More hidework

[BowEd]

Finished dehairing the final hide.I'll conclude during this process that useing 40 grit on the orbital sander is safe enough if you watch what your doing.An ultra sharp scraper will usually do the job.You will notice if you've sanded too much creating thin spots and then holes created while twisting and roping it dry.That can be a disappointing experience then.
I still say 60 grit is about the coarsest sand paper I would use.80 grit usually does the trick very well for a smooth surface.

[Buckskinner]

Looks great Ed!

[BowEd]

If it's going to be a while before a person makes brain tan out of this deer rawhide.It can be stored for quite some time as is.
What I have done in the past and it works is that I give each hide a light misty spray of regular deep woods off.
It'll keep the bugs away.
I'll pick and choose myself when the weather is ideal for a stretch to rope these dry.
You also can brain the hides good and freeze them too,and then rope them dry when weather is ideal.

[mullet]

Ed, what size are your racks? I'd like to make some from the cedar growing on my place before hunting season starts.

[BowEd]

Cedar is a good choice.They can be left outside and won't rot then either.Because they might be light I'd make them into 2" by 4"s at least,or a good 3" round if not cut lumber.They should'nt bow or twist then too bad while drying.

Inside dimensions of frames I have......1 frame [7' by 6'] is big enough to accomodate large beef,buffalo,or large elk 900 to 1000 pounds.Other [5.5' by 6.5'] is for big white tails 200 pounds or more,and the hedge frame [5.5' by 5.5'] is for medium sized deer around 150 pounds.

I like the use of a frame close to the size of the deer so less lace is used,but still get a good stretch on the rawhide.Holes are cut 1" in from edge every 4" or so.I use a nylon half inch braided tape that was used to pull fiber through conduit long distances to lace mine.Using 30' lengths and tying knots as I go.Nylon does not tangle very easily.Hardly at all really.Knots come out rather easily also.A real time saver.
I used to use nylon parachute cord which works great too.
Making them 5.5' by 6' will accomodate most all deer.Inside dimensions.
I used to have more frames.Can't remember where they went over the years.They were 2" by 4'' pine lumber.
I've seen some nifty versions by some useing clamps on cords to stretch the hide in.A bit faster,but I don't think it gives it as good of a stretch.
For softening in the frame though [staking] the hide does not need to be very tight at all.

Here is the only other different way I used to lace hides in.With staples around the inside edge of 2" by 4"'s.
A set up in the basement of my old farmhouse 40 years ago.Had a wood stove and used a fan too in the basement to do them through out the winter.Same dehairer also.
In those days I had a regular production line going of brain tanning deer hides.

[Will B]

Looks great Ed. Great information. By the way I already used some of your rawhide on a hickory recurve. Very nice, high quality rawhide you sent me. Thank you!

[BowEd]

Glad to hear it was put to good use.Your welcome.
Many ways to decorate a rawhide back or just to leave it natural too.
It's been raining pretty much every day here lately.Not complaining though.We need the rain.

[BowEd]

Here are the 4 hides ready to be brained.
Laid on top of each other rolled up.3' ruler there for a reference of size.

Largest one rolled around the smaller ones.

Do them all when the weather is more suited for the job.
If your wanting to make 3' long 2" wide rawhide strips for backing bows you can see many can be gotten from 1 hide.

[mullet]

Thanks, Ed for the dimensions.

[BowEd]

If ever your at Pappys' place like you've been in the past at Twin Oaks I'm sure he'd help you out too.He's brain tanned many a deer hide.

[Pappy]

Looking good Ed, I have 10 or 12 rolls like that standing in the corner of the cabin just waiting to be brained when the weather gets right, that may be a while around here,  good thing as you said if you keep the bugs/mice or dogs out of it and dry i guess it will last a life time in raw hide form, sort of like leg tendons, I got some out Friday for a friend and helped him pound it, no problem and I am sure they were 8 or 9 years old, I just save all that kind of stuff and if you keep it in a dry safe place it will be there whenever you need it,even years later. I love watching your tan a longs, I have done many but always seem to learn something I haven't thought of that make it either easier or better leather , Thanks.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

Yep it's a type of tanning without chemicals that can be picked up anytime the mood swings a persons' way with it still being as good as gold for the final product.
Getting them into the rawhide state makes room in the freezer for other things.
It's been a yearly ritual or priority for me for quite some time.Hides usually don't stick around very long though and I've made about everything under the sun from them in the past too.
Quill workers and bead workers will seek out good brain tan for the projects they sell and a lot of them go there too.
Funny how things stick with a person that are liked as a kid.Fur,leather....etc.

[BowEd]

While growing up I lived just a few miles from the South Dakota border.I guess I am influenced by the culture of the native american plains indian.A sound nonimpactful way of getting along with mother nature.The nomadic life style they lived is 1 reason why I use the dry scrape method of brain tanning.
Another reason why I make many things out of rawhide also.Parafleches,containers,boxes,quivers,knife sheaths and the like.All these items stated are posted with pictures on threads.The strips of thicker rawhide I use to tie or secure a lot of things.Usually from thicker beef rawhides.


I use it to make my top shelf hide glue also.
Even lacing in a backpack/chair combo.A build-a-long is posted making this item.This as a back pack that weighs less than 5#'s and it'll carry 90#'s of meat/equipment or as much as you can handle.It's a chair to sit around a camp fire or even a chair in a canoe like long ago.A multi purpose use item.




As luck or bad timing can happen.I've had to go through a minor surgery and recovery says I'm to not do any strenuous excersize for at least 3 weeks.Even riding the lawn mower is considered extreme.Extreme if you ask me but a person better not argue with a surgeon.
I'm doing well though and the future looks bright.

[BowEd]

It's funny how far behind things can get in 3 to 4 weeks,but I'm back in the saddle again as they say getting things done before winter hits.
A pleasant stretch of temperatures lately is a good time to do it.
Finished up braining and roping dry the previous 4 hides shown earlier.Thick and soft as velvet.All holes are sewn with real sinew and ready to smoke.
I smoke hides inside my steel tractor shed with the sliding door open so weather will not be any factor getting that done.
I measure to around 35 square foot of brain tan there.A yard stick ruler is there as a reference.That's about a 25% shrinkage from a rawhide stretched state of 45 square feet after roping them dry,and that's about normal.Roping them dry will get you a thicker hide.
I use foot square tiles on the floor in my basement to measure the square footage.
The hide on the far right [the spine shot 1 and 1/2 year old doe] became smaller as I sanded too much and holes appeared.Something I warned about previously in reply #30.Lesson learned here is that it's ok using coarser sand paper on older thicker hides but not on younger thinner hides.
Far left is the buck at around 12 square feet and the 3 does to the right of him at 10,8,and 5 square feet.

[GlisGlis]

Happy you're well and in force again
Those hides are real beauty !