Any hints or tips on the best way to do the above? Got a couple of hare's heads to do tonite :?
I would have thought, cut under the chin from the neck to the mouth, pull from the back of the head and peel the skin over the top to the mouth. Leave or remove the ears whatever you think is easiest. Think of it like pulling a jumper over your head. A small knife is handy for releasing the skin from any tough bits of membrane.
Scrape it and pin it out rubbing Borax into the skin afterwards and leave it to dry. Repeat every few days until all the loose fat is removed.
Have a read at this too.
http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/petti.htm (http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/petti.htm)
http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_l/l-103.pdf (http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_l/l-103.pdf)
I've done deer and squirrel like this :)
Sandy has it. You can use salt instead of borax. Make sure the whole lot is perfectly dry before storing it as it will otherwise rot and stink.
Before you do anything wash thoroughly in hot water with fairy liquid or similar. Allow to dry, and then salt liberally. Check occasionally and add salt to any wet spots.
When the whole lot is dry, then wash again in very hot water with fairy liquid. Allow to dry very thoroughly, and then you can store it.
TL
MC
Ok lads cheers,it sounds pretty straight forward......after I've removed the skin I'll wash it in warm fairy liquid water then sault the skin side.
Cheers.
Don't forget to pin it out on a board to dry. Hair side down with nails at intervals around the edge with some space underneath so that it dries.
As Mike said make sure it is bone dry before you package it. I dyed a bit of deer hair and sealed it in a zip lock bag when I thought it was dry, it still had enough moisture in the hide to cause it to rot. :(
Quote from: Darwin on May 04, 2012, 04:36:28 PM
As Mike said make sure it is bone dry before you package it. I dyed a bit of deer hair and sealed it in a zip lock bag when I thought it was dry, it still had enough moisture in the hide to cause it to rot. :(
Yes, this is a point worth stressing very strongly. If the material is not absolutely bone dry it will rot and stink in a closed container. It can take quite a while to dry material thoroughly. If you have an airing cupboard, or some other source of dry warmth then it is a very good idea to do the final drying there.
TL
MC
Thanks again for the sound advice,thats the mask all washed and nailed to a board......i had to just use salt on it :) i'll scrape the salt of in a couple of days then re salt it.
Cheers...
What a forum eh?
Where else would you find topics covering everything from local election turn outs and reel making through trolling and fly fishing culminating in the nailing of salted hare's heids to boards? :lol:
Quote from: goggs on May 04, 2012, 10:20:37 PM
Thanks again for the sound advice,thats the mask all washed and nailed to a board......i had to just use salt on it :) i'll scrape the salt of in a couple of days then re salt it.
Cheers...
Don't scrape the salt off. Just add some if you see any wet spots. All the loose salt is washed off when the skin is cured anyway. The salt pulls all the moisture out of the skin, and cures it at the same time.
TL
MC
Since somebody else asked; there is very little you can do once something has started rotting seriously. This is usually very unpleasant and the stink can be eye-watering. A lot of commercial stuff is not very well prepared and is also often filthy as well. If you have a "light" pong in hare's masks and the like then you can try "pickling" them. This will arrest the rotting, ( the bacteria which cause the rotting also cause the smell) and kill the bacteria. First wash thoroughly in very hot water with fairy liquid. Then make up a hot solution of clear spirit vinegar, ( any will do but coloured vinegar may discolour the fur ), with very hot water 1: 1 ( a pint of vinegar to a pint of water), allow the material to soak at least four hours. Then dry as normal. If there is only light rot this should cure it and remove any smells. If the flesh is too far gone it will still arrest the rot, but it can not restore the degraded flesh etc.
Things like hare's ears and such are prone to this, as it takes quite a while for ears to mummify, and if they are not bone dry when stored they will start rotting.
Using various scented stuff on such things only partly masks the smell and wont stop the rot. The pickling will.
This is a mask and ears which I prepared using the salting method some years ago. The cleaning is very well worthwhile as it makes the material more pleasant to handle and use. It also kills and removes any ticks or other insects which may be present;
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16895.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16895.0)
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16894.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16894.0)
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16893.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16893.0)
This fox skin and mask has been prepared in the same way;
(http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9875/foxclipper.jpg) (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/foxclipper.jpg/)
the same method also works on any small animal or bird skins.
TL
MC
I remember a tip from Andy - make sure not to rub the salt in!! I unfortunately forgot this with a hare's mask once and it'll just go soggy and rot on you.
Quote from: scotty9 on May 05, 2012, 12:22:10 AM
I remember a tip from Andy - make sure not to rub the salt in!! I unfortunately forgot this with a hare's mask once and it'll just go soggy and rot on you.
Indeed, it should just be sprinkled on thickly. I have never had anything go soggy or anything like that. I used to use borax or a mix of salt and borax, but I have just used salt for a long time now and had no problems at all.
TL
MC
If skinning an animal is removing the skin,is not de-skinning,putting it back on again,don't think it will work mind...... :worried
Quote from: burnie on May 05, 2012, 05:05:27 PM
If skinning an animal is removing the skin,is not de-skinning,putting it back on again,don't think it will work mind...... :worried
Works quite well actually, but they don't call it "de-skinning" they call it taxidermy.
TL
MC
Quote from: Mike Connor on May 05, 2012, 12:14:53 AM
Since somebody else asked; there is very little you can do once something has started rotting seriously. This is usually very unpleasant and the stink can be eye-watering. A lot of commercial stuff is not very well prepared and is also often filthy as well. If you have a "light" pong in hare's masks and the like then you can try "pickling" them. This will arrest the rotting, ( the bacteria which cause the rotting also cause the smell) and kill the bacteria. First wash thoroughly in very hot water with fairy liquid. Then make up a hot solution of clear spirit vinegar, ( any will do but coloured vinegar may discolour the fur ), with very hot water 1: 1 ( a pint of vinegar to a pint of water), allow the material to soak at least four hours. Then dry as normal. If there is only light rot this should cure it and remove any smells. If the flesh is too far gone it will still arrest the rot, but it can not restore the degraded flesh etc.
Things like hare's ears and such are prone to this, as it takes quite a while for ears to mummify, and if they are not bone dry when stored they will start rotting.
Using various scented stuff on such things only partly masks the smell and wont stop the rot. The pickling will.
This is a mask and ears which I prepared using the salting method some years ago. The cleaning is very well worthwhile as it makes the material more pleasant to handle and use. It also kills and removes any ticks or other insects which may be present;
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16895.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16895.0)
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16894.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16894.0)
http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16893.0 (http://www.wildfisher.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=16893.0)
This fox skin and mask has been prepared in the same way;
(http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9875/foxclipper.jpg) (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/foxclipper.jpg/)
the same method also works on any small animal or bird skins.
TL
MC
Good links there Mike,cheers...
I left the pinned mask out yesterday in the sun and thats me just brushed off the salt and re salted,suns out again so back out it goes,coming along nicely,i think....
If it comes out really brittle rub some baby oil into the skin to soften it :gay4 Remember to let it dry in though before storing.
Quote from: goggs
Good links there Mike,cheers...
I left the pinned mask out yesterday in the sun and thats me just brushed off the salt and re salted,suns out again so back out it goes,coming along nicely,i think....
No need to brush the salt off. Just wastes salt. Only add a bit more salt if you see any wet patches.
Re: Using baby oil and the like to soften the skin after curing; this may work with some things, but I have found that it can also cause rotting when sealed in a closed container, so I don't do it. Salt cured hides usually turn into what looks like parchment and this is usually flexible enough to use.
TL
MC
I have a squirrel skin that I did that snaps if bent :) I don't store it in anything it is just lying about in my fly tying box. I also have a deer skin I did with Borax that is fine when stored in the shed, it rolls and unrolls, but bring it into the house and it goes stiff and wont unroll :) I read in one of the tanning/taxidermy sites about the baby oil. It is the lanolin that makes the skin supple. I haven't tried it and, as Mike says, it could cause rotting inside an enclosed container.
"Neats foot oil" from a saddlers is very good and doesn't smell too much,used it on my falcons leather jesses when I was into falconry,much better than the red grease(the name of which escapes me just now)CHo-ko-line or something like that
Quote from: burnie on May 06, 2012, 12:01:14 PM
"Neats foot oil" from a saddlers is very good and doesn't smell too much,used it on my falcons leather jesses when I was into falconry,much better than the red grease(the name of which escapes me just now)CHo-ko-line or something like that
There's a general problem with using oil or grease on materials, it will get on your hands and make a mess. If you have oily or greasy fingers it will make some flies look like a dog's breakfast! I have never found a real need to use anything like this, although I have tried it. It is more trouble than it is worth.
If you have stiff skins, capes, etc, ( this is very common after hot dyeing), then it doesn't really matter as for most things you don't need the skin anyway, and the material is still easy to use. For larger skins cut into manageable pieces for use. For stuff like "Zonkers" and the like you need flexible skin. The only way to get this is by using tanned skins. Tanning is a much more complicated and work intensive operation than curing and may also damage many materials. So if you want to make zonker strips and similar then I would suggest you buy tanned skins. Tanned rabbit skins are still cheap and easily available. You just have to look around.
I have had quite a few from this guy over the years, really good quality and cheap enough;
http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/About-our-RABBIT-PELTS.html (http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/About-our-RABBIT-PELTS.html)
http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/Hides-Fur-Pelts-Tails-/_i.html?_fsub=3&_sid=165770655&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 (http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/Hides-Fur-Pelts-Tails-/_i.html?_fsub=3&_sid=165770655&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322)
Stuff like this is also excellent for zonkers, big hairy pike flies, hair "hackles" etc;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coyote-Fur-Pelt-Scrap-pcs-Tanned-Clean-Fluffy-4-oz-Trim-Fly-tying-material-/360451472113?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ec94faf1 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coyote-Fur-Pelt-Scrap-pcs-Tanned-Clean-Fluffy-4-oz-Trim-Fly-tying-material-/360451472113?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ec94faf1)
TL
MC