Tanning Furs
#6688708
12/10/19 07:01 AM
12/10/19 07:01 AM
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464 N.W. Pennsylvania
JTaddeo
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464
N.W. Pennsylvania
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Have any of you done your own tanning work?
I can't see trading/wasting these beautiful furs for chump change in a market place that has some seriously screwed up values....
Sending them out for "professional" tanning is seriously cost prohibitive IMHO. I want to make good durable tanned furs to use and wear.
Please point me in the right direction if you can, I'm a reading and hands on kinda guy for sure and I intend on making fine leather.
JT
Keep your boots dry and your powder too.
I remember when a fur check was reality.....now I'm just trapping for the love of it.
Best Regards,
JT
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6688726
12/10/19 07:45 AM
12/10/19 07:45 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106
SEPA
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I have home-tanned dozens of furs. I use Rittle's products and have always had excellent results. Tanning can be a lot of work if you want the skins to be soft and supple. You will have to shave the hides to thin the leather then break them by hand or tumble them. If you are looking for wall-hangers then it is not as critical that they be supple. For example, I tanned some beaver that are displayed on hoops. No need for them to have very soft leather so that eliminated a lot of work. You can get the Rittles EZ-100 Kit from F & T. Here's some I did hanging in my office. A big red fox (under the traps), a yote, skunk and coon.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6688735
12/10/19 07:57 AM
12/10/19 07:57 AM
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464 N.W. Pennsylvania
JTaddeo
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464
N.W. Pennsylvania
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Thanks Lugnut that looks promising. My last go around I followed a method shown in an article in The Mother Earth News. Acid tan using battery acid (I substituted swimming pool chemicals in place of the battery acid) I obtained a very tough, stiff, leather but over twenty years later I still have one of those pelts on a staff I made. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Anyone interested please join in. Perhaps we can compare/share notes and our processes. Might be a good late winter project and some great exercise too.....
Keep your boots dry and your powder too.
I remember when a fur check was reality.....now I'm just trapping for the love of it.
Best Regards,
JT
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6688782
12/10/19 08:44 AM
12/10/19 08:44 AM
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 52 Nebraska
HunterRuss
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 52
Nebraska
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I brain tan all of my hides, very nice hides.
Im a primitive/traditional bowyer. the only glass i use is for flintknapping!
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689032
12/10/19 01:58 PM
12/10/19 01:58 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248 Alaska and Washington State
waggler
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248
Alaska and Washington State
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OP, just a question; where have you found your tanning prices? The reason I ask is that I know from experience if you go to a local taxidermist and ask them for Tanning prices they are going to be sky-high since they just send them out to the actual tanneries. I have found that sending them to the actual tanneries is much more cost-effective then doing them myself. If your time is only worth a dollar or two an hour then maybe you can justify home tanning otherwise I think professional tanning is a much better option, plus they will turn out much nicer than if you do them yourself.
"My life is better than your vacation"
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: waggler]
#6689036
12/10/19 02:00 PM
12/10/19 02:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248 Alaska and Washington State
waggler
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248
Alaska and Washington State
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One of the main reasons home tanning does not result in a comprable product to a professionally tanned skin, is because most home tanners do not have the ability to thin to thick parts of the skin down to approximately the same thickness as the belly skin.
"My life is better than your vacation"
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689044
12/10/19 02:13 PM
12/10/19 02:13 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106
SEPA
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The primary reason I started tanning at home was because of the terrible quality I was getting with different tanneries: missing furs, damaged furs or furs that didn’t even belong to me.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689048
12/10/19 02:16 PM
12/10/19 02:16 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,565 james bay frontierOnt.
Boco
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,565
james bay frontierOnt.
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I agree you can get a far superior product hand tanning skins at home if you have already done the learning curve thru hands on experience. You have to do a lot because each species has its unique peculiarities when it comes to making good long lasting leather when it comes to dressing the pelts. Proper de greasing is very important to getting a long lasting product.
Last edited by Boco; 12/10/19 02:20 PM.
Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689063
12/10/19 02:31 PM
12/10/19 02:31 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248 Alaska and Washington State
waggler
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,248
Alaska and Washington State
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I have done my share of home tanning in the past. In general aquatic animals such as Beaver otter and muskrats are harder to get a good finish on than light skinned animals such as Fox, cats, coyote, and I've even found that Coon are fairly easy to home tan and get a good quality product on. It's just that I figure my time I'm usually better off sending it a way to get tan
"My life is better than your vacation"
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: Boco]
#6689109
12/10/19 03:13 PM
12/10/19 03:13 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106
SEPA
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I agree you can get a far superior product hand tanning skins at home if you have already done the learning curve thru hands on experience. You have to do a lot because each species has its unique peculiarities when it comes to making good long lasting leather when it comes to dressing the pelts. Proper de greasing is very important to getting a long lasting product. I've read your posts on the subject and have seen pics of your work. For the record, I'm not in your league, you do some very nice work.
Eh...wot?
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689115
12/10/19 03:23 PM
12/10/19 03:23 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106 SEPA
Lugnut
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,106
SEPA
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Thanks Lugnut that looks promising. My last go around I followed a method shown in an article in The Mother Earth News. Acid tan using battery acid (I substituted swimming pool chemicals in place of the battery acid) I obtained a very tough, stiff, leather but over twenty years later I still have one of those pelts on a staff I made. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Anyone interested please join in. Perhaps we can compare/share notes and our processes. Might be a good late winter project and some great exercise too..... One of the things I like about Rittle's is their Saftee Acid. Their description: Saftee-Acid is one of the safest acids available today! It provides a wide range of acidity, with none of the disadvantages of other acids, such as, sulphuric/formic/acetic/oxalic! It is practically odorless, with no caustic fumes, non-poisonous, no dilution heat, non-evaporative, and is an excellent choice for pickling as well as adjusting PH levels! We have experimented considerably with this acid, and have found that using it has lived up to all our expectations! Since it is non-hazardous, it is safe to ship anywhere, and because of it's low dosage - it actually saves money! Additionally, I have found that you can hold furs in a Saftee Acid pickle for a long time with no ill-effects. I discovered this when a pail of foxes in a pickle solution got shoved under the bench in my fur shed and forgotten about. I found it months later and decided to finish the tanning and did so with good results, no slippage. I found a pick of a beaver I tanned and hooped a few years ago:
Eh...wot?
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689124
12/10/19 03:47 PM
12/10/19 03:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,498 PA
PAskinner
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4,498
PA
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I also use Rittels safety acid. I then either " brain" tan or barktan the furs. I generally avoid doing beaver, just because of the work in getting them some what soft. I like mink, fox and coon done with quebracho (bark extract). I'm mainly a leather Tanner who does some furs. There's definitely a learning curve, but if you are good at putting up fur that's half the work. [
Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.
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Re: Tanning Furs
[Re: JTaddeo]
#6689372
12/10/19 07:48 PM
12/10/19 07:48 PM
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464 N.W. Pennsylvania
JTaddeo
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 464
N.W. Pennsylvania
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@waggler et al......Well I did check with a co-worker who's father is a taxidermist and just ran a couple of online checks for prices. I see prices like $15.00/muskrat-mink (assuming they like my fleshing work if not add 3.00/hide in need) and I'm looking at over twenty hides so it is a few bucks. I'd have to hang on to three allowances minimum for tanning my hides. This is my own view of things but my time is not worth money at all, it's priceless. Working for a living for corporate wears on my soul. When I make something by hand I have no intentions on making "profits" in anyone's hard currency. I have intention on making something of quality that cannot be done by someone concerned with money. Like a piece of very well built hardwood furniture I suppose. Something a grandchild can actually inherit, the gun case and my old side by side 12ga with a nice pack-basket and some steel. Sometimes I fish with an antique 2 weight bamboo fly-rod from WWII, matching Martin auto reel.....but modern Orvis fly-line. If I catch one native brownie with one of my own hand tied fly's my trip is made and I'm satisfied. (sometimes I catch 40 but that's another kettle of fish entirely) This philosophy, for me at least, goes hand in hand with the reason I decided to trap again. Man do love being out there, it's also priceless to me. I guess it depends on where my values are placed. In any case IF I can solicit the cash from my wife to send my furs out to a tannery I might try that, but I'm not counting on anything from management....hahahaha Even if I do get the cash from her I'll probably buy more traps first....if I look, I bet I can get permission to trap yotes. In fact I already named one HAT.. I appreciate the input from everyone, thank you. JT
Keep your boots dry and your powder too.
I remember when a fur check was reality.....now I'm just trapping for the love of it.
Best Regards,
JT
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