How much to tan a Red Deer hide

[yankeedoodlepigeon]

What would you think it would cost to tan a Red Deer hide? I have just been quoted £300. :o

[mereside]

what about diy you can get a kit to do it its simple really or if you dont want to buy a proper kit diesel tanning is good and cheap also it doesnt smell just depends on what you want the skin for,atb wayne

[yankeedoodlepigeon]

For a throw or a rug is what I want it for. I just don't have the know how. He did say I should salt it and freeze it till I can get something done with it.

[mereside]

ok mate lots of salt on the skin side and i mean lots then fold in haf skin to skin so the salts trapped fold again and roll it up put it in a bag and freeze asap otherwise the hair will slip tanning is really simple but its a warm weather persuit.now if you want heres a link to a kit ,easy to follow destructions and you can do a few so you could shoot a rabbit first and have a crack at that. deisel tanning is easy as well first make an oblong frame to stretch the skin out and pin it evenly around the skin put loads of salt on and leave it keep adding salt till it dries out so you can later scrape any meat left on the skin.after its dried out scrape off the salt to start tanning. now get some white deisel in a jam jar not alot to start with and add bicarb of soda keep adding more of each till its like mayo or salad cream when you have enough paste this all over the skin quite thick and put out to dry repeat this a couple of times then you can sand the skin down for a smooth finish and oil then take it off the frame and break the hide till soft all over

 

http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/larger.pl?ref=CP06

Edited November 14, 2011 by mereside

[eric parker]

a friend of mine got 3 of my fallow deer hides tanned in somerset for about 30quid each. I think the place has closed down, but there are places about. Makes a great rug! It took about 2 months.

[CharlieT]

Here's one.....................http://www.wildlife-products.co.uk/page2.htm

 

Or one of these............http://www.manta.com/world/Europe/United+Kingdom/leather_tanning_and_finishing--E806F/

[highseas]

is the fenland sheep skin company still going? i got 5 roe done their once for £25 each very nice they were too

[yankeedoodlepigeon]

Thanks for the tips. I put 1/2 a kilo on the hide and put it in the freezer that's all I had to hand. One thing is for sure I won't be going to the robbing Taxidermist in St Helens.

[Red Doe]

I'm a tanner/taxidermist and can tell you a quote of £300 is absolutely ridiculous! Please don't pay that (no, I'm not touting for business, currently recovering from a minor op at the moment )

I charge £30 per hide for red deer. If this seems a lot remember you're paying not only for the tanning chemicals but the expertise in getting you a supple, soft hide that holds it's hair..deer hides are notorious for shedding after tanning.

You can also buy kits to do it yourself though I believe Snowdonia have quit trading now? I posted a link elsewhere in another thread for one. They're fairly simple to do but, and I can't stress this enough, you need to work hard and fast with a raw skin. Flesh it properly to remove all the bits of meat and fat, keep it salted until the moment of tan to inhibit hair loss, don't skip any of the steps and remember to oil and work to break the fibres and make soft.

To the poster above me, if you put salt on your hide then froze it it may be ruined! Think about it, in winter, what do you put on ice and snow to dissolve it? Salt. Salt in a freezer prevents freezing. I suggest taking the hide out, washing any salt off it and seeing if it was fully frozen, if so you've been lucky. Please folks, don't salt AND freeze, one or the other.

Hope this helps, any questions don't be scared to ask.

[mereside]

ah red doe you learn something everyday.i didnt realise it was salt or freeze thanks for that info thats most helpfull,atb wayne

[Red Doe]

No worries Wayne, glad I could be helpful. If folks have hides they want to store longterm til they can have them tanned then a good idea is a spare freezer in the garage, they will keep for a few years frozen. Alternatively, you can salt/dry them. Don't use rock salt, just ordinary table salt, and slather it on thickly on day one, then fold over and leave somewhere the hide can drain because the salt draws out fluids and acts as a bactericide, inhibiting the degrading process that causes hair loss. Next day add more salt, being careful to cover every inch of the hide, again, fold and drain. Keep going this way and you'll see less fluid come out and after a few days (can take up to a week depending on how damp the air is) the hide will start to stiffen and dry. When it can't take more salt...you unfold it and yesterday's salt is still thick on it and undissolved...brush off that salt, apply more and leave to fully dry. When dry shake off any excess salt and stack hides together, a pallett is good for this but keep them in a reasonably dry area. Hides salt dried will also last a good long while. To get ready for tanning, soak the hides in changes of lukewarm water til supple, then flesh and tan as normal.

[camokid]

i have a mess around with skins and never really got it spot on so i say listen to red doe work fast or freeze it with nothing on then send it to a person in the trade. do it properly or you will have a maggot farm on your hands and flys in your shed for months lol (like me) bad times

[yankeedoodlepigeon]

Thanks I wish you were a little closer to me Roe Doe.