water overnight with a hose set on a trickle, or you can submerge it overnight in a fresh water stream or river.

madcrow · « **Reply #14 on:** January 10, 2011, 09:56:11 pm »

I have made it by soaking and by dry scraping. When I soak in lime, After the hair comes off, I rinse it until the water wrings out clear. The hair should slide right off. I have done them before and wiped the hair off with my hands. Some use baking soda and others use vinegar to neutralize the lime. I dry scrape them on the fleshing beam. I just works better for me. Once it is clean, I rack it and stretch it as far as I can and lightly scrape it to clean off an hair that is laying on it.

Primitive Archer