Flesh the hide immediately after cutting the hide from the animal’s body. If you wait more than a few hours, the hide will begin to decompose, and it will fall apart during the tanning process. Be careful not to damage the hide as you scrape. Don’t use a knife not intended to be used for fleshing, since it might puncture or scratch the hide.
Make sure that the hide is actually stretched, not just hung, on the drying rack. The more the hide is stretched, the larger it will be once the tanning process is complete. If you stretch your hide over a wall or barn, make sure there’s ample space for air to circulate between the hide and the wall, or it won’t dry properly. The drying process can take up to a week, depending on your climate.
If the hair is long, cut it first. Scrape against the grain of the hair, and scrape away from yourself. Be careful near the belly area, since the skin there is thinner than the skin on the rest of the hide.
Wash the hide with water. This removes any remaining grease and debris and makes the hide more malleable, so it will be better able to absorb brain oils. Wring the hide out, so it will be able to take in the oils. Squeeze out the excess water by placing the hide between two towels and squeezing, then repeating the process with two dry towels. Rub the brain mixture into the hide. Make sure you cover every inch of the hide. Roll up the hide and store it in a large plastic freezer bag or food storage bag. Put it in the refrigerator to let the brains soak in for at least 24 hours.
You can also have a partner help you stretch and soften it by taking it off the drying rack and pulling on the edges from either side. Continue doing so until you are both tired, then place it back on the rack and use the hide breaker to keep working the hide. A heavy rope can also be used to soften the hide. Have a partner hold one side of the rope and work together to rub it back and forth against the hide.
Once the little fire has a coal bed built up, start adding smoke chips to it and peg the skin around the hole. A little channel tunneled out to one side will allow you to keep the fire supplied. After smoking the first side for half an hour, turn the bag inside out and smoke the other side.
Flesh the hide immediately after cutting the hide from the animal’s body. If you wait more than a few hours, the hide will begin to decompose, and it will fall apart during the tanning process. Be careful not to damage the hide as you scrape. Don’t use a knife not intended to be used for fleshing, since it might puncture or scratch the hide.
Over the course of a couple of weeks, continue salting the hide until it has become crispy. If you see a pool of liquid emerge from an area of the hide, cover it with more salt.
2 gallons (7. 6 L) water 1 1/2 gallons (7. 6 L) bran flake water (Make this by boiling 1 1/2 gallons of water and pouring it over a pound of bran flakes. Let the mixture sit for one hour, then strain and reserve the water. ) 8 cups salt (not iodized) 1 1/4 cups battery acid 1 box baking soda 2 large trash cans 1 large stick, for stirring and moving hides
Put the salt in a trash can and pour 2 gallons (7. 6 L) of boiling water inside. Add the bran flake water and stir until the salt has completely dissolved. Add the battery acid. Make sure you wear gloves and take other precautions to prevent getting burned. Put the hide in the trash can, punching it down with the stick to make sure it is completely covered in liquid. Let it soak for 40 minutes. [2] X Research source
If you plan to use the hide to make clothing, add a box of baking soda to the rinse to neutralize the remaining acid. This will prevent the acid from harming people’s skin. If you don’t plan to use the hide to make clothing, you can forgo the box of baking soda, since in neutralizing the acid it lessens the acid’s effectiveness in preserving the hide. [3] X Research source
After a few days the hide should feel dry and flexible. Take it down from the rack and go over the skin side with a wire brush until it has a suede-like appearance. [5] X Research source Let the hide finish drying until it is fully dry, which should take a few more days.
