Tannery?

[Secuono]

Anyone know a person or company that will tan rabbit hides?
It's not worth me doing it.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

They didn't turn out?

I think a tannery would be very expensive. I wanted to get a cowhide done when we butchered our steer and was told to just buy one if I wanted one. Apparently they get them done in Mexico and are able to sell the finished product at a better price than having it done locally.

 

[Secuono]

Well, I'm doing a lot of things all at once.
My fiance's dog, Bella, ate half of my perfect large adult white pelt....Really put me off from working with the others until tonight.
I pulled them from the 2nd bath and let them dry, IE turn into raw hide. I've been spritzing one and stretching, but I need to buy mink oil before I get too far into this.
Found out that even adult hide will tear, hide is not even and weak near the edges. Whoops.
Was just hoping to find a place where if I stock piled 50-100 pelts, they could do it for an acceptable price if I ended up not being able to do them myself. I have weak wrists and finger, like my mother, so it's not easy to stretch them and I hate having to stop/pause until my hands feel better, really throws off my will to bother with them.

I will still post to my other thread when I finish one pelt, I swear! They fur smells like real fur you buy and it's so soft, I really cannot wait to be done and roll on the fluff!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm sorry Bella ate one, but at least it didn't have a bunny inside it at the time!

Maybe you should try a couple damp ones in the dryer on "fluff" or whatever setting you have with no heat, and toss some tennis balls or baseballs in there with them to break the hide. Another method I read about somewhere was to hold them by either end and pull them back and forth over a banister railing or chair back.

I probably have fifty pelts at least in my freezer, so if you find somewhere, let us know!

 

[Secuono]

Here is the pelt Bella ate, I'm trying to salvage it. It used to be 1.5 times winder...I cannot get the mud off the flesh side, got most of it out of the fur, though.

Here is one I've been working on tonight. Need to get the oil to finish it. It's very soft and floppy, but don't know if it will stay like that tomorrow w/o the oil.

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't work any oil int mine, once it's stretched white, it should stay.

I will see about tanning, any taxidermist in your area, maybe hunting blubs?

 

[Secuono]

Got a full weekend, so I'll start looking for locals on Monday.
If it does stay nice tomorrow, then maybe I can skip the oil. But I think the oil is to make it more water resistance.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have heard of oiling them too, but wonder how you avoid getting oil on the fur?

 

[Secuono]

I have heard of oiling them too, but wonder how you avoid getting oil on the fur?

Magic?
OCD carefulness?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have heard of oiling them too, but wonder how you avoid getting oil on the fur?

Magic?
OCD carefulness?

:idea: DING! They probably trim the hide after they oil it, and cut the oily parts off! :slap:

 

[Secuono]

Maybe add some flour or DE to soak up any oil in the fur and then brush out?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Or baking soda or even cornstarch... :?

 

[skysthelimit]

Hmm...

http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/2011/ ... hides.html

seems like quite a few people use neats foot oil. I haven't really thought much about this, because the skin side is covered for what I am using them for (removable fur collars, mufflers, gloves) but I also have a jar of the horsemans friend, which is a leather cream.

 

[Secuono]

Whooo-hooo! The hide is still soft and flexible this morning!!
=D
Yay, so happy one is done!
It looks the same as the pic of it I posted last night, except it's several hours older now.

 

[GBov]

If anyone ever finds someone to do hides at a reasonable price let me know please, my freezer has more hides than meat in it by now :lol:<br /><br />__________ Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:38 pm __________<br /><br />http://www.usafoxx.com/fur-tanning-pricelist.htm

Is the only one I can find with a google search.

 

[Secuono]

I'm working on the one the dog ate, flesh side is stained, I cannot tell if it's 'whitening' because of the stain. It's still wet feeling, maybe tomorrow it'll be dry enough to be near done, then I can get back to the others.<br /><br />__________ Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:17 pm __________<br /><br />The one the dog ate my fiance power sanded and is taking it to work. Got the 2nd white near done, 3rd white is still taking forever to moisten. Took two, black young pelts out the bucket to work after the 3rd white is done.

 

[WallTenter]

Hmm reading this thread and made me think... wonder if a person used some better smelling oil if the rabbit fur would always smell nice like that... like lavender infused oil? mmmmm I so want to line a jewelry box with that!