Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: butch on October 30, 2007, 06:59:08 pm

Title: hides
Post by: butch on October 30, 2007, 06:59:08 pm

how do i start turning 3 hides into rawhide to back my bows.have them soaking in water now. thanks  butch

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Pat B on October 30, 2007, 07:45:36 pm

Butch, I have never done it but basically you want to remove the hair maybe by adding wood ashes(lye) to the soak water until the hair slips. Remove the hair and tack it out to dry. When dry, it is rawhide. I'm sure others will have better explanations. ;D     Pat

Title: Re: hides
Post by: butch on October 30, 2007, 07:51:39 pm

thaqnks pat. we heat with oak so ill go throw a bucket full into the tub. or should i remove tissuie first.    butch

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Hartung on October 30, 2007, 08:05:42 pm

I suppose you are talking about deer skins. If so and if you have 3 hides in the tube, put 5 buckets of your ashes in the tube. No need to remove the hides beforehand. Make sure to well stir the water afterwards. For the next few days check morning and evening if the hair is slipping.

Title: Re: hides
Post by: armymedic.2 on October 30, 2007, 08:29:28 pm

butch your woman must be one special lady.  hides in the tub, mine would at least scowl at me >:D ;D

Title: Re: hides
Post by: jamie on October 30, 2007, 08:31:24 pm

if you have a stream nearby just tie the hides off and let them soak in the stream. after a few days the hair will slip. be careful not to leave the hides in still water. like buckets or tubs that dont have ash in them, just water. bacteria will develope that will destroy hide and is hazardous to your health

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Hillbilly on October 30, 2007, 09:05:36 pm

All you have to do to make rawhide, like everybody said, is to remove all flesh from the flesh side and hair from the hair side. I like to stretch hides and dry scrape 'em, the soaking in ashes and scraping wet works well, too. Be sure to rinse them really good in clean water after scraping to get rid of the alkilinity from the ash.

Title: Re: hides
Post by: mullet on October 30, 2007, 10:21:20 pm

  Also,like Jaime said,I wouldn't leave it in the bucket more than 3 days.If you do;  you might find a bucket of goo. :D

Title: Re: hides
Post by: cowboy on October 31, 2007, 12:10:40 am

Drano - I heard about using crystal drano on here and tried it. It worked like a charm, though not very primitive. I also think if you mix it a little too stout it burns the hide somehow, you'll have white patches and other parts that are transluscent. Gonna give the ashes or maybe dry scrape a try next time for comparison.

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Auggie on October 31, 2007, 08:44:37 am

If ya wanna try the dry method I recoomend looking at  ferretsarcherywebpage@groups.msn.com Hes got an excellent pictorial on raw hide and more. Auggie.

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Justin Snyder on October 31, 2007, 01:36:38 pm

I think you meant this one Auggie.   http://groups.msn.com/ferretsarcherywebpage/makingrawhideforbacking.msnw
That one was his email. ;D  BTW how you doing now days.  Justin

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Auggie on October 31, 2007, 06:37:52 pm

Eeyup,thats what I meant to put,Justin thanks for the correct web address. Doing good, cut a bunch of multi flora for arras today,also talked to a ground hog who said I couldnt stick an arra in him,so tomarrow Im gonna prove him wrong and stretch his hide.

Title: Re: hides
Post by: Justin Snyder on October 31, 2007, 07:07:22 pm

Quote from: Auggie on October 31, 2007, 06:37:52 pm

Eeyup,thats what I meant to put,Justin thanks for the correct web address. Doing good, cut a bunch of multi flora for arras today,also talked to a ground hog who said I couldnt stick an arra in him,so tomarrow Im gonna prove him wrong and stretch his hide.

It really doesn't matter how many times he is right, as long as he is wrong once you win.  ;) Justin