Where to get tanning chemicals?

yacolt yote

New member
I would like to tan some coyote hides myself and want to tan them like garment tanning. I want the leather to be soft and a light tan color. I have tanned in the past using a chrome tan method but want to do garment tanning. From what I have read do I need to tan in Alumminum Sulfate to get a garment tan and if so where can I buy that chemical? Thanks. Bruce
PS.. Are there any other chemicals on the market that produce a soft tan color garment tan?
 
I've tanned some coyote and fox with a sulfuric acid tanning method where you use plain salt and battery acid. The hide comes out soft and plyable. It will also come out white in color. I was going to try to give one of the hides a little smoke treatment to give it a little bit of a tan color and make it somewhat water repelant. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The recipe is pretty simple. To two gallons of water add 2 1/2 pounds of salt and about 8 ounces of battery acid. Leave the fleshed hide in the mix for about a week. Remove it and rince well. Then when it is about dry, but a little damp yet, begin working and streching it to keep it soft.
 
First off...I'd like to welcome Mr. Kelly to the board /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yacolt Yote, 90% of the garment commercial tanneries today use chrome tanning methods. The problem is, it's getting harder and harder to obtain, and dispose of because of it's caustic properties.
There is a ton of chemicals available today ready to replace it.
You can buy the chemicals in kits or bulk, which ever you choose.

My first reccomendation would be
Van Dykes Taxidermy Supply
and then
Rittel's when your ready to go all out and buy your chemicals in bulk.
 
If you use the acid you should rince in water with some baking soda added to kill the acid. I have used this for alot of coyote, deer, coon, ect... Also use alum solution will keep them light color.
 
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