Never roll up a skin and place in a plastic bag to freeze. This causes sweating plus it takes longer to freeze.
Always thaw a raw skin in a salt solution with Basacryl NB KU. This prevents bacteria growth.
To rehydrate a dry salted skin, first place the skin in plain water at room temperature. Use of Basacryl NB KU is recommended. Soak until semi relaxed, then place in salt or pickle solution. Trying to rehydrate in a strong salt or pickle solution only, is time consuming. The use of Relax R and Bascal S helps to speed up rehydration.
The use of a fleshing machine or currier’s knife is recommended. If not available, a heavy-duty wire wheel on a minimum of one-half horsepower motor will do an adequate job. For best results, let the skin stiffen up after removing from the salt or pickle solution before fleshing. Weare a respirator or dust mask and safety glasses when fleshing.
Heavy degreasing can be done through the use of Kerosene, unleaded gasoline, Coleman Fuel, or mineral spirits (always use these fuels or thinners outdoors). An option to these is Kemsol Degreaser which works like solvents but is almost odorless and safe to use indoors. Soak in degreaser for two hours and drain well. Wash skin in strong detergent to remove any grease that may be left in the skin. Kemal-4 is highly recommended for this purpose.
If a fur drum or old clothes dryer is available, the skin can be drummed with dry towels or rags to remove moisture. Set drier on “No Heat” setting.
To rehydrate the skin after being tanned, soak in plain water with a small amount of bactericide added for at least one-half to two hours, depending on the thickness of the skin. Drain, roll up and cover with a damp towel until the skin is completely rehydrated. Resoak for another one-half hour if necessary.
For soft tanning, it is recommended to use special softening oils such as Liqua Soft or Tanning Oil #1.
