Deer hide??
- Thread starter Redfrog
- Start date
River Runner
New member
Well not really...the way you want to do it.
I mean you can throw it in the back yard for a week, or simply submerge it in water for several days and you'll get the hair to slip. But it will by no means slip clean to the point you can make leather out of it.
You should flesh the hide right down to the skin literally, and shave any thick spots like the neck all ahead of time so that the chemicals can get to the skin.
Get yourself some Calcium Hydroxide. Mix 1.5 pounds of that to every gallon of luke warm water you need to submerge the hide. It will have to soak for 5 to 7 days depending on the temperature.
Once your able to rub your hand against the grain of the hair and it easily slides off, pull the hide out, rinse it well, throw it on a beam or table and wisk away the hair with your hand or the flat edge of a stick. A flat edged stick is best because it *scuds the hide as you go. (stretches the fibers)
Once you have all the hair removed you'll need to soak the hide again. Your going to delime the hide. This time use 2oz. of Lactic acid or (and both work) 1/2 pound of Ammonium Sulfate to 10 gallons of water. Agititate it often and leave it in for 10 to 12 hours.
After that you can pull the hide out, rinse it well again and hang it to drain while you mix another solution to soak it in. Your going to put the enzymes back into the skin that it was depleted of while soaking in the Calcium Hydroxide.
This time you'll need 4oz of Oropon and another 10 gallons of water. Mix it up good, submerge the hide in it, agitate it often and let it soak for 24 hours before you pull it out, rinse it, drain it and proceed with the tanning.
I mean you can throw it in the back yard for a week, or simply submerge it in water for several days and you'll get the hair to slip. But it will by no means slip clean to the point you can make leather out of it.
You should flesh the hide right down to the skin literally, and shave any thick spots like the neck all ahead of time so that the chemicals can get to the skin.
Get yourself some Calcium Hydroxide. Mix 1.5 pounds of that to every gallon of luke warm water you need to submerge the hide. It will have to soak for 5 to 7 days depending on the temperature.
Once your able to rub your hand against the grain of the hair and it easily slides off, pull the hide out, rinse it well, throw it on a beam or table and wisk away the hair with your hand or the flat edge of a stick. A flat edged stick is best because it *scuds the hide as you go. (stretches the fibers)
Once you have all the hair removed you'll need to soak the hide again. Your going to delime the hide. This time use 2oz. of Lactic acid or (and both work) 1/2 pound of Ammonium Sulfate to 10 gallons of water. Agititate it often and leave it in for 10 to 12 hours.
After that you can pull the hide out, rinse it well again and hang it to drain while you mix another solution to soak it in. Your going to put the enzymes back into the skin that it was depleted of while soaking in the Calcium Hydroxide.
This time you'll need 4oz of Oropon and another 10 gallons of water. Mix it up good, submerge the hide in it, agitate it often and let it soak for 24 hours before you pull it out, rinse it, drain it and proceed with the tanning.
[edit] spelling
Redfrog
Moderator
Thanks Jim, I wasn't planning on tanning, only drying the cleaned/fleshed hide. I've done moose hides before and just submerged them in a creek for a week wuth a good water flow, took them out and scraped and stretched them. the finished product lasted for years and was used for lacing to repair snowshoes, chew bones for the pups etc.
I thought there was a process using lime to to get the hair to slip,and this may be it.
After it's fleshed and the hair is off, do I still need the oropon treatment if I'm not tanning?
I thought there was a process using lime to to get the hair to slip,and this may be it.
After it's fleshed and the hair is off, do I still need the oropon treatment if I'm not tanning?
River Runner
New member
Actually Calcium Hydroxide IS lime. Hydrated lime. Not to be confused with agriculture lime is why I never mentioned it.
Do you still need the Oropon if your not tanning? I'm going to say probably not. But don't hold that to me. As I'm sure you already know...I'm really against the process your describing anyway.
Your making a fleshed dried hide, there will be no conversion to leather process here. And yea I know..."where did the Indians get their chemicals?" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
They improvised, and it worked.....for a while.
But your safe Redfrog, hell...your so damn old you'll be long gone before the things starts going to hell /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif or so I been reading. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Do you still need the Oropon if your not tanning? I'm going to say probably not. But don't hold that to me. As I'm sure you already know...I'm really against the process your describing anyway.
Your making a fleshed dried hide, there will be no conversion to leather process here. And yea I know..."where did the Indians get their chemicals?" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
They improvised, and it worked.....for a while.
But your safe Redfrog, hell...your so damn old you'll be long gone before the things starts going to hell /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif or so I been reading. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
River Runner
New member
LMAO!
Nice lure /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I never been baited before like that.
I'm against it because there is no way its going to have any of the qualities we all have come to expect from leather.
It may last you some time Redfrog, don't get me wrong. But it is far from a piece of leather. It will have non of the bug proofing qualities, or any other assets that a simple piece of leather has earned over the years.
I know folks that threw deer hides on their tractor seats without ay processing, care etc. They lasted for years. First the hair fell out while they swatted flys which took a while because it was January /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif then they slowly unknowingly dried the hide out by leaving it set in the sun on the tractor in the sun and wind etc. And eventually everything took place and the ole seat cover got smaller and smaller......cool, no biggy right? Bubba we need another deer hide. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Nice lure /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I never been baited before like that.
I'm against it because there is no way its going to have any of the qualities we all have come to expect from leather.
It may last you some time Redfrog, don't get me wrong. But it is far from a piece of leather. It will have non of the bug proofing qualities, or any other assets that a simple piece of leather has earned over the years.
I know folks that threw deer hides on their tractor seats without ay processing, care etc. They lasted for years. First the hair fell out while they swatted flys which took a while because it was January /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif then they slowly unknowingly dried the hide out by leaving it set in the sun on the tractor in the sun and wind etc. And eventually everything took place and the ole seat cover got smaller and smaller......cool, no biggy right? Bubba we need another deer hide. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Redfrog
Moderator
I know it 's not leather . I don't want leather. I want a dried piece of deer hide to make into a old timey lamp shade. It is gonna be the color of those rawhide chew bones for dogs and just as hard. I'll put it on a lampshade frame and my wife will do some silouette art work on it and my sister in law will love it. It 'll let enough light through to show up the silouettes. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Whaddaya think about that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Whaddaya think about that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
River Runner
New member
I think you'll most likely be ok considering what your plans are for it.
IT IS going to be stiff though. I was going to tell you to make sure have it in the position you want it to be when it's dry because there will be very little if any manipulation left to it.
But You've worked with it before so I'm sure you know.
IT IS going to be stiff though. I was going to tell you to make sure have it in the position you want it to be when it's dry because there will be very little if any manipulation left to it.
But You've worked with it before so I'm sure you know.
Redfrog, Years ago I used to make rawhide. To get the hair to slip used to gather eather acorns or oak bark and boil it. This releases I think tannic acid from the oak products. Then used to soak the hide in that for several days. Streatched it out and used a scrapper on it and the hair used to come out fairly easy. Than just left the hide streatched out and let it dry. Dries almost translusent. This should work for what you are wanting. Hope this helps.
Scott.
Scott.