Making Rawhide question.

[bigcountry]

I am trying my hand at making rawhide again.  First time, got nasty, and I thought the skin was bad, so I tossed.  

So, I have three deer hides in my liming mixture for 3 days.  I have it outside because of the slight odor.

But its very cold.  At night it gets down to 25F or so.  The hair is not slipping yet.  Do I need to bring it in?  I figured temp wouldn't matter as the lime should be swelling the hide to slip the hair.  But wonder if its keeping the hair on.

[hova]

ive been looking at a lot of info online about rawhide and tanning. according to what i read , you may have to let it soak a  bit longer.

hopefully someone with actual experience gives ya a tip. so far im jsut planning on rabbit rawhide.


-hov

[John Scifres]

A week should do it.  Temp does matter some.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

everything I read said a week to ten days depending on temp. Ounce you get the hair off you want to rinse and ring it real good in clean water then stetch and let dry. From all the research I've done that's about it.

 Good luck with it I got some I need to get done myself.

 Stiks

[vanillabear?]

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Also seems like I read something about weighting it down in the solution.

 Any thoughts on that from anyone?

 Stiks

[vanillabear?]

[bigcountry]

Now this is something I never understood.  Why baking soda?  Baking Soda is a base, so is lye, or lime.   I can see vinager as a neutralizer, but not baking soda.  

Thanks for all who replied.

[kerryb]

You have to use hydrated lime, or pickling lime, garden lime wont work. add around 12-15 cups in 12-15 gallon of water, it usually takes 4-7 days. Be sure to stir hides at least once a day or more if possible, just reach in and pull on the hair if it pulls easily it is ready to go. after removing the hair it is time to,

Rinsing / Neutralizing

Putting the hide in running water for two or three days is the easiest way to neutralize it.
If you are only doing a hide or two and you don't have access to a free source of running water so you can rinse for a couple of days, just get a box of baking soda and a bottle of vinegar.
Put enough water in a barrel to easily cover your hide with lots of room to stir it around. Put a double hand full of baking soda in for each 5 gals of water (don't worry you can't use too much). Put your hide in there for 8 hours. Dump that and do it again. The hide should look totally un-swollen now (if not, then do it one more time). Now rinse it in a bucket of plain water for an hour or so.
Now, put enough water to cover your hide in the barrel again and add 1/3 cup of vinegar for each 5 gals. of water and soak your hide in that for 1/2 hour to overnight, then your rawhide is ready.
I like to put it on stretching frame stretch tight and then scrape both sides, it will loosen so re-stretch and repeat until desired thickness is achieved.

[bigcountry]

Yep, kerry, got all that covered.  But the post is about cold weather.

[kerryb]

In my experience the warmer it is the faster it works, You should be fine outside it will just take a few days longer.

[vanillabear?]

[ChristopherO]

Man, it's been years since I've used the lime mixture but the last few years I just soak them in a heavy ash mixture.  Plenty of that from the woodstove.  Got a couple of cinder blocks on a hide in a tub as we speak.  The water keeps freezing on me right now so I am not that concerned about it going bad.  The other two hides are fleshed and in the freezer waiting for warmer weather.
Don't worry about the odor as that is part and parcel in working with hides.  Once stretched and dried that smell will go away.

[KellyG]

Here is a link on youtube he does brain taning but he has a whole series and you just skip the tanning part. I forget which on of his talks about hair slip one does. He has a webpage with more info if I remeber.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/BowskinArchery#p/u/15/2ZHbvI46IK4

[bigcountry]

Thanks guys.  Excellent info.

[John Scifres]

Carefully mixing 1/4 cup of red devil lye in 4 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket will help it slip faster.  Wear goggles and gloves.  Safer yet is hardwood ash.  Definitely weigh it down.

[bigcountry]

Well, hair started slipping.  Took outside in the snow and tried to dehair but some was hanging on good, especially the belly hair.  Put it back in the lime and check in a few days.