Curing a deer skin

[Gazza.H.18 2]

I have just got a deer skin off my mate , and i was wanting to try cure it n dry it out. I have done this with rabbit skins before n just used salt rubbed in and let them dry . But this doesn't always get a good dried out skin and stil attracts moisture to it . Does anyone have any ideas how i could do this skin , and get a good finish to it???

 

any help or ideas would be helpful.

[waidmann 105]

if you put it in a barrel with alchohol it removes the fats out of the skin( after having removed any flesh) there is an additive called aulan( should get it from a taxidermists) which prevents beetles etc eating it.

this will be a hard skin.

 

there are books and internet sites available for any more info you may need.

[leegreen 2,100]

Are you going to make a loin cloth?

[Gazza.H.18 2]

Haha a don't think i'll making a loin cloth mate . Well i have stripped the fat and left over meat off the skin with a knife , and now i have put it in a barrel of salty water to get rid of the blood , going to soak it for a day then salt it by hand. See what happens.

 

Thanks for advice

[dicehorn 38]

A friend of mine did a very good job with a roe deer skin and eventually used it as a mat near his fireplace, however it did not take long for the fur to start coming off the skin.

 

When he finally enquired about this deterrioation he was informed that the deer's pins (fur) was hollow (unlike human hair) and when it dried out and was walked upon, this caused the pins to become brittle and bald patches developed - safest place is on the wall.

[fireblade_rrw 20]

Not the best skins to cure or make a mat with - the hairs are 'hollow' and once dried, they simply snap and break off, making a helluva mess.

Edited December 5, 2009 by fireblade_rrw