Fur tanning

[Andrei]

All my life I have sold the pelts raw or had somebody else tan them for a cost so I wanted to start tanning myself.
I did some search and found a recipe that looked easy.
So I rolled up the fresh furs and put them in the freezer.
When I got 15 - 20 of them and found the tanning ingredients I started my first batch a week ago.
Defrosted the furs in warm water.
Dissolved salt in a gallon of hot water.
Mix 8 oz of sulfuric acid in a gallon of cold water.
Pour the 2 gallons in clean 5 gallon plastic bucket.
Set 5 furs nice on top of each other.
On top of the furs place a plastic smaller lid and a brick to keep them all submerged.
Put the lid on the bucket and place it in the garage.
Today I will open it up.
Drain the furs one by one and rinse them in cold clean water.
Remove the swollen tissue from the skin side.
Inspect and place back in the solution for 7 more days.

 

[alsea1]

My husband uses a citric acid for tanning hides.
By the way he is a superb taxidermist if anyone is int.

 

[bonbean01]

Hope your tanning comes out well. My nephew and his wife raise rabbits for meat and they do skin them and tan them...will have to ask how they do it. His wife posted a pic today on facebook of winter rabbit fur gloves she was making...she races and trains sled dogs and those mittens look perfect!

What are you planning to make from your furs? Pretty neat to see people raising animals and learning to use so much of it. Tanning, and some people spinning wool and making awesome things

 

[Hens and Roos]

Let us know how it works out, my kids asked about learning to tan since we raise meat rabbits- just haven't found enough time to learn and do.

 

[Andrei]

I read somewhere in your postings on this site that you prefer to use all Natural and Organic methods. This procedure does not measure up to either methods. Furs have been worn since something like Caveman and Neanderthal times... just where do you suppose did they get sulfuric acid and plastic buckets, bricks or even use mathematics and measuring cups to transform raw furs to wearable ones ?

You read good and I like your aggressiveness.
It shows vitality.
Sulfuric acid is part of Nature and can be found in liquid form around hot springs of volcanoes and solid sulfur can be found in Nature and one can make the acid with ease.
Plastic buckets too can be found in nature and more likely on the side of the main roads for one to pick. I get mine from the Natural Food store for free.
Bricks have been around from the time of the Cavemen and I remember being in Rome in an apartment made from brickstones 3 feet thick. So if one walks a lot in Nature might stumble on a brick to use.
I am shocked that you do not see math in Nature. My bees know geometry really good and never mess up with the hexagon.
One can wear raw furs but it is a bit uncomfortable.

Last night I opened the bucket and with a glove a took the first fur out and let it drain before I dipped it in water to rinse the acid and salt solution.
I start pulling on the tissue on the skin and came of really nice.
The second one was harder because it was from a mature rabbit and after I did half I put them back to wait few more days.

 

[Southern by choice]

I too am interested in tanning... will be watching for the results. We have goats and I would love to be able to use the hides. I have heard there are different methods for different hides... have you thought of doing a slideshow?

 

[secuono]

I used alum and salt and got very nice, white, soft pelts. Used mayo and fur isn't coming out, not rotting, but it's like stiff paper on the flesh side. Haven't tried any other methods yet.

 

[bonbean01]

When we bring lambs to the processor, they always ask...do you want the pelt? Of course I'm crying each time and the thought of bringing that home is too painful...wish it wasn't so, but that's how it is...kind of think at my age, I'm not going to change that part of it

 

[Bossroo]

[ can wear raw furs but it is a bit uncomfortable.

I deleted my response !

 

[Andrei]

Death is part of life and every molecule in our body was once a molecule in a different living body.
We just need to separate logic from feelings.
I will have some free time this weekend and I will clean them up and inspect them and start stage 2 of the tanning process.
After this first batch of 5 I will do 10 at a time until I eliminate the stock collected this year.