Subject: Tanning Skins and Hides -

From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 20:54:52 -0400

From: "AndreaMc" <[email-masked]>
Newsgroups: alt.permaculture
Subject: Tanning Skins/Hides (longish)
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 08:33:55 +1000

Sorry it's taken a couple of days to do this, I couldn't get into any
newsgroups :(.

>From Jackie French, "Household Self Sufficiency"

Leather can be tanned with tannin from the bark of some trees, (this
gives a
firm, strong leather), alum (which gives a pure white leather), chromium
(blue-grey, water resistant), or oil tanned for chamois, or shammy
cloth.
You can use a combination of tanning methods for different results.
Once you have an animal skin you can split it into several layers or
leave
it thick.  You can peel off the hair or glue layers together to make it
even
stronger.
  Most skins can be tanned, from snake to sheep and rabbit. Skins from
young
animals are usually softer.  Trim skins after tanning or they may change
shape.  Comb and trim fleece or hair then too.

Preparing the Skin
Before you try tanning, make sure that all the fat and membrane has been
scraped off the skin.  This is reasonably easy with a blunt knife or
paint
scraper.  Wash the skin well in slightly warm water with a good splash
of
detergent.  Keep washing until it's quite clean and the rinse water runs
clear.
  Hang the skin in the breeze to dry the fibres.  As soon as these are
dry
start the tanning process.  Don't let the skin dry as the tanning won't
take.  You must tan with a moist skin.

Very Basic Wattle Tree Tanning
Crumble up a pan full of wattle bark as finely as possible.  Most
wattles
that de-bark easilly are suitable.  Use a copper, earthenware or plastic
container, but not aluminium.  Cover with boiling water.  Leave for 24
hours.  Pour off the water into a second container and cover the bark
with
more boiling water.  After 24 hours immerse the skin to be tanned in
this
second lot of water.
After 3 days take the skin out of the second lot of liquid and place it
back
in the first lot, which should be stronger.  Leave about a week.  Check
by
cutting an edge that the solution has been absorbed.
Take the skin out of the tanning liquid, wash it well in warm water and
dry
it slowly in the shade, frequently pulling and stretching and rubbing
oil to
keep it supple.
The best tanning bark shouldn't colour the skin too much.  Casuarina
bark
can be used for tanning, as can most eucalypt barks, but many of these
are
said to stain the skin.
Wattle-tanned skin can be washed - gently, and not often, but dry
cleaning
with bran is better for cleaning skins.

Kerosine and Bicarbonate of Soda Tanning
Nail the prepared skin, fur side inwards, to the wall of a shed,
verandah, a
board or even the verandah floor (stick a bit of cloth or plastic behind
it
so it doesn't get grubby again).  This should be in the shade or at
least
partial shade.  If you don't have a convenient sheltered spot you'll
have to
hang something over the skin to stop it drying out.
Mix up bicarb with just enough kerosine to moisten.  Mix it thoroughly
so
it's no longer grainy.  Rub this thoroughly into the skin - really work
at
it (wear gloves).  There should be a thin film all over th skin when you
have finished.
Leave it on for about 10 minutes then gently scrape off any residue with
a
blunt knife (If you're too vigorous you'll cut the skin).
Repeat, and this time leave the paste on for 12 - 24 hours, in the
shade, or
well covered to stop it from drying.  Scrape again, repeat about 6
times,
leaving the paster on for 12 - 24 hours each time.
Rub linseed or neatsfoot oil into the skin to make it supple.