# Anybody out there tan rabbit hides?



## Lorelai (Sep 7, 2011)

DB tried to tan some hides, and they didn't soften properly. He did the sulfiric acid cure. Any thoughts on why it didn't work?


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## oneacrefarm (Sep 7, 2011)

Lorelai said:
			
		

> DB tried to tan some hides, and they didn't soften properly. He did the sulfiric acid cure. Any thoughts on why it didn't work?


If you did not "break" the hide while damp, then it will dry hard. See below:


One crucial part is "breaking" the hide while it is still wet. Some people stretch and pull by hand, some use the back of a chair. If it dries stiff, then wet it again and try breaking it. Here is what I found:

If the hair on the pelts is damp, drape them over something with the hair facing out and allow it to dry. Otherwise, nail or tack the pelts to a plywood board or other flat surface, stretching the skins tightly, and allowing them to begin drying.


Do not let the pelts dry fully. Remove them from the boards while they are still somewhat damp and begin to work the skins. Working a small area at a time, pull the skin in all directions, being careful not to pull so hard as to tear it. The leather should begin to soften and turn white. You can also work the pelts by rubbing and pulling them over a hard edge, such as that of a table or the back of a chair.


Wet the leather with a damp sponge if it begins to get too dry. Repeat Step 4 by dampening the drying leather and re-working it until the pelt begins to remain soft as it dries, instead of becoming hard. Nail or tack the pelts back on to the plywood if you wish for them to dry flat.


If necessary, the skin can be further softened by buffing it with a coarse sandpaper block. Brush the fur side with a small hairbrush, and then massage a small amount of tanning oil into the skin side to finish.


Hope this helps!
Shannon


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## Lorelai (Sep 7, 2011)

Will this give you a soft skin like you'd buy from the store? DB broke them, pulling them over a chair, etc. They just dried hard? If he'd pulled them anymore, they'd have ripped. He's just aiming for soft skins, and while the fur side is nice and soft, the leather side is stiff and feels like paper.


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## oneacrefarm (Sep 7, 2011)

Lorelai said:
			
		

> Will this give you a soft skin like you'd buy from the store? DB broke them, pulling them over a chair, etc. They just dried hard? If he'd pulled them anymore, they'd have ripped. He's just aiming for soft skins, and while the fur side is nice and soft, the leather side is stiff and feels like paper.


Hmm, how long did he leave them in the tanning solution?

Shannon


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## Lorelai (Sep 7, 2011)

One week, then he stripped the fat, and then two more weeks after that.


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## hoodat (Sep 7, 2011)

If you have access to an old dryer you can put damp rabbit skins in it WITHOUT HEAT. Throw in some old running or athletic shoes and let them tumble together, The running shoes will pound on them and help soften them.


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## oneacrefarm (Sep 8, 2011)

Lorelai said:
			
		

> One week, then he stripped the fat, and then two more weeks after that.


Did you add more ingredients to your tanning solution for the second bath? MotherEarthNews suggest recharging the solution by adding the same amount of ingredients as you first put in, before you soak the skins a second time. It may be that they just were not done enough because the tanning solution got somewhat used up the first go round.....Here is the link to the info in MotherEarthNews....

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1983-01-01/How-To-Tan-Rabbit-Hides.aspx

Hope that helps!

Shannon
www.oneacrefarmrabbits.com


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## Lorelai (Sep 8, 2011)

That helps, thanks! We'll try the running shoes trick, since we happen to have one of those old dryers, and DB will also recharge the tanning solution after the first soak.


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