Egg Tanning Buck skins: Have a few questions

[Arthur Herrmann]

With any luck I will have a couple buck skins this year to tan. I am talking hair off. If the hide soaks in a bucket of fresh room temperature water, will the bacteria do its job to help get the hair off?

Is it better to do a dry scrape off the hair? If so, how do I do that?

I might try and soak the hides in the egg solution. How long would the hide have to sit in a warm dozen egg and hot water solution?

I got more questions, I just don't want to overwhelme anybody. I really would love a real nice leather.

[El Destructo]

If you are going to soak the Hide in Water to make the Hair Slough off.....make sure that you scrape all of the Fat....Meat.....and all Ligature off first....so it doesn't go rancid in the Water....and to make it slough off even faster....add a 1/2 Pound of Pickling Lime to it...you can use just regular Lime from a Garden Shop....but I prefer Pickling Lime myself....add the Lime to the water....stir it up really good...add the Hide....and mix it up every day until you notice the Hair starting to slough....usually takes 3-5 days......make sure that you put it in a Cool Spot and keep it covered....I use a Plastic Garbage Can ......works really well....just make sure that you either wet or Dry Scrape it really good before soaking it.....or it gets really bad!!!

Also soaking it in a mixture of Eggs and water....wont work ....better off to get the Hair off....then let it almost dry to the Point of being stiff.....scrape it again to make sure all hair and ligature is off.....and then apply your Egg Mixture to it.....hope this helps

[Arthur Herrmann]

I mean once the hair is off, so is the membrane, and your down to the skin, what should I do? I heard that you are supposed to sand it and put it on the dry rack. Then do you lather it up with the egg solution? Or do you soak it?

Which gives better results, brain or egg?

[El Destructo]

                                  http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4892.0.html

                                 http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5972.0.html

[Hartung]

What you apparently need is a step by step introduction into tanning which is nearly impossible to give in a few words. Get yourself a good book about braintanning or go to paleoplanet or braintan.com where you’ll find lots of excellent information and very knowledgeable and helpful people.

[leapingbare]

i agre with hartung, Dry scrape will my a softer hide with a diff look, but wet scrape will work to, also ask about Presmokeing, that makes the hid softer and easier to work.

[PaulLovesJamie]

I did my first one this spring.  I read a bit on the internet, then I bought a copy of "deerskins into buckskins" by matt richards. Exceptionally well written, I highly recommend that you start there. You can ask tons of questions and get good answers, but this book tells you how to do it in a very simple easy to understand fashion.  I suspect that without that book, I'd not have done it, and wouldnt do it again.   But as it is we found it to be not very hard, and plan to do a few more this fall. 

[Arthur Herrmann]

I read the buckskin chapter in "Participating in Nature". He talks of roping, planking, stretching, drying, fleshing, and smoking.

Now all I want to do is get my ducks in a row before I try my first hide. I will get one from someone who will not cut out the brains for me. That is a big favor.
I am making a game plan, and I thought it would go something like this. Scrape the flesh side, let it soak. Cange water, maybe add lime to help, scrape the hair off the wet hide, Then I was gonna remove the hair side membrane, then do a finer job on the flesh side. I was going to sand the hide to open the grain. I was going toi egg it, then stretch it on the rack to dry. Then I was going to plank it, and work it over my junk jeans on the knee. I was gonna smoke it, and call it done.

That was the plan in the nut shell. I was wondering what I left out that I could use to get better results.

[possum]

When you scrape the flesh side you really only need to get the meat and large pockets of membrane.  Then when you soak it soak it in a mixture of ashes and water; enough ash to make an egg float after the ash has settled.  Then put the hide in the water/ash solution, swish it around and put a lid on it for 3-4 days.  Make sure the hide is totally covered with water.  Soaking it causes the epidermis to swell and make it easy to see when you have all the grain off.  Grain doesn't allow the oils from brains, eggs, etc to penetrate very well and will leave stiff spots.

An alternative to ashes is hydrated lime from Home Depot or somewhere.  Use about a quart to 2 gallons of water.

I'll second the opinion on Matt Richards' book.  Excellent info.

possum

[jamie]

matt richards book deerskins to buckskins is really the bible of braintanning. i love the wetscrape method. ive done many many hides and its the method i prefer. only thing that matt does different is he prefers not to rack the hide so he stretches it by hand. racking the hide thins it and makes it more comfy on the skin. peace

i just found out im doing 2 moose this winter. havent done one in years and now i have two

[possum]

Hey jamie... rub it in, will ya?  While you're at it rub in some salt.  Geesh, some guys get lucky and some feel the need to brag about it.

possum

[jamie]

 

actually not sure i really want to do em. they are a boatload of work

[leapingbare]

i did a Buffalo once.... and i dont wont to do that again.

[JW_Halverson]

I've got 5 antelope skins stretching and drying right now.  Makes the best rawhide backing for bows - thin as paper, stronger than steel. I've always bought the hides finished from a friend, but plan on "slipping" the hair with the hydrated lime. 

Good luck with your hide, nothing feels or smells as good as braintan.

[El Destructo]

JW.have you ever tried Pickling Lime??? Thats what I use....it's white and it disolves alot better than the Hydrated stuff does....and Hair slips in about 2-3 days...