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Tanning deer hide

  • 01-11-2013 9:32am
    #1
    wexfordman2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,557 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I am on my third attempt to tan my deer hide, this time I'm hoping to do a complete brain tan.

    There are lots of different guides on YouTube etc and all seem to vary a bit, so I wanted to see if I can get some solid advice from someone here who has done it.

    My current hide has been scraped and defleshed and has been lying flat covered in salt for just over two weeks. I have the brain frozen so it's available as soon as I need it.

    The back hair side of the hide is a bit damp still but I think that's not gonna change until I actually hang it up to dry off a line or something.
    The hide is also quite dirty so needs a clean at some stage, not sure of I should do it now or later after the brain tan.

    Advice appreciated


Comments

  • #2
    PL05
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 209 ✭✭PL05


    Done a hide myself years ago. A friend of mine had access to certain chemicals back then, anyway i can only remember the name of one of the two chemicals i used, [Allum]. First i removed all flesh then put it in bucket with chemicals for two weeks. After two weeks took it out dried it out then stretched and pinned it on a board and rubbed it down several times with a pummice stone. Have to say, for my first time doing one it turned out great. I will try to find name of other chemical and if i do i,ll let you know. Also a good tip for removing flesh is, get an old desert spoon cut a slot in the back of it then gently tap the cut nearest the handle in a fraction and sharpen the other side of cut. it acts like a plane, if done right it works great.


  • #3
    juice1304
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,805 ✭✭✭juice1304


    I have tanned a few hides, You need to make sure that you have enough salt on the hide and you need to change it when it becomes damp. I just bought aboout 10kg of cooking salt and took the damp salt off and let it dry while i replaced it with fresh stuff etc... you want to use a slat with a fine grain to it as it will penetrate the hide better. I bought a kit as it is the easiest. I got it from the uk i will add a link at the end.
    What you have to do anyway is dry it out untill it is stiff like a sheet of cardboard that is the most important bit if it isn't dried properly it will go rancid.
    Once dry you pickle it in a sulphuric acid solution for 24-48hrs after that comes the tanning bit you use chromiumsulphate for that for again 24-48hrs depending on the thickness of the hide etc... after that you need to nutralize the acid so add a sodium bicarbonate solution to it and then streach and oil. The streching is really hard work and will take a very long time for it to ecome supple.
    Iwould also recommend getting the supasoft oil as it will make your job easier it is still an awful lot of hard work though.
    Have fun.:D The end result is great if you do it right.

    http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits


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