More hidework

[TimBo]

I really struggled with getting the right moisture content on the first hide I softened.  After my hands and forearms recovered, I realized it had been way too damp to start.  I have done a couple more since that one, but the memory of how long the first one took is probably why I have such a backlog of hides to soften!  I am hoping that the dried ones can just be dampened slightly and will be a lot quicker/easier to work.  Thanks for the photos of your rolling/wringing setup.

[BowEd]

At 75 to 80 degree weather F. with a slight breeze a normal sized deer hide of 10 square feet as rawhide usually only takes about 3 hours roping time to soften and dry.It may take longer overall just because of it being put into the plastic sack intermittently taking breaks of a half hour or so along the way.Larger and thicker 15 to 20 square foot bucks will take 4 to 5 hours of roping time.Yearling deer hides will take under 3 hours.
It's all a matter of how long and hard you rope it and how warm and windy it is outside.When roping in too hot and windy of conditions it can be hard to keep up with it as fast as it is drying if it's a larger hide.
You might have to rebrain/twist them from a donut 4 or 5 times rebraining every time the ones that are dried to be sure they are brained properly,and rope them dry again.I'm sure they will be brained properly then.

[BowEd]

Many times in the beginning of learning to brain tan deer hides people don't realize that all of the epidermis is not off.Their eyes are not trained enough yet to see it.Which can account for stiffness in hides.It is'nt until they smoke it and see the lighter colored streaks on their smoked hide that they realize it.
Scars can be white because they are scars...hard and not leather.
2 things have got to be to get soft as flannel hides.All the epidermis off and the hide being brained properly.

[BowEd]

I've been experimenting and debating with myself different ways to dye this smoked brain tan.
These are some paint sticks used with good results.

A lot less trouble/mess and more water proof than using dry earth pigments and an adjuvant like egg yolk.
They are acrylic paint sticks to be exact.Some blue colors tested.

[Buckskinner]

Wow, very impressive and useful information here.  Have you ever done a bear? They seem very thin skinned and I assume not great leather from them.

[BowEd]

I've only chemically tanned a bear before with alumnum sulfate and pickling salt.I traded my bear hide away at a rendezvous.
I did a black angus calf later which sorta simulates bear fur,but still have not made anything from it yet.
Back then I had thoughts of making some winter type gaiters from it.The practical side of me always wants to make use of hair on hides or hides in general.


It takes less strenuous roping in the end than brain tanning it,but still special longer roping time still needs to be done on the thicker areas like the face/spine and hips like most animals.Don't be fooled thinking it's dry enough.The extra roping and stretching will make a difference on how soft it gets.
Thinning those areas before hand helps.That's when with it being stretched in a frame that thinning can be done.I use a sharp scraper and nowadays an orbital sander with 40 grit paper.
Fully equipped taxidermists have leather thinning machines to thin the hide prior to tanning.
The thing about doing a bear is that most people want the face,legs,paws,and claws on them as a robe type rug.Lacing all that stretched properly in a frame can be a challenge but I'm sure it can be done to apply the brains on the flesh side till limp and roping it dry.
I fleshed mine on a beam thoroughly even the flesh membrane as much as I can.Then washed it very good in a tub with dish washing soap and rinses because a bear is very greasy like a coon.Then made my tanning solution/pickling bath plenty strong to only need to soak it in it a week to 10 days.Stirring it at least 4 to 5 times a day to be sure all areas get tanned.
That's the easy part.I would use 5 pounds of aluminum sulfate and 3 pounds of pickiling salt in 5 to 7 gallons of water for a 350 to 400 pound animal.Weight it down if needs to be.
I guess 2 weeks would'nt hurt either as the hair should not slip yet because the solution will not allow bacteria to develop.You check penetration of chemical periodically by slicing a sliver of hide off the edge.Preferably in a thicker area to be sure the rest of the hide is fully tanned.
Then it's just a matter rinsing it few times and getting rid of the moisture.Stretching the hide periodically in all directons and all areas while drying.In the beginning for a while just laying it out there with no stretching needed.Oiling it while damp with neats foot oil will help softening to a degree also as it will emulsify with the damp leathers' moisture into the leather.
Years ago I made a tumbler that turns 13 times a minute to tumble put up coon and coyotes to sell up north.I've used it before to soften an aluminum sulfate tan.
An aluminum sulfate tan is way different softening than a brain tanned hide,but still prefer to do some stretching on the hide as the cob grit in the tumbler is rather dirty and needs changing and will soil the leather some.Still much easier as said before though.The fibers just need to be stretched to a degree but mostly broken to get soft.


A hair on hide such as yours will probably take the best part of 3 days to completely get dry.When not roping it I would store it in a plastic bag twisted shut.
You will have accomplished something to be proud of.

[BowEd]

I wanted to comment on the difference between these 2 buck hides as to their life style and nature during the rut.


Conditioning/health/and enviornment will have a lot to do about this also I imagine.
Even though the hides are very close to the same thickness and size the one on the left/speckeled up in the neck from fighting was from a 4 year old animal opposed to the one on the right who was a 6+ year old animal and a fair amount larger with far less scars from fighting than the 4 year old and I believe was a more dominant type buck during the rut.It might be too the amount of testosterone in an animal.Hard to judge really as the older bucks' neck was as thick as I've ever seen on a buck.More so than the younger buck.
It's not always that the biggest buck that is the dominate one as I'm sure some of you know.Many experts out there about this.Of course size of body/weight and rack does mean something for intimidation but when push comes to shove the more docile animal will turn and run even though he is larger.
To me the proof is in the scars on the animal.

[Piddler]

I have a bag of aluminum sulfate I may have to try on one of the beavers. Still gonna brain one if I get time.
Piddler

[BowEd]

Cool....Thinning that beaver will make work easier.Use the fine non iodized pickiling salt.
Years ago I bought a 50lb. bag of aluminum sulfate.Still using some of it to this day.It's still rather cheap stuff yet these days.

[Piddler]

Still have some pickling salt left. Bought quite a bit last season. I actually salted the hides a day or so then rinsed it off and dried the hides. Beaver in the hoops. Still some salt in the hides as I noticed my sander had gathered some rust pretty quick. Gotta read up on the Aluminum Sulfate method. Still gonna brain one when I get a chance. Need to before bow season starts Oct 1 but may not make it. Definitely need to thin those other beaver more than the last one.
Ed we are gonna have to get you to explain your roping method. How big of a rope, is it tied vertical or horizontal, how tight, do you fold the hide when working and so on. I get the idea but seem to be missing something.
Thanks for the info as it is a help.
Piddler

[BowEd]

That darn salt is nasty.Even the fine powder.Kills lawns for a while real easy too.On greasier animals such as coon,beaver,and bear it helps to dry up grease if you let it flint dry.Meaning dry but still pliable.I never salt deer hides.Just freeze them or make rawhide to store them.
Alumunm sulfate tanning is a very safe fool proof way of tanning.
My roping method is pretty straight forward.Been using an inch thick nylon tow rope for years now.Tied on vertically to a tree or anywhere.I like it in the shade anyway.
I've used steel cable and skinnier lariot rope before too.
Length wise/cross wise/diagonal wise/and along the edge wise.Rotating the hide a 1/4 turn as I go.Smaller hides are less effort of course,but larger hides I lean into it pretty good.
In the beginning just stretch it in all directions far as possible while really damp.
I don't start rubbing it across the rope till  the outside surface is considerably dry but a little damp on the interior yet,but stay with it till it's all completely dry.Timely work on areas more than others at times.I take breaks putting it into a plastic bag wadded up.
If I could get Robin to rope while I get a bite to eat would be nice but don't expect that of her.She does like the outcome of the process though.Made her a dress some time ago.
Usually always the edges and belly are dry first of course.Then I concentrate on spine,neck,and hip areas.
I touch it against my cheek to feel if areas are still damp.If it feels cool it's damp.If it's warm it's not.


You can see if the rope is tied high enough at the base that you won't need to worry about the hide hitting the dirt as you rope it on larger hides.It will catch and bunch up at the tie off point off the ground.
By larger hides I mean anything above 15 to 20 square foot.Smaller hides below that usually don't bunch up any.
I measure my hides by laying the hides on square foot tiles on the floor in my basement.

After braining/wringing/and twisting the hide I use the rope again to stretch it fully length wise and cross wise and then back to it's natural shape.Braining them usually only takes about an hour of soaking in the warm brain slurry.

I would like to note here that everything I do to the rawhide after braining through these stages is to stretch the hide to it's maximum before redunking into the warm brain slurry.....ie....stretching the fibers out to accept the brain oils.Especially the spine,neck,and hip areas.It's the reason why they come out soft from just 1 roping.Even the large hides.

Kinda wish I had some more beaver hides here myself.Love the dense fur on those guys.Look forward to seeing the work you get done and the process along the way.
To smoke a beaver hide I have it laced in hoop and have it suspended horizontally above a smudge fire in a small shed instead of in a tipi.No need to smoke those aluminum sulfated hides unless you want to give it a light brown appearance.Does'nt hurt anything.
A walnut stain is an option also boiling the husks and reducing the water content.Aluminum sulfate tanned hides just need a little scuffing and they will return soft again after drying from being wet.
It's tan has a very long shelf life of usage.

[Piddler]

Thanks for the photos ED. Just wanted to square up a few things. I only salted the coon and beaver as I understand it would help from the hair slipping. So far so good on that. Gave the coon I brained and the beaver a good washing first with dawn then rinsed quite a few times, Let the fur partially dry then brained the coon and put the Orange bottle juice on the beaver. Coon came out pretty good. It's the one i had the photos of. Just gave the beaver another coating of the juice as it still had some stiff spots in the thicker areas. The sides or thinner spots are great. Guess it takes more juice than I thought. We'll see in a couple days. I'll post a photo if I ever get it finished.
Not sure if it will need smoked with the juice I'll have to find out. The deer hides I have done have been smoked. I brained those.
Ed thanks again for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Piddler

[BowEd]

Yes getting the proposed hair on tanned hides dry setting the hair is a priority with salt if you want to save freezer space.Freezing them won't make the hair slip either though.
You'll get that beaver finished.Sounds like your doing fine.Be sure to show what you get done.
I got a friend about 30 miles away that likes to beaver trap yet.Don't know if he still beaver traps yet or not any more.

[BowEd]

Talked to my beaver trapping friend.Said he has'nt trapped for a while because of the low fur prices,but said he would if I made him a beaver tail wallet.Might take him up on that trade.

[BrianS]

BowEd,
I tried tanning a beaver tail once. Used a product called dixie tan but had poor results. Now that I'm retired and have more time I may try again.
brian