[TheForge] Skunk parts

Fri Dec 14 19:51:00 2001

My Son used salt and then oil.  There are some hides that are 15-20 years
old that he used this method on.  Rub salt and oil in very, very good.

Bobby Hart
Hush Puppy Forge
Griffin, GA
OBG, AFC

At 03:16 PM 12/14/01 -0600, you wrote:
>
>There are quite a variety of tanning methods. Like cooking  most of 
>us  find a method that works for us, and then keep using it.
>
>Applying cooked brains, or using an acid solution, both tended to make my 
>stomach roll.
>The best buffalo hide that I ever saw was brain tanned with the wool / hair 
>on it.  It had an asking price of $1,600.   My   commercially acid  tanned 
>buffalo hide  has started slipping hair.
>
>After having variable results with other methods,  I  found  my best luck 
>with simple mineral oil, like old people take to as a laxative. Oil tanning 
>is rubbing mineral oil into the inside of a cleaned washed hide.  while it 
>is stretched and drying, almost as if you were applying brains.   I used a 
>canoe paddle to push and stretch the hide in a frame. While not a perfect 
>method, I think  oil tan stinks the least,  it is cheap and available 
>everywhere,  and doesn't involve  acid on my skin. If you get a little 
>mineral on the fur side, it doesn't hurt that  either.
>
>Best of all,  at least for me, the hair doesn't tend to slip.
>
>I have one mineral oil "tanned"  deer hide that is 6 or 7 years old now, 
>and has been my chair cover at many mountain man  "rendez vous" .  It was a 
>summer road kill doe with short hair.  It has gotten damp a number 
>of  times in the rain, and  it still  looks good.
>
>
>Several suggest using salt, but I don't believe that  really "tans" the 
>hide, but rather , salt  dries it up and prevents bacteria growth,  so that 
>it won't rot.  I believe that the salt   will tend to leave 
>the  hide  brittle and result in cracks in the leather as the hide/ fur 
>ages.   Buffalo Skinners  salted their hides to keep them from spoiling 
>until they could be tanned.  Easier just to roll your pelt up and put it in 
>a double plastic bag in the freezer.   Your wife not   love having  a  pelt 
>near her   frozen preserves. I know first hand! <g>
>
>If you are thinking of brain tanning, and wish to keep the hair from 
>slipping ( shedding badly) then don't soak it vary long,  only a 
>few  hours, or perhaps over night, and avoid the use of salt.  The longer 
>you soak, the worse hair will slip later.  The fresher the hide that you 
>work, the less it will stink, and the less fur / hair will tend to slip 
>when the hide has been tanned.  Tanning is really a nasty job if you let 
>the hide "age".
>
>"Today",   is always better than "tomorrow"  to tan a hide that you intend 
>to keep.
>
>Dann Johnson
>
>At 10:08 AM 12/14/01 -0800, you wrote:
>>"Brain Tanning" is mostly for hair off tanning on large hides. For furs or 
>>hides
>>with hair on, use an acid tan. One that is easy to use and remember is,
one oz
>>sulfuric acid to one gallon of water (always add the acid to the water) 
>>plus one
>>quart of salt. Make enough to cover the skin. Let it soak until when you 
>>trim a
>>strip off the edge, you see that the skin is the same color all the way 
>>through.
>>Rinse, wring and work until dry and soft.
>>Darrell
>>
>>http://www.machinemaster.com
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Rafter Lazy C" <[email protected]>
>>To: <[email protected]>
>>Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 4:01 PM
>>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Skunk parts
>>
>>
>> > Bryan -
>> >     Don't know about off-topic, but I used to have a brain tanning
formula,
>> > and I will try to find it.  In the meantime, I remember the old Indian
>> > saying that each animal has just enough brains to tan his own hide.  I
>> > wonder if that means I get more brains each year now that I am getting
>> > heavier?
>> >     The way to so this was to boil the brains.  I did a deer hide and
used
>> > pork brains from the butcher, since I was given the hide, I didn't
want to
>> > ask for the brains, too!  After they are boiled, which my wife said
smelled
>> > terrible, they should squish in your hands like a fine hand cream.  Rub 
>> this
>> > into the hide on the inside (after removing all the gunk) and cover
with a
>> > plastic tarp or something that will keep it moist overnight.do this 2
or 3
>> > nights in a row, then start softening.  That is the 'Lots of Work'
part.the
>> > tanning at this point is all done.  I didn't soften my deer hide as I 
>> wanted
>> > it to stay stiff for hanging on the wall.  I had it up for about 20 years
>> > before it started losing a bunch of hair.
>> >
>> > Try it and see what you think
>> > Rick Crawford at  Rafter Lazy C
>> > Home of Rick's Forge and Lem the Wonder Mule
>> > email = [email protected]
>> > home page = http://www.tbcnet.com/~rafterlazyc/
>> >
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: Bryan &Susan Black <[email protected]>
>> > To: <[email protected]>
>> > Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 8:58 AM
>> > Subject: [TheForge] Skunk parts
>> >
>> >
>> > > At the risk of being somewhat off topic, are there any good (preferably
>> > > online) resources on how to preserve a hide "hair-on"???  I have seen a
>> > few
>> > > on making buckskins (hair-off) but not much on preserving the pelt with
>> > the
>> > > hair still intact.
>> > > If this is too far off topic, feel free to email me direct.
>> > >
>> > > Thanks!
>> > >
>> > > At 05:58 AM 12/12/01 -0600, you wrote:
>> > > >skunk  the other white meat ...
>> > > >----- Original Message -----
>> > > >From: "Roy Wilson" <[email protected]>
>> > > >To: <[email protected]>
>> > > >Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2001 12:56 AM
>> > > >Subject: RE: [TheForge] warming cabinet
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > >> On Mon, 10 Dec 2001 10:34:15 -0500, P. McComb wrote:
>> > > >>
>> > > >> >Ok, I'll ask..Why are you keeping skunk pelts?  Isn't the smell
a big
>> > put
>> > > >> >down, or you making a new fur coat for the mother-in-law??
>> > > >>
>> > > >> I sell them.  The stink is chemically neutralized before I
>> > > >> skin them, and the tanning process (mainly the acid bath) kills any
>> > > >> lingering odor.
>> > > >>
>> > > >> Skunk is one of the nicest furs in NA.  Much nicer than
>> > > >> mink or any of the other high priced ones.  Long, glossy guard
>> > > >> hairs, plenty of underfur for warmth, terrific natural sheen.
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >>
>> > > >> Roy Wilson
>> > > >> General Operations Director
>> > > >> Wilson Eclectics
>> >
>> >
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