comanche 2,799 Posted May 28, 2018 Report Share Posted May 28, 2018 Well i may have taken-on more than I can deal with but flushed by success of the bark-tanned knife sheath and brain-tanned deer skin(I'll forget the lurcher vs squirrel skin debacle) I'v e agreed to have a go at a Dexter cow hide for a friend . Luckily there is no pressure but if it works I'll get brownie points. Wheely-bin alum bath. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EDDIE B 3,120 Posted May 29, 2018 Report Share Posted May 29, 2018 What you using as a fleshing tool comanche? Hope it goes well for you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
comanche 2,799 Posted May 29, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2018 3 minutes ago, EDDIE B said: What you using as a fleshing tool comanche? Hope it goes well for you. It's an old draw knife. Thanks for the good wishes. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foxdropper 17,092 Posted June 3, 2018 Report Share Posted June 3, 2018 Good luck with the project mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Navek Posted June 3, 2018 Report Share Posted June 3, 2018 Good luck mate I was thinking doing one with one them big old fuzzy highland cattle but couldn’t sorce one Quote Link to post Share on other sites
comanche 2,799 Posted June 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) Well I managed the cow-hide. Its come out OK enough for me and with a bit of trimming-up has made a reasonable rug. The woman I did it for is pleased .Though I did warn her that the real test will come in winter when her under-floor heating kicks -in. At the same time I also did a sheep-skin from a rather hairy thing that I'd swapped last year for a ewe lamb that was too good to chop up for the freezer. My mate had her for breeding and I got "Slash" ,named for his resemblance to the Guns & Roses bloke, in exchange. Turned-out he couldn't play the guitar though .So he's in the freezer now. I'm really pleased with the result apart from the fact I have a lot of blxxdy combing to do before he's finished! Cow-hide =never again ,ever! Sheep = I could be tempted,possibly. Edited June 22, 2018 by comanche 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EDDIE B 3,120 Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 (edited) They came out well comanche. What method did you use? Sorry, i see it was Alum. Are you happy with this method? Would you recommend it? Edited June 23, 2018 by EDDIE B Quote Link to post Share on other sites
comanche 2,799 Posted June 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 7 hours ago, EDDIE B said: They came out well comanche. What method did you use? Sorry, i see it was Alum. Are you happy with this method? Would you recommend it? Eek ,I'm no expert. having attempted brain tanning,the proper (ish)bark tanning and alum bath methods I guess the alum&salt bath involved less "seat of the pants" experimentation. I had real trouble stretching the fibres in the cow -hide to soften it after it had been in the alum bath because of the sheer weigh,size and thickness. In the end I used the native American thing of beating it with a rock from the centre outwards to stretch the fibres. It's a bit stiffer than the professionally tanned skins.I don't know if that's down to my weedyness or the method. The sheep was a pig(!!!)to handle wet due to the weight of the fleece but as it dried the skin was easy to stretch and is lovely and pliable. I'm wondering if starting with a well dried skin would be easier. Perhaps strip the worst of the flesh and membrane off when its wet then put it in a rack to dry like parchment. Then use rough sand-paper to get more of the membrane off before the pickling bath. Whatever,its the cleaning up and preparation where 75% of the work is. Short answer EDDIE,is the alum& salt worked well and is cheap. Hark at me! I'm no expert just cursed with a child-like enthusiasm. The skins could start to smell like box of dead moles in a few months time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,189 Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Always liked a longhorn or a mottled cow hide but they are really expensive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Qbgrey 3,981 Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Went to the south of england show a few months back,a guy was selling cowhides,very nice too,he was covering furniture with em,he wanted from 200 to 400 per hide if i recall,furniture looked great,but bloody dear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The one 8,396 Posted August 26, 2018 Report Share Posted August 26, 2018 Nice going if they work out ive seen the price of them in the shops Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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