curing skins

[Piker20 0]

Apologise if this thread is running elsewhere. Please direct me if it is. It has come round to that time of year again when the bunnies are out in numbers and the pheasants are jumping in front of cars again. Lots of conflicting info on the net about just salt, borax and salt, just sun drying (unlikely to happen in my neck of the woods) to make use of the skins for us tyers. So any sound advice gratefully received. I tried with a patch of deer hide last year with just the salt and it remained 'sweaty' despite 3weeks salting every 3 days; scrapping off old stuff and reapplying.

[flytire 0]

the search function in the upper right hand corner found the following

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

[Gene L 0]

I've sun-dried beaver, cut strips off it and it was hard as a board, but the fur was fine. Tanned skins are a lot easier to handle.

 

You've got to get the fat/grease off a hide for it to work. Easy with some hides, impossible for birds (in my experience.) Borax will dry it up, but you have to keep boraxing it ever little while. I don't know what the shops who supply the bird skins for sale, but they generally don't grease up so bad.

 

I've had hackle necks that were slightly greasy but I suppose the big companies process so much they've got it down.

[rockworm 0]

You want to scrape off ALL the meat and fat first. Next, but only if needed, wash with soap and water. Then cover the skin side with borax. Every few days scrape off and apply new borax until it is dry. (For birds, this is only a couple of times.) See the above-mentioned thread for drying wings.

[flytyer166 0]

if a hide sweats after 3 weeks of salting, there is NOOOOOO way you scraped that thing enough. i boraxed a whole hide for two weeks and that thing was as dry as a board.

[Piker20 0]

if a hide sweats after 3 weeks of salting, there is NOOOOOO way you scraped that thing enough. i boraxed a whole hide for two weeks and that thing was as dry as a board.

 

Yeah I got off all the obvious chunks of stuff and then there was a thin membrane which came off in places and the skin attached to the hair follicles looked thin in the places this came off so I didn't remove the rest. Although the hair still seemed attached well enough. Is this meant to come off too?

[skidoosh 0]

I recommend getting a brass brush for your drill- works like a charm getting the chunks off. Then soak in white gas for a bit- get a big disposable turkey pan. After that wash it with dawn and borax it, stake it out with nails on plywood wood down with more borax. Everyone has their own way. This works for me but this is not a "soft" tanning.

[Piker20 0]

I recommend getting a brass brush for your drill- works like a charm getting the chunks off. Then soak in white gas for a bit- get a big disposable turkey pan. After that wash it with dawn and borax it, stake it out with nails on plywood wood down with more borax. Everyone has their own way. This works for me but this is not a "soft" tanning.

 

Yeah didn't so the soaking either which on here seems to be high on the list of degreasing. I'll have a go again when I get the next lot off my pal.

[Gene L 0]

if a hide sweats after 3 weeks of salting, there is NOOOOOO way you scraped that thing enough. i boraxed a whole hide for two weeks and that thing was as dry as a board.

 

Yeah I got off all the obvious chunks of stuff and then there was a thin membrane which came off in places and the skin attached to the hair follicles looked thin in the places this came off so I didn't remove the rest. Although the hair still seemed attached well enough. Is this meant to come off too?

 

The thin stuff is sinew, or connective tissue. It should be fine not to remove it, it'll dry hard. I find a problem with bird skins, they're just so oily.

[perchjerker 0]

You can "degrease" the skin by covering it in cornmeal, or sawdust. Cornmeal is preferable. Simply work it all over the skin, and let it sit over night. Repeat as necessary to get all of the "grease" out. The cornmeal absorbs the grease.

 

The recommendation of using 'white gas' may not be possible, as it has been decades since I last saw white gas for sale anywhere. The use of such organic solvents also poses the question of what kind of damage does it do to the feathers/hair? Should you choose to use an organic solvent; naphtha, Toluene and Xylene are all excellent fat solvents, and are readily available as paint thinners.

[troutguy 0]

white gas is Coleman fuel. I would still use corn meal, but I prefer oatmeal. Soaks up the blood and fat well,