Tanning Hides

[CCourson05]

Alright... I want to know how... Anyone?

Please do not forward me to another site. I've looked at countless sites. I want someone to tell me what they do. I'd prefer not to have to buy anything from a taxidermist site. I'd rather use simple to find ingredients.

 

[20kidsonhill]

When you find out how, can you come help my son do his rabbit hides? We purchased the tanning solution from Cabelas in an orange bottle, I have talked to a lot of small hobby tanners that use this product. But sadly I never got to helping my son tan his hides, Still on our to-do-list.

 

[lil'turkeyma]

I'm still trying to learn more myself.I can do a raw-hide cure on deer and rabbits.I want to learn how to make furs from my skins.You know,fur on,soft flexible skins.To do a raw-hide,which for deer makes a nice wall hanging or stiff rug,or a rabbits makes a nice area to display arrowheads or whatever.I use rabbit skins in display cases for arrowheads,jewerly and such.Anyway,to do one I just clean/flesh/scrape all the meat/fat off the back side and then wash it in dish detergent.Rinse well and stretch lightly and tack/nail to a barn wall or such.I will salt mine while they are still laying on the table I cleaned them on.Let the salt sit for a day or two to help it start drying before I tack them up.A rabbit is very easy to do like that and does last pretty well.They are thin and will tear easily after drying.You need to take care of a hide just like you do the meat.Get it cool and clean as soon as you can.Cool first and fast.I have been looking into brain tanning and did bookmark a site somewhere.Should be a more natural way to do it without all those nasty chemicals.If I ever get one done like that I'll post details.Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

i just found this not too long ago: http://www.ssrsi.org/Onsite/bunny.htm
i am going to try it with a groundhog hide. then i have a nice big buck hide that i'd love to do.
hoping i can do lots of animal hides this way. especially rabbits once i get into them.
good luck!

 

[kenfromMaine]

Hi ohiogoatgirl,
Was wondering if you tried that, and how they came out? It seems pretty simple. Anything you might change?
Thanks
ken from maine

 

[Roll farms]

I used a book called, "Home Tanning and Leathercraft simplified" and followed their recipes...every single hide came out. Well, the deer could have been softer but that was more my doing than a failure on the instruction's part. (I thought I'd worked it enough).

I made 'foot' stools, gun racks out of deer feet, tanned a few buns, a deer, our pet skunk when he died, and a raccoon. It was one of those, "OK, I can say I did it." things, like making butter. Just wanted to prove I could but have no desire to do it any more.

eta, book must be out of print, I can't find it anywhere online....bought at a farm store 20 yrs ago or so.

 

[kenfromMaine]

Roll farms
Was the "recipe" the same?
Thanks for the reply.
ken from maine

 

[Hickoryneck]

Roll is this the book? http://www.amazon.com/Tanning-Leathercraft-Simplified-Kathy-Kellogg/dp/0913589047

 

[Roll farms]

Yep, that's the one.

 

[SillyChicken]

I just fleshed some rabbit hides last night.

We use a recipe found in Mother Earth News.. http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-tan-rabbit-hides.aspx#axzz2nrBtM4WJ