# Fur tanning



## Andrei (Nov 25, 2013)

All my life I have sold the pelts raw or had somebody else tan them for a cost so I wanted to start tanning myself.
I did some search and found a recipe that looked easy.
So I rolled up the fresh furs and put them in the freezer.
When I got 15 - 20 of them and found the tanning ingredients I started my first batch a week ago.
Defrosted the furs in warm water.
Dissolved salt in a gallon of hot water.
Mix 8 oz of sulfuric acid in a gallon of cold water.
Pour the 2 gallons in clean 5 gallon plastic bucket.
Set 5 furs nice on top of each other.
On top of the furs place a plastic smaller lid and a brick to keep them all submerged.
Put the lid on the bucket and place it in the garage.
Today I will open it up.
Drain the furs one by one and rinse them in cold clean water.
Remove the swollen tissue from the skin side.
Inspect and place back in the solution for 7 more days.


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## alsea1 (Nov 26, 2013)

My husband uses a citric acid for tanning hides.  
By the way he is a superb taxidermist if anyone is int.


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## bonbean01 (Nov 26, 2013)

Hope your tanning comes out well.  My nephew and his wife raise rabbits for meat and they do skin them and tan them...will have to ask how they do it.  His wife posted a pic today on facebook of winter rabbit fur gloves she was making...she races and trains sled dogs and those mittens look perfect!

What are you planning to make from your furs?  Pretty neat to see people raising animals and learning to use so much of it.  Tanning, and some people spinning wool and making awesome things


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## Hens and Roos (Nov 26, 2013)

Let us know how it works out, my kids asked about learning to tan since we raise meat rabbits- just haven't found enough time to learn and do.


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## Andrei (Nov 26, 2013)

Bossroo said:


> I read somewhere in your postings on this site that you prefer to use all Natural and Organic methods. This procedure does not measure up to either methods.   Furs have been worn  since something like Caveman and Neanderthal times...  just where do you suppose did they get sulfuric acid and plastic buckets, bricks or even use mathematics and measuring cups to transform raw furs to wearable ones ?


You read good and I like your aggressiveness.
It shows vitality.
Sulfuric acid is part of Nature and can be found in liquid form around hot springs of volcanoes and solid sulfur can be found in Nature and one can make the acid with ease. 
Plastic buckets too can be found in nature and more likely on the side of the main roads for one to pick. I get mine from the Natural Food store for free.
Bricks have been around from the time of the Cavemen and I remember being in Rome in an apartment made from brickstones 3 feet thick. So if one walks a lot in Nature might stumble on a brick to use.
I am shocked that you do not see math in Nature. My bees know geometry really good and never mess up with the hexagon. 
One can wear raw furs but it is a bit uncomfortable.

Last night I opened the bucket and with a glove a took the first fur out and let it drain before I dipped it in water to rinse the acid and salt solution.
I start pulling on the tissue on the skin and came of really nice.
The second one was harder because it was from a mature rabbit and after I did half I put them back to wait few more days.


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## Southern by choice (Nov 26, 2013)

I too am interested in tanning...  will be watching for the results.  We have goats and I would love to be able to use the hides. I have heard there are different methods for different hides... have you thought of doing a slideshow?


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## secuono (Nov 26, 2013)

I used alum and salt and got very nice, white, soft pelts. Used mayo and fur isn't coming out, not rotting, but it's like stiff paper on the flesh side. Haven't tried any other methods yet.


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## bonbean01 (Nov 26, 2013)

When we bring lambs to the processor, they always ask...do you want the pelt?  Of course I'm crying each time and the thought of bringing that home is too painful...wish it wasn't so, but that's how it is...kind of think at my age, I'm not going to change that part of it


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## Bossroo (Nov 27, 2013)

[ can wear raw furs but it is a bit uncomfortable.

I deleted my response !


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## Andrei (Nov 27, 2013)

Death is part of life and every molecule in our body was once a molecule in a different living body.
We just need to separate logic from feelings.
I will have some free time this weekend and I will clean them up and inspect them and start stage 2 of the tanning process.
After this first batch of 5 I will do 10 at a time until I eliminate the stock collected this year.


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## Hens and Roos (Nov 27, 2013)

bonbean01 said:


> When we bring lambs to the processor, they always ask...do you want the pelt?  Of course I'm crying each time and the thought of bringing that home is too painful...wish it wasn't so, but that's how it is...kind of think at my age, I'm not going to change that part of it


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## Andrei (Nov 27, 2013)

Bossroo said:


> 1. Cavemen used to dry the skins, then used rocks ,their own hands  and teeth to soften the leather.
> 2. As for a caveman using/making Sulfuric acid, they had no concept of chemistry.
> 3. As for plastic buckets and bricks, the cave men had to teleport themselves  through time to find any on the side of roads or even a Natural Food store.
> 4. While bees have been using the hexagon form out of instinct for growing young and store honey.
> 5. You will have much better luck with the skin of the more mature rabbit than from a younger one.


I understand your challenge and even enjoy it.
1. Cavemen never tan skins and furs because they had Cavewomen to do the job. Study and learn.
2. You are partially right on this one. They had knowledge of acids because they were part of Nature. But they could not explain them in scientific terms.
3. You are 100% right on this one.
4. Can you prove it is instinct and not logic?
5. You probably rely on luck in what you do but I rely on knowledge and skill so ........ I have no use for luck.


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## elevan (Nov 27, 2013)

Please remember the friendly tone that we maintain on this forum when posting.


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## BrownSheep (Nov 27, 2013)

Do any of these methods bleach black furs? I've read there are some methods that will bleach black sheep skins.


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## Andrei (Dec 2, 2013)

I have never tried but maybe oxygen bleach or chlorine bleach might work.

So I had some time and took my furs out of the solution and let them drain and rinse them and then clean the skin of fats and tissue.
On some it came off easy but on few I had to pull too hard and broke the skin so I stopped if it did not came off essay and put them back in the solution for few more days. 
Hope on Tuesday after work to finish them.


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## Andrei (Dec 5, 2013)

So, I took the pelts out with a glove one by one and drain and put them in a 5 gall bucket full of water to rinse.
Take them out and drain them and placing them on a plank of wood with the skin up I cleaned the remaining fat and tissue.
I found out that each one is different and must be gentle with some or they break and pull hard on some because they are stronger.
After I clean them up the best I could I put them back in the solution for one more week or so.
Then it will come the drying process.


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## cybercat (Dec 10, 2013)

A few years ago when I was looking at getting into meat/fur rabbits I ran into a great website on tanning.  Wish I still had it but alas that comp is long gone and I lost all my links.  If I remember right it was by a man called the tanningman.  I will have to see if I can find it again.


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 10, 2013)

please share if you do find it- it would be interesting to read!


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## P.O. in MO (Dec 10, 2013)

Here are a couple of links I saved when I was checking into what was involved in the process 

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/01/22/tanning-rabbit-pelts/

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-tan-rabbit-hides.aspx#axzz2n80JYIvV


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## Andrei (Dec 11, 2013)

I am using the same sulfuric acid recipe and this week I need to take them out and dry them and see how the first batch worked.
After that I have 30+ more to do.


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## frarmer1 (Dec 12, 2013)

secuono said:


> I used alum and salt and got very nice, white, soft pelts. Used mayo and fur isn't coming out, not rotting, but it's like stiff paper on the flesh side. Haven't tried any other methods yet.


  I have done a few rabbits with alum in the past also, and gotten mostly cardboard. I did a few braintanned deerskins and recently tackled the 40 rabbit hides from the freezer.I learned a few things.
I used 1 gal water, 1 cup each alum and salt. Soak fresh, washed hides for 2 to 3 days and then scrape. I have a fencepost with a bi-pod and I use old steak knives with finely serrated teeth to scrape. If you let them soak longer they are harder to scrape. Rex are harder than regular fur, and tear easier, but have better fur. put another cup of salt and alum in the bucket, and soak 7 - 10 days. 
Drain give a good shampoo to the fur, rinse, do a second rinse in 1/4 c vinegar and 5 gal water for 10 min, rinse again and drain. Roll up in a big towel, when the fur starts to fluff, they are dry enough to put the oil on. I have used 1/4 cup neatsfoot with 1/4 cup grated homemade soap to 1 pint water, tanning oil from Rittels,and beargrease.
 I believe my failures were from not enough oil, and not working till dry.You can tell they are dry when they don't feel cool on the flesh side. PH is important, I think the mayo might be too acidic?
I have a 1x6x28 mounted perpendicular in a halved ash log. the top is cut rounded and then sharpened a bit. I pull the hides back and forth across the top.Portable and I can use it sitting down.


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## GLENMAR (Dec 12, 2013)

Were do we get sulfuric acid?
How much salt??


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