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First Attempt At Brain Tanning


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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:fool:

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. DSCF0219.jpg.bcdad0010d8626a44f6378d278b3a959.jpg

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

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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:fool:

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. DSCF0219.jpg.bcdad0010d8626a44f6378d278b3a959.jpg

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.

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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 by comanche
spellink mistaik
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  • 1 month later...

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.

IMG_0094.jpg.d33f41a93dd7e0306a7ce4ee27e0b892.jpg

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.

IMG_0135.jpg.a42c496b6db85b86c66ad5a46f5eb6f1.jpg

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.IMG_0126.thumb.JPG.cee816704628817357d4462f902dd66f.JPG

 

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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.

IMG_0094.jpg.d33f41a93dd7e0306a7ce4ee27e0b892.jpg

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.

IMG_0135.jpg.a42c496b6db85b86c66ad5a46f5eb6f1.jpg

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.IMG_0126.thumb.JPG.cee816704628817357d4462f902dd66f.JPG

 

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

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