Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6139321
01/26/18 09:43 PM
01/26/18 09:43 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 43 Eastern, NE
coilspring-teg
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 43
Eastern, NE
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You will need to flesh those saddles off, but be careful, as you may know, foxes have paper thin skin and it will tear easy under too much pressure.
I have used the orange bottle, alum, The Home Tanning kit from that Idaho company, and Lutan F. I have had the best results, by far with Lutan F. It is easy to follow the instructions, and it consistently produces good, soft tans for me and for my customers.
Foxes generally turn out pretty soft because of their thin skin, the head and between the ears might come out a little stiff. Just be sure to clean all the thin meat off the face and you should be in good shape there.
Good luck!
Teg
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6139389
01/26/18 10:39 PM
01/26/18 10:39 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 38 Louisiana
Fishnbarrel
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 38
Louisiana
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I just tanned a mink with rittels ez tan. Instructions were easy to follow. I used a little too much oil but after working it good it broke fairly easy. It's super soft and pliable. All I gotta do now is buff the leather and then polish it in the dryer on air only. No heat. I will probably buy some lutan F as I have heard nothing but good things about it. The head and neck area are soft and broke but a little stiff. I plan on sanding these areas down a bit when I'm buffing the leather. It should soften up for me, so I've been told. Only my second tan. The first time was an otter and I used brains. Turned out pretty good for my first time, although I wish I had shaved it down some.
The Delta Provides
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6139814
01/27/18 03:50 PM
01/27/18 03:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 38 Louisiana
Fishnbarrel
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 38
Louisiana
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The skin should turn white during the pickle process. I pulled my mink out after 2 days and then removed any left over fat or meat with a dull beaver knife. Spoon for around the head. Once I removed all that I put it back in the pickle for almost 2 days. It was really white. Once I tanned it the skin was kinda bluish which I was told indicates it took in the tan. Once it's drying and you start breaking it it turned white. I used to much oil on mine so it's not so white anymore but it turned from bluish to white when I was pulling.
Last edited by Fishnbarrel; 01/27/18 03:52 PM.
The Delta Provides
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6143125
01/31/18 09:15 AM
01/31/18 09:15 AM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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You can tan without doing anything to the ears, but I wouldn't recommend it. I usually leave the cartilage in if it is going to be a wallhanger as it is easy to shape as it dries and then they hold the shape nicely. However, I split the ear on the backside all the way out and I remove all meat from the base along with the majority of the thick cartilage. After doing a few it is easy to understand what I am talking about. The risk of not splitting the ears is that the pickle wont penetrate, the tan won't take, and the hair will slip on the ears. If you don't shape them as it dries they will clump up and fold in on themselves, like what you see from professional tanneries. Those can be rehydrated and shaped easily though.
Oh, lutan is my personal preference. I've had excellent results with it and tanned dozens of critters without problems...and I have a box of pelts I paid a professional to tan that I couldn't sell, which would have been sold if I just took the time to do them myself.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6143127
01/31/18 09:15 AM
01/31/18 09:15 AM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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Oops, double posted.
Last edited by fingertrapper; 01/31/18 09:18 AM.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6143290
01/31/18 11:56 AM
01/31/18 11:56 AM
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Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 170 Eastern Montana
Rebel Rider
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 170
Eastern Montana
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Thanks! I've skinned coyotes and taken out the cartilage. I didn't split the fox since I didn't know about that. (I'm assuming by splitting, you mean separating the cartilage from the back side of the ear like you're going to cut it for stretched pelts, but without cutting?) It's certainly not good enough to hand on a wall since everything past the neck got smashed, but I wanted to learn on it so I don't mess up something I want to put on the wall. EDIT: Looks like the ears are slipping. The corn meal worked quite well to make the bit of pelt that survived pretty though.
Last edited by Rebel Rider; 01/31/18 12:45 PM.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6143481
01/31/18 03:34 PM
01/31/18 03:34 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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Correct about the splitting.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6174125
03/01/18 10:51 AM
03/01/18 10:51 AM
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Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 33 Canada, Ste-anne, Manitoba
Rudy S
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 33
Canada, Ste-anne, Manitoba
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I also have a question about Tanning a Fox. i`ve had to freeze the pelt, as i had nothing to flesh the animal with, It was in the freezer for a year, i finaly took it out, fleshed it, took the ear cartilage out. Im using the Orange bottle solution, ive salted, put it in the salt water for the 15 mins like they mention, and so on and so forth. im at the drying stage, i notice as im brushing the fur a lot is coming out. is it due to the freezing so long? will it not work? not much i can do with it at this point?!
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6174216
03/01/18 11:54 AM
03/01/18 11:54 AM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,519 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,519
james bay frontierOnt.
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Its hard to say exactly what is happening.It could be many different causes.Is it coming out in big clumps leaving bald spots or is it just loose hair all over the skin?
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6174368
03/01/18 02:38 PM
03/01/18 02:38 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,519 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,519
james bay frontierOnt.
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Don't brush it until the pelt is dry.The hair follicles haven't tightened up yet.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Rudy S]
#6176933
03/03/18 10:23 PM
03/03/18 10:23 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,652 Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,652
Rodney,Ohio
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I've used the orang bottle on muskrat ,weasel and this time fox. So far so good. All intructios are on the bottle, very easy to use. I would do it again. But then again I havent used anything else yet. Good luck Half the directions are there, some steps that would save your hides are not there.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6181078
03/08/18 10:32 AM
03/08/18 10:32 AM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,084 MO
cfowler
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,084
MO
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Some good info on this site. Been dabbling with fur tanning, and using the orange bottle stuff. The orange bottle stuff will work, but I don't think it's the best or easiest way to achieve a nicely tanned fur. Tanning isn't gonna be easy regardless of which product you use. It's pretty labor intensive if a quality result is wanted. It's shown me where proper skinning and put-up are impoetant to the finished tanned fur. I love the idea of being able to catch the animal, and then processing it into a ready to use fur. I appreciate you guys sharing your knowledge and experience. Sure beats fumbling around in the dark. Tanning fur is a pretty exciting process to me. I am ordering a few supplies soon to try some other products. Thanks again for all the useful info posted on this site.
I trap for fun. I skin 'em for the money! Grinners For Life-Lifetime Member, MO Chapter, Den #1 ~You Grin, You're In~
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: SNIPERBBB]
#6182964
03/10/18 02:35 AM
03/10/18 02:35 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,099 WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 10,099
WI - Wisconsin
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[/quote] These days I use citric acid. Used a formic acid pickle(krowtann) a few years ago...that stuff is nasty to work with and you better have safety gear with it.[/quote]
I wonder how safe the orange bottle stuff is to work with, or that Rittel's EZ tan-100 stuff. Those are the 2 main home tanning kits I'm aware of.
Last edited by AJE; 03/10/18 02:37 AM.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: SNIPERBBB]
#6183754
03/10/18 09:50 PM
03/10/18 09:50 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 530 southwest Alberta .Canada
RKH
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 530
southwest Alberta .Canada
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Straight vinegar isn't that strong of a pH for tanning, distilled white at best is 2.4-2.5. Wine and cider vinegars are even weaker.
These days I use citric acid. Used a formic acid pickle(krowtann) a few years ago...that stuff is nasty oto work with and you better have safety gear with it. I agree with you on the formic ..have used oxalic acid with good results but now use citric as it also helps with degreasing
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: AJE]
#6184222
03/11/18 12:15 PM
03/11/18 12:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,652 Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,652
Rodney,Ohio
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I wonder how safe the orange bottle stuff is to work with, or that Rittel's EZ tan-100 stuff. Those are the 2 main home tanning kits I'm aware of.
The OBC is a tanning oil, usually these are sulfenated oils and generally safe just use gloves. But never use their directions. Another thing people need to watch for, especially if you dont have the pH strips(never try tanning without these) is that a lot of tap water in the US is hard water and has a higher pH than the rainwater that most tannning kits recommend. That and if you use something to weigh down the hide so it stays in the pickle, it needs to be something inert(like a jug of water) as somethings like masonry(concrete, bricks, etc) can really screw up your pH's.
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Re: Successful hide tanning
[Re: Trapper new]
#6186538
03/13/18 04:08 PM
03/13/18 04:08 PM
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,084 MO
cfowler
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 7,084
MO
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This tanning thing seems to have become an extention of my trapping addiction. It's pretty fascinating. Not only to do, but to see and read about the experiences of others. I'm just getting into it and learning, but it is fun. LOT of work involved in the fun, but still fun.
Sniper, that web site you made is pretty cool. Valuable tool for finding info quick. Thank you!
I trap for fun. I skin 'em for the money! Grinners For Life-Lifetime Member, MO Chapter, Den #1 ~You Grin, You're In~
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