Suppose I wanted to tan a bird hide

[JBiorn]

What would be the way you would go about that? I have some birds that need to be treated in some way and I really don't know much about it.

[Izzy]

For taxidermy or boots?Borax is used quite often for taxidermy.I dont know how they tanned my ostrich boots though.

[ROB TAYLOR]

This is how my taxidermist does it....IIRC....I've seen him skin, then wash (with soap and water, I think), then turn inside out and carefully flesh on a wire wheel on a bench grinder....then tumble (like you'd tumble rocks) in a drum of borax (not sure how long...a full day, maybe?).  Then he takes em out, rinses well in clean water, blows dry, and proceeds to stuff!  That's the best I can remember the process.
-Rob

[JBiorn]

I just want to make the skins soft and stinkless so a guy could use the feathers. I should have been more specific.
 Thanks guy!

[AkDan]

I believe it's called liqua tan.

either way get a bird mounting video from vandykes, I have a couple different pheasant videos.   I'd have to go back and rewatch them.

The other idea is to go to taxidermy.net

Problem with borax is it'll still allow bugs in if you miss even the smallest spot!

This was a liquid tan..he washed, then fleshed on a softer plastic wheel turning slower then a grinder so you dont tear, then took it to the tan soloution after cleaning, then tumbled in corn cob dust (you can do this in a 5 gallon pail easy enough).  Shake it of dust, get the air dried with a blow dryer, get the foam with the neck built up and in, and putter on.  Seems there is a few ways to skin this cat, some better some worse but they all work for awhile.  

The videos are worth there weight in gold.

But just curious, how you plan on using the soft skinless skin?  

[JEFF B]

borax bro then scrape it off after two days then wash it that should do the trick  

[JBiorn]

Ok, what, I make a solution out of the borax? Or use it dry?

 Looks like I'm gonna have to go to this taxidermy.net site and have a looksee.

 Again, thanks guys.

[JEFF B]

use it dry then put it in the shade to dry not in the sun. let me know how it goes bro.  

[JBiorn]

Ok, will do. You gonna need one of these skins?

[AkDan]

I'll watch this pheasant video by Danny Owens again this weekend...he's one of the top bird mounters there is supposidly.  I'll take notes and get back to you if I dont forget after hording all the turkey this thursday  

[AkDan]

I did forget to mention....you can buy bird mounting kits.   COmplete with instructions for 20 bucks or so...check out vandykes site.

[JBiorn]

Thanks AkDan! like i said, I won't be stuffing the birds, but who knows~maybe I'll think thats a must-do.

[AkDan]

ah missed the stuffing part, either way borax isnt the way to go for what you want....thinking you want a soft bird skin.   I just cant for the life of me remmeber what he used...I thought it was something other then borax.  He did still borax the skins though.

Taxidermy.net will get you the right answer to your problem if we cant figure it out here.

[Talondale]

When I was taught how to prepare birds for museum use we used Borax.