Post by gj123 on Jan 28, 2021 5:17:28 GMT -5
Hi
I am wanting to attempt tanning, I live in Malawi and thought it would be cool. I can get an entire good quality adult goatskin in the market for the equivalent to about 50 American cents. Home tanning seems to be the only option as hides in Malawi are only dried and then shipped out to other countries such as Zambia. I was drawn to tanning as I started working with other animal parts such as horn to make things for fun. I would like to do hair on tanning but from my research brain, yolk and soap tanning seems to be the only options due to limited supplies available.
Due to not having fleshing equipment and thought of using a pressure washer or an angle grinder with a course wire cup wheel to remove fat and membrane (there is no meat attached). Then build a frame to stretch the skin on. Not sure about salting or not as I have read to salt and not to salt, not sure about weather and climate as it is fairly hot here and we are in the middle of the rainy season so it is also quite humid. After it is dried I would soak it, let it dry a bit and then use an old blender to make the brain mixture. Not sure if I can sure brain as I read about it needing certain temperatures and do yolk also require certain temperatures.
Summary of questions:
Do yolk and brain tanning require certain temperatures to store once on the hide?
How long should a goat hide be kept with brain or yolk solution? Is it advised I break the hide and reapply the solution every once in a while like 12 hours?
Can glycerine be applied to keep soft after smoked so less breaking is required? I used glycerine for a monitor lizard skin as I read guys doing it to skin snakes and it seemed to work, but reptiles and mammal skins are not the same.
Will a pressure washer or an angle grinder with a wire cup wheel be able to remove the fat and membrane?
How long would be required to break the skin if sanded beforehand for a goatskin?
Can any wood be used for the smoking process?
Should any oil or leather care type product be applied after being brain/yolk tanned, smoked and left in a bag after smoking?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
I am wanting to attempt tanning, I live in Malawi and thought it would be cool. I can get an entire good quality adult goatskin in the market for the equivalent to about 50 American cents. Home tanning seems to be the only option as hides in Malawi are only dried and then shipped out to other countries such as Zambia. I was drawn to tanning as I started working with other animal parts such as horn to make things for fun. I would like to do hair on tanning but from my research brain, yolk and soap tanning seems to be the only options due to limited supplies available.
Due to not having fleshing equipment and thought of using a pressure washer or an angle grinder with a course wire cup wheel to remove fat and membrane (there is no meat attached). Then build a frame to stretch the skin on. Not sure about salting or not as I have read to salt and not to salt, not sure about weather and climate as it is fairly hot here and we are in the middle of the rainy season so it is also quite humid. After it is dried I would soak it, let it dry a bit and then use an old blender to make the brain mixture. Not sure if I can sure brain as I read about it needing certain temperatures and do yolk also require certain temperatures.
Summary of questions:
Do yolk and brain tanning require certain temperatures to store once on the hide?
How long should a goat hide be kept with brain or yolk solution? Is it advised I break the hide and reapply the solution every once in a while like 12 hours?
Can glycerine be applied to keep soft after smoked so less breaking is required? I used glycerine for a monitor lizard skin as I read guys doing it to skin snakes and it seemed to work, but reptiles and mammal skins are not the same.
Will a pressure washer or an angle grinder with a wire cup wheel be able to remove the fat and membrane?
How long would be required to break the skin if sanded beforehand for a goatskin?
Can any wood be used for the smoking process?
Should any oil or leather care type product be applied after being brain/yolk tanned, smoked and left in a bag after smoking?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You