This is topic First attempts at tanning a coyote pelt in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://www.huntmastersbbs.com/cgi-bin/cgi-ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=002926
Posted by Possumal (Member # 823) on October 28, 2011, 08:10 AM:
Just thought I'd share a couple of pictures representing my first two attempts to tan coyote pelts for the purpose of making a rug type display. I think the second attempt shows a decided improvement, and I believe that the third attempt will be much better than numbr two.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 28, 2011, 08:42 AM:
So, what did you use, a commercial preparation or something home made?
gh....lb
Posted by Possumal (Member # 823) on October 28, 2011, 10:53 AM:
Leonard, most of the supplies came from Van Dyke Supply Co, including the Lutan-F Tanning mix, the Safe-tee acid for mixing the picklig solution, and the Pro-Plus oil that you rub into the tanned hide. The non iodized salt and baking soda came from WalMart.
The secret is to get really good at the skinning and fleshing, as the thinner the pelt, the softer it will tan out. Van Dyke has some tools that really help in the whole process like some kind of a gizmo that helps you break the leather as it dries after the oiling process is completed.
Having the Havalon skinning knife would be a big plus too and I believe they have a rack of some kind that makes it easy to keep the pelt stretched as it dries and you break it.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 28, 2011, 11:57 AM:
Do you own a set of those tongs for separating the ear cartilage?
gh....lb
Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 28, 2011, 04:07 PM:
If you're gonna do a lot of them, the ear tools is handy as hell. A good way to break the oiled leather is the same way Native Americans did it and the way I learned to break brain tanned buckskin. Just make a loop out of rope, put your foot on the bottom to hold it down and pass the wet hide through it with the leather touching the rope - not hair. Just pull it back and forth, left to right, like sawing wood upside down. As it dries it will soften and break. You just wanna be careful not to put a lot of pressure on the hair side against rope.
Lutan-F is what a lot of commercial tanneries use.
UBB.classicTM
6.3.0