Re: Hello from Northern Lower Michigan

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Very keen to hear more about your tanning activities - I am a keen tanner of deer, sheep, rabbit etc skins but have only been doing it in any serious way for a year or so, so still have a lot to learn. Have a pile of deerskins and a couple of sheep fleeces salted dwon in the shed waiting for drier weather.

[msbraintan]

Funny avatar Wilhelm!

Not sure about your weather but ours is also quite damp wet humid.. all of the above. It is definitely not a good tipi climate.. don't ask me how I know this!

In time you may also wish to modify the salt storage method. In our climates, I just don't think that this 'way' is the best. Taken me MANY MANY years to figure this out, too! Freezing isn't ideal at all for sheep skins, nor deerskins if they're not shorn! Too many insulative properties to both! I bet eventually you will find bark or vegetable tanning on the sheepskins to be ideal. I also think that only certain deerskins are best for hair on. I get some deerskins here in the fall.. (like the first ones) that are VERY short and really they are lovely.. they're more like a fur than what they soon become! The deer hair is hollow and will soon become increasingly porous and then breakage and you end up with a mess hair on.. I do like all the many leathers one can make with deerskins! So many ways you can tan them to achieve different results.. even the rawhides are just neat! It's held my fascination for many years now. I've met so many interesting people on this path. Look forward to chatting with you.

[polgara]

Welcome, look forward to some interesting chats.

[Chilli-head]

Hello and welcome

[Dandelion]

Looking forward to getting to know you more!

[Wilhelm Von Rhomboid]

Interesting, MsB.

I haven't tried bark tanning yet. i have done sulphuric acid, diesel and bicarb, brain and am now using an alum method. All my deer are roe and have kept their hair pretty well so far. Rabbits tend to get a bit patchier but I have lots of problems with their thin skins.

[Jaded Green]

Hallo and welcome

[msbraintan]

I've done the sulfuric and the brain and the alum but have yet to use diesel and bicarb or bark! I do have some bark extract though and need to try this myself soon! The quebracho I have makes the skins a very dark red if left long enough or strong enough solution perhaps.

Thanks for all the Hallo's!