Tanning first timer tips???

[nhmoose]

What a way to comtaminate the Gin.

 

[beardedhorse]

For elk I highly recommend you dry scrape it. No need to use a bucking solution as lye or hydrated lime. Stay away from salt. It takes a lot of water to rinse it out and absorbs moistures, taking longing to dry. Blue Mountain Buckskin by Jim Riggs another good book. Steven Edholm and Tamara Wilder mentored Matt and Michelle. Their book on Wetscrape Brain Tan might be out of print or hopefully revised and available. The Richards' book had two editions. Get the 2nd. Paleoplanet Forums has a chat line on just hide tanning. Pork brains still available. Soy lecithin and olive oil mixtures, natural free range eggs an alternative to brains but brains the best dressing compound. By dry scraping you get rid of the hair, epidermal layer and fleshing all at once. It thins the hide so it takes less time to pull once brained. You will need a large enough and sturdy frame, cordage to lace the hide and a razor sharp wahintke or elk antler handled hide scraper with steel bit. You can improvise if you don't have an elk antler. An elk hide is not my first choice for beginning tanners to try - work up to it with deer if you have the flint (dried and fleshing hide, hair on) free of fat and flesh. The elk will keep if bugs don't eat it. Good luck with your project. If for some reason it doesn't soften, you can use it to make parfleche - rawhide containers.

 

[Beadman]

I've heard of that too Cvkotvkse.Even downy fabric softener.I've always still used brains though.
Hog brains from a grocery store.

 

[Beadman]

Been brain tanning for 40 years here.Here's a tutorial from another site I did.Hope this site does'nt mind.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,56929.0.html

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Eggs work too if no brain matter for brain tan is available.

As does a simple soap such as Ivory Soap (99.44% Pure). The detergent based soaps don't work, but plain old Ivory Soap does. A lot of different things can be used to finish the tanning before smoking it for waterproof suppleness. Just has to have emulsified oils needed for tanning, which is why eggs work. If you don't smoke the hide, it will get stiff when it gets wet and you'll have to go through the softening process all over again and again. If the hide is smoked, it will still get wet but will dry out supple instead of stiff.

And I second the recommendation to get the book "Deerskins into Buckskins" by Richards. Be sure you get the Second Edition as it includes some info about "bucking a hide", which will make your tanning come out soft everytime that is not included in the first edition. Also, you don't need to use a stretching frame for deer or even elk. You can soften, stretch, and dry it using a chain. Info on how is in that book. If you have moose, which is a lot thicker, then the stretching frame is pretty essential.

 

[Jay Templin]

Been braintanning hides for 20 years, mostly using frozen pork brains from the grocery store. That said, I have gotten great results “brain” tanning without the brains by grating half a bar of Ivory soap, adding a cup of olive oil, and dissolving it in boiling water. This emulsifies the oil. Once it’s dissolved, add cooler water until you have enough to soak the hide, and the water is bath temperature. Soak the hide and work it dry in the usual manner. Smells a little better than brains, too.
For an elk, I reckon I’d use a whole bar and 2 cups of oil.
Jay

 

[Mad L]

Definitely what I would do, but I have no brains to tan it with.

Two options when you Don't Have Brains:
1) purchase sheep or cow brains, if you have a local butcher you may even be able to get a couple for free.

2) use chicken eggs. You want the Yolks as that is were the Tanins are and they are pretty much the same tanins as the Elk/Version brain tannin.
Just separate the egg whites from a dozen or two eggs, use the yolks to tan and the whites for....something in the kitchen.
Proceed as if you were tanning with real brains.
(works on all critters, can even be done with Fur On such as squirrel or coyote...just rub in on flesh side and let soak for 4 or 5 days.)

If brain tanning; be sure to Smoke the hide when done. Smoking will prevent it from turning back to raw hide if it gets wet and it can be easily re-soffened, also as a bonus - Bugs will Not attack your hide!

**edited**
Okay, you can use the soap too, never tried it myself

 

[Beadman]

I've only used brains.Done hundreds of hides.Many have done it with lecithin crystals or granuals.They can b be boughton on line.It's the lecithin that allows the fibers to be stretched.
Not sure of the quality though.