Fur on deer hide tanning (PICTRE HEAVY)

[TurboGirl]

Well, now the heat is off with HWMBO, I've stuck up the tipi as a smoking venue (nothing new there then ), sourced a huuuuuge bagful of punky wood and smoked myself silly this afternoon!

Firstly I tacked 4 hides in a circle on their long sides with garden twine through the lacings from the initial prep/ brain tan. The fifth hide made a top and they were tied into the apex to the tipi, which I'd set up with chimney collars closed to maximise that good ole smoke.

That punk is funny stuff, it took at least an hour to get the calor stove up to temperature but once there, it's smouldered beautifully. I had the long chimney in first to light it-


When the stove was to temperature, I changed to a shorter chimney which puthered the smoke into the bell shaped hides- I'd not made a canvas collar for the chimney as I was worried about not having visiuals inside and I had enough punk to keep the burn going for a good 6-7hrs in a very smokey confined place The smoulder was brilliant, it only flared into flames when the door was opened for feeding, perfect


So heres the shorter pipe puffing away gently... I'm at least as smoky as the hides so am off to dowse myself!

[TurboGirl]

Coo, thank goodness that rainy weather bought me a break! A perfect day fer it meant that 2 hides have been done today....

It was a lovely foot spa on a hot day, fun to do Lukewarm to cool water, washload worth of powder, twenty mins foot twiddling





Followed by six hours scraping over a spined metal metre rule. I can't move my arms


This one is receiving another foot massage from ma Eldest so it all ended well, we're thinking of rubbing some perfumed oil in a small area of one to make it smell beaut... and its a good preserver of skin They are silky with guard hairs and with a thick, springy undercoat on the fur side, smell faintly of woodfire and hair conditioner and I think that'll go well with lavender.

PS My bushcraft betty came.... oooohhhh, John will be impressed

[bushwacker bob]

Thank you for taking the time and pictures Sally. It is one of the best threads we have had on here for a few years and a great read.

[salad]

This is a great thread I really want to have a go at this myself now. My landlord here is a hunter so I might speak to him to see if I can get a hide.

Thanks for this inspirational thread, this should be a sticky I have read stuff like this by people who do this sort of thing regulary but it puts it in a whole new light reading a thread from someone like you who is just simply getting stuck in and having a go .

Good Job i say

[MartinK9]

Saw these hides earlier today, they are looking great. Keep up the good work Sal.

[TurboGirl]

Wow, high praise from my bush bros, thank you very kindly and it's been a real pleasure to do this project! Hard work but big rewards

[TurboGirl]

I'm using different finishing techniques on each hide- I'm doing the worst, smallest first so it gets the more experimental approaches. Thats been worked until dry and then rolled back on itself, fur outwards, to break down the stiffness, then rubbed on the flesh side with a lavender and cleavers massage bar... it smells ammmmmaaaaazing and forms pretty well to shape, its a good technique but the next will get the rolling followed by a wire brushing... possibly a little oiling with veg oil and lavender.... as the hunters wife likes the softer underside and wants one as a wall hanging in their pub

[Cyclingrelf]

I've just found this - well done Sally! An enormous amount of effort - I hope it all paid off in the end - did your hunters wife like the one they got? I'm sorry I missed this before. I got taken out of action for a few months last year. It looks like you did wonderfully well. Dogwood gave me an enormous amount of help when I did mine, and kept recommending a book called Deerskins into buckskins, which I mean to buy before I try my next lot of skins!

[TurboGirl]

Hello, lovey! Yes, it was hard work, as I'm sure you know better than most ... but I had lots of help and encouragement at the Northwood meets, what a grand bunch of lads they are!

The hunter had the beautiful patterned hide and the other hunter, his bro, had the largest and best of the rest.... unfortunately both only preserved rather than fully finished. I did 2 all the way, the first of which went to a most respected meet organiser- we like to make offerings where thanks is due!- tother needs re-doing but I'm hoping to auction the remaining one and preserved fur at a meet auction to fund donations to a fellow meeter who is running 'Tough Mudder' for Help For Heroes in May time The hunters wife, bless her, isn't much interested but he was delighted which is all that matters

I heard a little about your slight mishap (!!) from Elle, we're facebook freinds- what a grand lass!- hope you're back on the mend! If you're thinking about doing more skins, you must be well on the way!

[curiosity]

Very good thread this, but does anybody know why I can't see any of the pictures? Can only see little boxes with red crosses in them - clicking on them doesn't help either!

[Niels]

Very good thread this, but does anybody know why I can't see any of the pictures? Can only see little boxes with red crosses in them - clicking on them doesn't help either!

I can't see anything, either.

[addo]

Good work Sally, shame I cant see the pictures either.

Makes my squirrel furs I've been working on sound a bit pitiless! I had real trouble getting the membrane off when still wet. I was convinced there wasn't one it was so difficult so went on and egged, stretched and dried one of them (as the others hair slipped after just a few hours in the egg, which has happened to me before.) Then the elusive membrane just peeled away easy as pie this morning.
Going to give him a good smoke tomorrow, then try getting some bunnies to make some warm mitts.