Ok folks I'll bring ya'll up to speed on where I am then I'll lay my questions on ya. Went hunting twice this year and killed three does( firearms
season). I wanted to tan the hides so I fleshed them and sank them in an ash/water solutions to get the hair to slip. Musta been a little strong because in two
days the hair was slipping real well.
Heres where I lost my gumption. I grained the smallest hide and threw the other two over the hill. The lye just seemed like a giant mess and not worth the trouble. That was a week or so ago. I went back and drug 'em up the hill today, couldn't see wasting them when I had come this far. I dehaired both hides but left the grain alone.
A buddy of mine came over and hunted on Sunday evening and through a stroke of inaccuracy he brain shot a doe ( hes a lousy shot( it wasn't on purpose), but blessed).I couldnt resist a hole free skin so I set to it. Got it fleshed and decided to try out soaking it in plain water to get the hair to slip. I realize now that the "soak 'em in water til the hair slips" is not a viable method when its below freezing outside and you have your skins in the basement. TOO STINKY! I hope my wife doesn't go to the basement for a few days!
I'm planning on bark tanning these hides just so you know, heres my questions;
Will the smell in the water soaked hide go away as I tan it in the bark solution or do I need to do something else to ensure its doesn't reek after its tanned?
How long do ash bucked hides need to soak before the lye is neutralized and how do you tell they are there?
I have the two dehaired hides and the grained one soaking in an old cooler in the yard. I assume I'll need to keep adding water everyday. Just need to know how to tell when they are free of the ash solution.
Thanks for the help folks.
Chris
Heres where I lost my gumption. I grained the smallest hide and threw the other two over the hill. The lye just seemed like a giant mess and not worth the trouble. That was a week or so ago. I went back and drug 'em up the hill today, couldn't see wasting them when I had come this far. I dehaired both hides but left the grain alone.
A buddy of mine came over and hunted on Sunday evening and through a stroke of inaccuracy he brain shot a doe ( hes a lousy shot( it wasn't on purpose), but blessed).I couldnt resist a hole free skin so I set to it. Got it fleshed and decided to try out soaking it in plain water to get the hair to slip. I realize now that the "soak 'em in water til the hair slips" is not a viable method when its below freezing outside and you have your skins in the basement. TOO STINKY! I hope my wife doesn't go to the basement for a few days!
I'm planning on bark tanning these hides just so you know, heres my questions;
Will the smell in the water soaked hide go away as I tan it in the bark solution or do I need to do something else to ensure its doesn't reek after its tanned?
How long do ash bucked hides need to soak before the lye is neutralized and how do you tell they are there?
I have the two dehaired hides and the grained one soaking in an old cooler in the yard. I assume I'll need to keep adding water everyday. Just need to know how to tell when they are free of the ash solution.
Thanks for the help folks.
Chris
