hide???

Anyone know how to tan a small game hide. I have a large fox squirrel skin in one piece.
Can I tan it?

 

[tg]

Scrape all the fat off, split tail as far as possible, pack in salt for a couple of days...mix a cup of salt with 1/2 cup alum in a gallon of water, soak hide for 3 days stirring twice a day, wring and lightly rinse, then twist, rub and pull while it dries...it will not be real water resistant with alum tan alone, smokeing will aide in this. Most tanning sites have similar methods which will work from a mouse to a moose for hair on tanning.

 

[robinghewitt]

Hi Maxiball

I just bought a K-TAN kit from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies.

I believe it is a chrome tan that you just brush on after salting. I'm also told you can soften small skins by putting them in a cold tumble drier with tennis balls for half an hour or so as an easy alternative to working them by hand.

They've sent me much to much in the way of chemicals for the few skins I have, (I think it's the dark green powder that tans). It comes in 3 bags marked A, B & C with simple instructions. Send me a mail address and it would be my pleasure to send you some.

OTOH, being a furriner I might just send you a dog dooh wrapped in Semtex, but that's just a chance you'd have to take :shocking:

best regards

Squire Robin
GHH

 

[Slowpoke]

Robin,
Any of those hides you have fox. I've heard you say they visit your hen house every once in a while.

Chuck

Oh, that wasn't you I saw storming into the House of Commons in support of fox hunting was it? :crackup:

 

[robinghewitt]

I trap them. 18 foxes so far, I keep score with a row of empty shotun cases on a shelf over the kitchen range. Horrible smelly things foxes, i just bag them up and take them to the town dump.

 

[tg]

If you can get some of the chrome tan kits it is the way to go the results is a very durable hide though it does not stretch as well as alum, small hides can be easily "broke" by rubbing the skin side over a wood rail in a shoe shining motion...check directins closely the fist part is probably for de-hairing which you may not want to do with the tree rat.