Tanning Deerhide

[SgtSchutzen]

I`d like to have a try at tanning a deerhide. Is this something worth doing with just one hide, or does it require lots of chemicals etc. I`m thinking it`s probably cheaper to just have it done professionally, but that`s not any fun. I like to get my hands dirty.
What I`d like to do is tan the hide with the hair left on to use as wall decor or something.
Anybody know where I can look for instructions, materials, etc, for this project? Any info will be appreciated.
Thanx in advance
Eric

 

[Robert Egler]

If you do a search for home tanning hides you'll get a lot of suggestions, a bunch of different methods, from brain tanning to modern chemicals. You can also get a home tanning kit from Tandy Leather company, although I've never tried it. I should mention that tanning a deer hide at home is a lot of work, no matter what method you use.

But there is something cool about using your own hides and skins, ones you harvested and tanned yourself.

A lot of my stuff has fox fur, deer skin, fox or squirrel or deer tails, that I tanned myself.

Good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[davemcg]

I think it'll definately be cheaper and more satisfying for you to tan the hide yourself, I've only brain tanned two deerhides so far, but it's not that bad, a little labor intensive by 21st century standards but it's not horrendously hard.

Bought the hides fresh from a taxidermist for $8 each, got some pig brains from the local Vietnamese grocer for $2 a pound 1 pound per hide BTW and a $10 blender from Goodwill to mix the brains(The missus was pretty firm about me NOT using HER blender for pig brains :nono
Anyway, if you've got room to work give it a shot!

go to www.braintan.com you'll find a lot of great stuff there.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

Thanx for the advice fellas. I think I`m gonna give it a try. I`ve got a fresh hide right now, but it might take awhile to round up the rest of the supplies I`ll need. Would it be ok to freeze it and then thaw it when I`m ready to start the process?

 

[davemcg]

yep, freezing is just fine, I've got two in my freezer right now, what I did was slit open a trash bag and lay it out on the hide then rolled it up so the plastic is layered into the hide, sorta keeps the hide from sticking together and will make thawing easier. Roll it up tight and put it into another trash bag and tie it off. should last quite awhile that way. To thaw just put it into a bucket of warm water for a few hours or overnight.

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

I've used the Tandy Tannery in a Box kit. This will give you a nice, chrome-tanned hide. The work isn't too onerous, once you're past the scraping stage. If I recall correctly, once the hide's been frozen, it can't be tanned with the hair on.

 

[davemcg]

If I recall correctly, once the hide's been frozen, it can't be tanned with the hair on.

Hmmm, that's no good since he wants hair on, maybe lay it out flat and salt it heavily?

Might be a good idea to call your local taxidermist and see what they suggest.

 

[Bill Austin]

Rittelssupplies.net, has a easy to use kit called EZ 100, It makes a nice white skin. It comes with good instructions.Freezing the hide shuold'nt be a problem if it was frozen fairly quickly. Salting and draining overnight and then resalting and allowing to dry is another option.Once dried it can be stored for months with no problems, it will just need to be rehydrated to start the tanning process.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

Stopped at a local taxidermy shop today. They charge $100 for a hair on tanning job. Ouch. The do it myself approach is sounding even better. He also told me I shouldn`t have a problem if I freeze the hide till I need it.

 

[smo]

I done a deer hide over 20 yrs. ago which had been salted & frozen for over 6 months.I salted the hide first then rolled it flesh side in then put it in double trash bags and froze it. I used alum,water & I think salt :hmm: I really can't remember for sure it's been a long time ago. :redface: However the hide is still in good shape, you can't hardly pull any hair out of it. It came out white leather but was very stiff when it dried out,You will need to tumble it in an old dryer {without heat}or make a tumbler from a barrel with baffels in to soften the hide

 

[mrsquirrel]

SgtSchutzen,
I've tanned several hides myself, never with the hair on but it's been a great experience tanning without chemicals. If you're looking for help you can't go wrong with information from Matt Richards website www.braintan.com. I have read his book and watched the DVD. The information you can get in the forum is second to none. Good luck with your tanning but beware, once you tan a hide you'll be hooked for life.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

"Once you tan a hide you`ll be hooked for life"

That`s what I`m afraid of :shake: Problem is I was born in the wrong century.

 

[boar]

Well you could tack it up and and scrape it clean. The bugs won't bother it till warm weather. After you get it scraped it will be ready when you get ready. Now if the hair is off a hide the bugs don't bother them. I have my first deer shot in 83 in the rawhide, still good. My grandson, Silent Sniper on here uses eggs yokes as they don't want to sell him brains because of mad cow disease. Brains are mostly cholesterol. One of the Foxfire books has a hair on recipe. Dilly

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

I have tanned hides using commercial home tanning kits, locally obtained chemicals, and using traditional brain-tan methods. I prefer brain tanning since I love the smokey smell it leaves and also dislike handling some of the chemicals such as sulfuric acid. If you properly "tub" hides in sawdust afterwards, they'll be plenty soft.

The braintan.com site is a good place to start, since all of the tanning steps, no matter the method used, are too detailed to explain well in a forum post here. Perhaps someone will consider posting an article for Claude's consideration in the future.

Another good book that I recommend is "Secrets of Eskimo Skin Sewing" by Edna Wilder. Lot's of good info here, not just on sewing skins but on tanning and such as well.

 

[skunkskinner]

What is this "tub hides in saw dust" you speek of? :hmm:

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

When tanning/conditioning is completed the damp hide is placed in a barrell or tub and covered well with sawdust (preferably hardwood). Then with bare feet, tramp and work the skin making sure that you turn it occasionally and tramp both sides. Do that for a half hour to an hour and the hide will soften considerably.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

I should have also mentioned that I've only ever brain tanned hides without hair on. Everything I've done hair on has been by modern tanning methods.

 

[skunkskinner]

I'll have to give that a try on my next hide, Thanks.

 

[travisc406]

here is an option you may consider. I have had them tan hides and make me gloves before. turned out real nice. http://www.uberleather.com/tanning.html

 

[John Wasmuth]

Tubbing works well. You can also find a dryer that the heating element has been either broken or removed from, rewire the plug to 110 current and disable the timer. Place the just barely damp hide in the dryer with hard wood cunks and hardwood sawdust and bungie cord the door shut. Turn it on and let it tumble for a period of time. The hardwood and tumbling replace you pulling and stretching. Granted its not an historically correct way of finishing off a hide, but it is a time saver. As was posted earlier, Matt Richards has some great ways of brain and traditional tanning and after a few hides you can really work wonders with them.