First Attempt At Brain Tanning

[comanche 3,041]

On 31/10/2017 at 16:34, j j m said:

looks good mate

My second attempt ended in failure. I tried a squirrel skin but  there was a patch that to my mind hadn't taken the tan properly and was a bit stiff to soften-up so I left it soaking in a bucket of  water with a veiw to applying some more brain solution.

Unfortunatly I left the bucket on the ground under the rain-butt and the skin disappeared.

I have strong suspicions that an small, elderly  black lurcher may have been involved

Undeterred, I'm a month into messing about with oak-tanning a couple of A4 size bits of skin( one hair -on ,the other hair-off) with the idea of making a knife sheath.

And I make sure  the tub is well off the ground with the lid on when I'm not around!

[EDDIE B 3,166]

40 minutes ago, comanche said:

My second attempt ended in failure. I tried a squirrel skin but  there was a patch that to my mind hadn't taken the tan properly and was a bit stiff to soften-up so I left it soaking in a bucket of  water with a veiw to applying some more brain solution.

Unfortunatly I left the bucket on the ground under the rain-butt and the skin disappeared.

I have strong suspicions that an small, elderly  black lurcher may have been involved

Undeterred, I'm a month into messing about with oak-tanning a couple of A4 size bits of skin( one hair -on ,the other hair-off) with the idea of making a knife sheath.

And I make sure  the tub is well off the ground with the lid on when I'm not around!

I think I've seen a weight placed on pelts too, to make sure all the pelt is inside the liquid.

[comanche 3,041]

1 hour ago, EDDIE B said:

I think I've seen a weight placed on pelts too, to make sure all the pelt is inside the liquid.

You are right but as I'm an incurable fiddler I tend to sloosh it about and turn the skins over everyday. It's all a bit seat of the pants using the most basic instructions I could find; but interesting as the tanning liquid really does get paler as the skin absorbs the tannin from it. I started with a very weak bath before transfering the skins to  a slightly stronger one and I've already had to add some more  solution to keep the colour up. This could be  an on-going thread as  apparently it could take weeks of topping-up and a final full strength bath for the tan to  reach the centre of the skin.

That's if a certain  elderly black lurcher bitch doesn't decide to curtail the experiment!

Edited December 4, 2017 by comanche
spellink mistaik

[comanche 3,041]

Well after over two months of sloshing ,topping-up the tub and a final bath in the full-strength  solution I had two bits of slimey oak-tanned leather.

Clearly my technique wasn't perfect as there are some weird marks on the leather and I had to get the Bic razor out to shave-off a few hairs but after a wash and brush-up it looked like a passable result for a first attempt.

After an evening punching holes with a nail and a bit of "bloke"sewing I ended-up with this.

Not a work of art but functional.

 

[EDDIE B 3,166]

8 hours ago, comanche said:

Well after over two months of sloshing ,topping-up the tub and a final bath in the full-strength  solution I had two bits of slimey oak-tanned leather.

Clearly my technique wasn't perfect as there are some weird marks on the leather and I had to get the Bic razor out to shave-off a few hairs but after a wash and brush-up it looked like a passable result for a first attempt.

After an evening punching holes with a nail and a bit of "bloke"sewing I ended-up with this.

Not a work of art but functional.

 

nothing wrong with that comanche. Great job!?By the way, you can get those sowing kits with propper needles and threads on ebay.