How to tan a hide ?

[vfitzer]

I put one cup of alum and one cup of non-oidized salt in about 2/3 of a five gallon bucket of warm water and put the hides in. After two or three days I remove, rinse and scrape the flesh off. I add another cup each of alum and salt to the water and put the hides back in for about seven days. After that I remove, rinse the hides and hang them up until they are slightly damp. then, using my hands, I pull and stretch the hides until they turn white. It's very cool to see them turn white and soften as I work them. Then I lightly shampoo them with a very weak shampoo mixture (I use Pert Plus) only on the fur side them rinse it out and hang to dry. Makes a very soft, nice smelling hide. I have some that are a couple of years old and the fur is still on and not shedding.

Does this method work on treated dry hides? I was given some sheepskin that are several years old that had been fleshed and salted. Wool on.

 

[Zee-Man]

Does this method work on treated dry hides? I was given some sheepskin that are several years old that had been fleshed and salted. Wool on.

The preliminary steps are done, pick up the last soaking. It need not be seven days, though, just enough time for the skin to be fully saturated.

 

[Scooter1A]

Thank you for the wonderful information! I am completely new to raising meat bunnies and have decided to tan the fur. I want to try and use as much of the rabbit as I can, but I still have questions. I will have bunnies ready to go in 4 weeks and I am trying to research and be as ready to go as possible.

I have been able to figure out what I can do with an alum and salt mix once I am done with it, like homemade weed killer. But how do I safely get rid of the acid and salt mix? Or the other tanning options? I am not comfortable with putting it down the drain, I have a septic tank.

I'm working on my first try now. I butchered in November and stapled them to board and covered in salt. Then winter came and they stayed in the garage. I scraped off salt the other day and the flesh pulled off pretty nice, put them in bucket with Dawn dish soap and some soaked for 3 to 4 days. The two I am pulling on now smell good and I'm losing a little fur but not alot. I used a boot oil on them and let them dry and pulled while still kind of damp. Its my first try and I hate chemicals but will probably use alum next time. I did just buy two fleshing tools. I'm going to use some sand paper on the edges for the flesh that is yellow and dried and wont come off. A friend told me to pepper the fur but it's too late for that now.