Drying a fox pelt - DIY drying box

[JohnGalway 1,043]

I returned to thinking about skins after shooting a particularly red vixen the last night. My biggest stumbling block has always been, how to dry the pelt effectively, having little access to sunshine or free space!

 

An item I bought last year was a small fan heater. IT was to be part of a project to make a "lamb warming box" to revive hypothermic lambs in Spring. The idea is to connect the fan heater to an electronic thermometer gizmo which then regulates the temperature in the box automatically. For lambs, it'll work just fine.

 

This leads me on to thinking about fox pelts. The one concern I have is actual air circulation within any box for the fox pelts. Given the better than average chance of stink I'd also like to position any box outdoors!

 

Any thoughts on the air circulation factor? Would a sealed box simply become too humid and destroy the pelt? Ideas to counteract that?

 

Obviously we don't want the heater going full tilt all day, as that'd be silly & expensive.

 

All entries on a postcard to........

Edited November 21, 2010 by JohnGalway

[steve109 43]

just salt it real good for a few days then scrape the membrane off [blunt paint sraper]

then salt again and should be dry within a week or so.

[120-2 8]

I use a solution from Snowdonia Taxidermy Supplies, just flesh the skin and immerse in the solution for around 48hrs this will give you and excellent soft tan. Oil to finish.

 

Snowdonia Tanning Kit