How do you dry out and perserve animal skin to make things out of it?
How do you keep the dried skin flexible enough to stretch it without tearing it.
2007-06-15 03:40:28 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Games & Recreation ➔ Hobbies & Crafts
I wanted to make lamp shades and rugs out of deer and bear skin.
2007-06-15 03:54:11 · update #1
It's called "tanning" and it's far too complicated a process to cover in a yahoo answer board posting. Tanning is a very old skill and people have been tanning skins since the stone age, when they learned certain things done to skins kept them from rotting. Try searching for books and websites on "tanning" There are many different methods of tanning skins, from harsh chemicals to natural vegetable methods. Many are quite toxic (even the vegetable methods) and you need to follow important safety procedures. If you have a public library nearby, start there and look for a few books on how to tan leather and skins. Look for "living off the land" type books, and survival books and Native lifestyle and craft books.
When i was a teen I spent a week way up near Hudson's Bay at a survival camp. For something as simple as a rabbit skin, I believe we washed them in a lye solution first. We then oiled and stretched them, then rubbed the skin side with saltpeter until it was saturated, un-stretched it, bundled it, then let it sit for a week. Then it was washed and re-stretched and the skin oiled and scraped again. I think, but I'm not sure that at some point we scraped the skin so there was no muscle or other tissue on the skin before the saltpeter, but that was long ago and I can't recall the exact order of work. Again, I'm not certain and you will need detailled instruction to follow.
2007-06-15 03:56:18 · answer #1 · answered by Linda S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tan your own hide. ... detailed tutorials on how to obtain, skin and store your hides as well as advice ... Learn How to Tan. Tanning isn't complicated but it ...http://www.braintan.com/tanown/index.htm
How to. Tan a Deer Hide. by Jim Low. Tanning a deer hide is easier. than you think. Y ... bucks (no pun intended) to have. hides tanned and made into gloves ...http://ww.agfc.com/pdfs/free/tandeerhide_bro.pdf
2007-06-15 14:26:39 · answer #2 · answered by Carol H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With stuff like this:
http://tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp?number=22049-00
2007-06-15 14:26:17 · answer #3 · answered by strech 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try searching it on the internet. I can't help you, and I doubt anyone else will be able to. Sorry!
2007-06-15 10:49:44 · answer #4 · answered by Karlin W 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
creepy.
2007-06-15 11:13:51 · answer #5 · answered by Wasabi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋