Tanning Hides

[Funmommy]

I'm looking for knowledge on how to tan hides.
I'm thinking about getting rabbits and am thinking about the hides.
I know there are at least 2 different ways to do it.
One being the use of chemicals and the other using the brains of the animal.
I know NOTHING about the process and NEED to pick the brains of those knowledgeable.
Help Please :)

[NCLee]

I haven't done it either, so I can't speak from experience. (Sorry, wish I could.)

However I just did a google search using the key words - tanning hides

That turned up a number of interesting links that look like they'll be useful. My best suggestion is to spend some time with those. Compare the results from various sites as there's probably some off the wall stuff mixed in with good advice. Soon, you'll be able to zero in on those with sound advice.

Hope this helps, a bit. Wish I could help more.

Lee

[Anon001]

Funmommy,

You first need to decide if you are going to keep the hair on or not. There are some good materials to help you learn from Van Dykes, which is a supplier. I think they are now owned by Cabelas.

I taught myself by just researching on the net and going that route. I've never used a brain tan although I would like to learn. But, either way, it will take time to learn by trial and error. You will most likely ruin a hide or two before you get it down. I started with squirrels.. lol.. then rabbits and coons before working up to beaver and deer.

Good luck.

[longshot]

over at frugal squirrels there is really good pictorial tutorial on tanning rabbit hides.


dean

[Funmommy]

Thank you guys :D
Sorry I haven't responded sooner but Real Life has been totally hectic. :eek:
I haven't even thought on whether I want to keep the skin on or not :confused:
Probably some of each .... Will have to do more research i guess

Thank you dean I'll check it out :D

[KarenBC]

I used to tan rabbit hides, about 10 years ago, using a recipe with coarse salt, granular fertilizer from the plant store and water. This was with the fur on. It took several days, and stretching.

I don't have the exact recipe at hand right now...but will be looking for it - because the ol' homestead is getting fired up again! And rabbits are on the list as soon as I can round up some cages.

[tomato204]

Funmommy said: "I haven't even thought on whether I want to keep the skin on or not"
I think you meant "keep the hair on" but now I'm wondering if rabbit hair makes a good felt. Anybody tried it? You'd get 2 products that way, felt and leather.

[MOSNKSCJS]

Not sure if this info is still needed, but I found a great pdf when I was searching for info on tanning squirrel hides. Perhaps this will help.

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/pdfs/tanninghides.pdf

Regards,

Nathan

[Delmar Morgan]

Here is a couple of books "The Complete Book of Tanning Skins and Hides " by James Churchill and "Deerskins into Buckskins" by Matt Richards the last one is about brain tanning and there is a video out about brain tanning

[Phil_Oz]

I'm looking for knowledge on how to tan hides.
I'm thinking about getting rabbits and am thinking about the hides.
I know there are at least 2 different ways to do it.
One being the use of chemicals and the other using the brains of the animal.
I know NOTHING about the process and NEED to pick the brains of those knowledgeable.
Help Please :)

Hi there Funmommy.

I'm 'not from 'round here' from your POV, but this might help in some way, so will post anyways.

I did some home tanning (of rabbit and 'roo skins) quite some time ago, and I used a home tanning kit call 'Leidretters' which was available in gunshops here in Australia.
The same sort of product, different name, is still available these days - link;
http://www.valleycountry.com.au/catalogue/horse_rider/for_the_stable/leather_fabric_care/leather_tanning_products/leders_tanning_kit_utility_kit_500ml
Its called a 'Leders' Tanning Kit.

Another, somewhat different kit is sold by a keen (Italian I think) deer hunter here as well - Pizzaris;
http://www.pizzari.com.au/
(It's a based on a powder mix, with a follow up oil treatment).

Now you may be able to order those kits from Oz - don't know.

The old Leidretters kit was based on chrome tanning, suspect the Pizzari one is too.

However, besides brain tanning, there is another traditional tanning method used in Australia, using barks which are heavy in tannin - particularly wattle bark. You may have some sort of equivalent trees? (I have seen references to oak bark).
http://www.gretannery.com.au/profile.htm

(A bit more info here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning ).

A tip;
If you are doing rabbit, rather than stretching the hides on a frame, try this;
.Take some heavy gauge fencing wire, probably about 2 1/2 feet thereof - bend it into a 'U' shape.
. When you butcher your rabbit, skin it as a 'Tube' ie, not flat.
.You turn the skin flesh out, hair in, and slip it over the U of wire, simply hang it up using the wire.
.If the wire is stiff and springy enough, it will do as good a job as pegging it out on a frame.
.Doesn't work for anything too much bigger than rabbit or hare though - maybe a fox tops?

More here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning

[Phil_Oz]

Funmommy said: "I haven't even thought on whether I want to keep the skin on or not"
I think you meant "keep the hair on" but now I'm wondering if rabbit hair makes a good felt. Anybody tried it? You'd get 2 products that way, felt and leather.

Rabbit fur does indeed make good felt. One use is for the Aussie Akubra hat (and the Australian Army 'slouch' hat is made this way, of rabbit fur felt).

http://www.akubra.com.au/create_making.html

...Most hats are manufactured from a mixture of furs from beavers, hares and rabbits. These are selected and used in percentages to suit the makers' preferences. Very fine hats are produced from these mixtures.

The largest market is for hats made from rabbit fur. Rabbit skins are obtained from many countries - England, Australia, New Zealand, many parts of continent of Europe, China and South America. English skins are preferred by some manufacturers, but Australian skins rank highly.

The fur used in manufacturing felt hats is the downy-under-fur of these animals, not the long, coarse hair commonly called fur. This under-fur has tiny barb-like projections on the surface of each fibre and these barbs lock the fibres to make strong felt....

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8znWPIMIFrKil88r7f61uEZ3vT0vol 2UZGcSETjt68R8tq5IWrQ

[Mitch]

? I am not really sure you are being told the truth here. Rabbits have very poor fur and very thin hides. I have been trapping for 40 years and no one I know will fool with a rabbit hide. They tear very easily and are hard to flesh by standard methods.

If good quality fur and leather is your object start with beaver, fox, coyote, coon, or bobcat. If you don't trap yourself, find a trapper in your area and buy "green" hides from him. Deer does well and you can usually get all the hides you can manage for about $1 each from slaughter houses during deer season.

You do realize that tanning is a real chore! I use acid tanning with regular old diluted battery acid from a car parts store. Much better than brain tanning or white oak tanning or smoking, but you still got to "break" the hides and neatsfoot oil or mineral oil them. You got a lot of work in home made leather! Why do you think most trappers sell their furs without tanning them?

But rabbit? like trying to "push" a log chain.

The "Old ways" aren't necessarily better. There use to be "Fullers" in the world. They went around the town and collected urine from all the homes and poured it in a big vat and filled it full of wool and got in and stomped around for a day or two, letting the urine leach out the oil in the wool! Want to learn that old skill?

Eat the rabbit and toss the hide.

Mitch

[BlueJae]

I started out tanning deer tails (worked at a deer processor and the fur buyer didn't mind tailless hides) using alfalfa hay then later battery acid. I found the acid solution is easier and faster than alfalfa hay.
I've tanned deer tails, once a whole deer hide (failed), rabbit, fox, coyote, and mink. I'm getting pretty good with the smaller hides and thought the rabbits were fairly easy although they are for decoration purposes only so small holes don't matter.
Just make sure you have the available space and equipment/materials and you'll be fine. There's a lot of wiggle room in tanning and loads of natural material recipes.
Good luck