1st Attempt At Tanning

[Jonty]

On my last Stalking trip to Scotland I brought a small red hind's skin back home and stuck it in the freezer with a view to having a try at tanning it at some point.  it wasn't the best skinning job, but when the skin was off, it seemed a manageable size for a first attempt.  After more hours than I care to admit to falling down the YouTube rabbit hole, I went for the alum pickle tanning method.  I did a lazy jetwash to flesh the skin (couldn't get the dogs away from the drive for days after that) followed by a week in a bath of alum sulphate, salt and water. After that it was a quick rinse in washing soda and then drip dried followed by stretching on a frame to dry out properly.  I dropped a clanger i think at the next stage by painting it with boiled linseed oil before stretching/breaking the leather - once the oil soaked in there is absolutely no way you could soften it - lesson for next time.  On the whole I'm pretty pleased - the fur is intact and doesn't shed and the process was pretty easy.  if I was doing another one, I'd take more time/care skinning it, and look at how to soften the leather to get that buckskin type feel.

[dogger]

i remember my dad doing one when i was wee it was stretched/nailed over a bit ply wood and lagered in table salt for weeks before it was scrapped and left to dry in the sun,it was then hung on the stairs wall with a zulu like spear across it 🤣

[ditchman]

thats a nice looking pelt............a waistcoat maybe ?

[Jonty]

4 minutes ago, ditchman said:

thats a nice looking pelt............a waistcoat maybe ?

We’re gonna need a bigger deer ! 😂

[steve_b_wales]

I use CPO502 tanning kit from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies  to do Fox/Squirrel tails and Rabbit pelts. I haven't tried a full size fox pelt as yet. It's very easy to use too.

 

Edited May 8 by steve_b_wales

[Jonty]

15 minutes ago, steve_b_wales said:

I use CPO502 tanning kit from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies  to do Fox/Squirrel tails and Rabbit pelts. I haven't tried a full size fox pelt as yet. It's very easy to use too.

 

Thanks Steve, I'll take a look at that.

50 minutes ago, dogger said:

i remember my dad doing one when i was wee it was stretched/nailed over a bit ply wood and lagered in table salt for weeks before it was scrapped and left to dry in the sun,it was then hung on the stairs wall with a zulu like spear across it 🤣

During lockdown my son and I made an authentic as possible at the time viking shield which is hung on his wall, i thought I might hang this behind it - seems like your dad and I have similar thought trains !

[steve_b_wales]

The tanning kit I mentioned is out of stock at the moment. It's worth buying though as it's very easy to use. 

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, Good post Jonty, As it happen there were Tanners near my second school, use to wiff a bit 🤔😄, keep up posted on what your make with the hide, another use of deer hair is trout flies, 

[Jonty]

19 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Good post Jonty, As it happen there were Tanners near my second school, use to wiff a bit 🤔😄, keep up posted on what your make with the hide, another use of deer hair is trout flies, 

Thank you.  I have a load of offcuts that I'm going to take up to my angling club hut for any fly tyers to take.  I did send a message to a friend of mine who  wrote a book on fly tying - he got back to me saying that he had plenty of deer had, but if I ever did shoot a leprechaun, he had a green fly pattern he's been desperate to try 😀

[amateur]

2 hours ago, Jonty said:

....... but if I ever did shoot a leprechaun, he had a green fly pattern he's been desperate to try 😀

Pop a parakeet, plenty of bright green feathers on them and on the list.

[oowee]

Good effort for having a go 👍

I was looking at some skins being done in Africa last week and they seem to rely on time spent in salt crystals. Using finely ground salt to get into the small areas around the eyes, toes and under the lips. 

Edited May 8 by oowee

[J.R.]

6 hours ago, Jonty said:

 once the oil soaked in there is absolutely no way you could soften it - lesson for next time.  

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried rubbing the hide to soften it?

 

 

[Bigbob]

When  i did a couple you just went to the c chemist's and got a packet of salt Peter . Then i did a roe deer and left in in a bucket with loads of salt and forgot about it when i took it out it didn't shed so i put a canvas back on it and used it as a bedside rug 

[Jonty]

3 hours ago, J.R. said:

Have you tried rubbing the hide to soften it?

 

I have, and also,tried sanding it, it’s set pretty rigid.  I’ll try a different approach next time.

[dainty duck]

12 hours ago, Bigbob said:

When  i did a couple you just went to the c chemist's and got a packet of salt Peter . Then i did a roe deer and left in in a bucket with loads of salt and forgot about it when i took it out it didn't shed so i put a canvas back on it and used it as a bedside rug 

can you still get salt peter from the chemist these days ?

[Bigbob]

11 hours ago, dainty duck said:

can you still get salt peter from the chemist these days ?

Dont think so but next one i pass i am going to ask 

[Jonty]

15 hours ago, dainty duck said:

can you still get salt peter from the chemist these days ?

I don’t know about the chemist, but you can get it at any sausage/canon making suppliers such as tong master or weschenfelders - I think they both also sell via Amazon.

[dainty duck]

7 hours ago, Jonty said:

I don’t know about the chemist, but you can get it at any sausage/canon making suppliers such as tong master or weschenfelders - I think they both also sell via Amazon.

yes I use cure 1 ( nitrite ) and used celery for cure 2 nitrate ,but the taste can be over the top , I may try beet root or chard this year .