Aluminum Sulfate Question

[Therian]

So I called the only leather shop in my area and the girl had ZERO clue what I was asking for, after I explained it she only had chemical (over priced) stuff for the process. Online its a good price but shipping normally kills the deal but I did find this, http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/17 ... 39594.html and as luck would have it they got it in stock here. Real question is will it work well?

Following this guide
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-H ... Hides.aspx

Reason being they recycled and imho I prefer cheap methods and I love to recycle. I was going to use brains for my first tanning rampage but I was on a time schedule (surprise) and I decided to pitch the skulls. One question I did have though is 1) how to get the brain out quickly, 2) how long will they last in the freezer, and 3) could I use another animals brains? I might be able to get pig/cow brains from local farmers depending on if what they do with them.

 

[skysthelimit]

I use alum only. I order it from eBay, as I cannot get it here.
Yes you can use pig brain. I am not sure what happens to it once it is in the freezer, whether it affects its usefulness or not.

 

[SarahMelisse]

I've never tried using the brain tanning method, but I think the idea is that each animal has the appropriate sized brain to tan its own hide. Sorry, that's all the insight I have to offer.<br /><br />__________ Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:01 pm __________<br /><br />Oh! Maybe look for online taxidermy suppliers for the alum.

 

[mystang89]

I don't touch the brains for tanning but I would think that the brains of the rabbits are the same make up as that of a cow, only smaller. So I would say yes, you can use the brains of cows, pigs etc just like you can a rabbit. You tan cow hides the same manner in which you tan rabbit hides and you can tan them with their brains as well.
I guess you could take a drill if you wanted a "neat" way or maybe a hammer and crack it like an egg. I know the Egyptians broke the membrane that is in the nazzle area and pull the brains out with a ...brain puller thingy. (That's the technical name for it )
I don't know how to use Aluminum Sulfate. I use the EZ-100.

 

[Therian]

Yeah they would basically scramble egg it and it would ooze out your nose if I recall. It would seem brain tanning is the future for me, alum is over priced, brains are expensive (they want $10 for 1 cow brain) and $30 for a EZ-100 is pricey too. (20 rabbit pelts I imagine?)

I guess my only route is brains from the animal or battery acid route (5 gallons $10 at 1 half cup per 8 skins)

 

[Nyctra]

I don't know if it works raw, but I found that if I boil the skull and scramble the brains with a skewer (through the neck-hole end thing), I can shake most of it out.

 

[skysthelimit]

Yeah they would basically scramble egg it and it would ooze out your nose if I recall. It would seem brain tanning is the future for me, alum is over priced, brains are expensive (they want $10 for 1 cow brain) and $30 for a EZ-100 is pricey too. (20 rabbit pelts I imagine?)

I guess my only route is brains from the animal or battery acid route (5 gallons $10 at 1 half cup per 8 skins)

How much are you paying for alum? Sorry the idea of using brains is replusive to me, seeing the only place I have to tan is in my bathroom.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

using brains is replusive to me,

I have to agree with sky. I cant use brains. .. I havent found any alum here either and still looking.

 

[SarahMelisse]

I've heard good things about this site for supplies and alum and I think I will give them a try when I'm ready to tan in a few months. I think $1 or $2 per pound of aluminum sulfate is a fair price.
http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I just ordered some .. It was 8.95 for 2kg..

Here is something that i found.. Instead of using brains. they say you can use eggs instead.
http://www.braintan.com/tanown/index.htm

 

[a7736100]

Most garden stores probably have aluminum sulfate. It's used to make soil acid. Tell them you want to make your Hydrangeas flowers turn blue.

 

[MaggieJ]

I havent found any alum here either and still looking.

Mary Ann, I saw alum today at BulkBarn. You should have a BulkBarn not too far from you.

http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en-ca/locations.html

 

[arachyd]

I buy mine from Van Dykes taxidermy supplies.

 

[skysthelimit]

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/ShoppingCart ... temDisplay

The garden supply stores here don't carry it. If HomeDeopt, Lowes or Walmart doesn't carry it, no one else has it.

I live in weird world where I can't seem to get anything reasonable places sell. Must not have a lot of real gardeners here.

 

[Therian]

How much are you paying for alum? Sorry the idea of using brains is replusive to me, seeing the only place I have to tan is in my bathroom.

Alum is about $7 for 4 pounds if that stuff I linked at the first post will work, if not they want around $10 a pound online. I do most my work outside behind the house, I use a collection bucket for majority then wash it down. For the tanning part I will be in my garage and I will hang in there too I think with a small fan on them.
http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/17 ... 39594.html
This is not a bad price for 4 pounds of alum however as I can buy it locally, I just dunno if its the right stuff.

using brains is replusive to me,

I have to agree with sky. I cant use brains. .. I havent found any alum here either and still looking.

Wont bother me much, the smell might get to me but anything can be over come. The idea is to do this cheaply and had I kept the rabbit skulls I could have done it for almost free I can get 10 pounds of salt for $3.50 so for $3.50 I could do 80 tanning solutions or 640 pelts.

The real question is can I freeze the skulls or just the brains for a month or two?

 

[skysthelimit]

I'm paying a lot more than that. There are other safer products to use for plants and so alum is a bit of a specialty item.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I havent found any alum here either and still looking.

Mary Ann, I saw alum today at BulkBarn. You should have a BulkBarn not too far from you.

http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en-ca/locations.html

THANKS Maggie... I did found some on line i did ordered it. Not all bulk barn carries this kind of stuff. they carries lots and lots of candy. Yuk.... all different kind of flour.. I went in for raw sugar...They didnt have it.. But the grocery stores and walmart had it. So go figure.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

There is an item called a 'brain spoon' which is used to scoop brains form the skull-- Most of the on-kine I am currently finding are referring to a surgical instrument (probably the modern use), a punk rock group and of course, zombies--

The brain spoon is used so that the skulls integrity is preserved. It is inserted where the spinal cord enters the skull

I found that the 'oil' that is the active ingredient in brain tanning is Lecithin-- which we extract from soybeans--and is the 'emulsifier' used in Chocolate and other foods

 

[Secuono]

Wouldn't this work? It's fairly cheap even with shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Bonide-705-4LB-Al ... rds=alum+4