Tanning Hides - Learn How To
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ม.ค. 2025
- How to tan hides. Tanning rabbit hides
You can buy food grade Alum where canning supplies are sold
I recommend Aluminum Sulphate, which can be found at local garden centers and big box stores like lowes, home depot, walmart.
Amazon Affiliate Links:
I recommend Aluminum Sulfate (Instead of Alum): amzn.to/2oGjQAU
Aluminum Sulphate 4lbs: amzn.to/2t0Xodf
Non Iodized Salt: amzn.to/2knZkqO
Latex Gloves: amzn.to/2jmP9RF
Ulu Scrapper/Skinner: amzn.to/2jamqfJ
Yes, the hides are doing fine. The finished hides in the video are a year old (2 years old now) and no issues. I can do an update when it cools off a little. Heat index is over 100 degrees almost daily. I have used this same process for bobcat, coyote and deer. Larger hides like deer need a frame to stretch them. Search for videos on tanning deer hide and you will see examples. Good Luck
Thank you so so so much for posting this video. In my opinion it's the best one on the internet! Tomorrow morning I will be helping my grandpa butcher his rabbits and begin tanning them out using this method. With time comes good hides.
Thank you so much again.
This is the best Video I have seen so far on how to Tan the hide on a Rabbit. Very good explanation.
i have looked at quite a few of these and in my mind this one is the best one, for my needs anyway. thank you sir fir your time in making this video, mick
thanx for the video, I've got 60 hides in my freezer, and was trying to figure out the best way to work'em up, I'll sure give this a try. thanx and best wishes to you and yours.
Awesome video! You were to the point and made it easy to watch and learn. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!
Thanks - I wasn't sure how much I should be taking off in the defleshing because it was tearing the skin a bit, but this video reassured me that that can happen with wild rabbits! Probably just because it's the end of winter and they're a bit undernourished.
Is the measurements the same with the aluminum sulfate
Thank you so much!! This video was super helpful, and your kitten was adorable!! 😁👍
We did 2 rabbit hides they turned out good. Your recipe worked good. we are planning on doing a lot of hides. I made a fleshing beam and fleshing knife, guess Ill make a frame next
Do you need to keep the solution cold/refrigerated while they're soaking for the two days?
Pretty close to my mix. I'm using 2.5 cups aluminum sulfate (Hi-Yield from garden center), 1 cup non-iodized salt, and 2/3 cup Arm & Hammer super washing soda, plus 3 gallons of water. Great video, one of the best I've seen for showing the entire process! :)
+Jane Doe Hi what is the reason for using the Arm & hammer
+Cheryl White I have no idea, lol! I learned it from someone else, who learned it from someone else. One of those things. :D
+Cheryl White Arm and Hammer would remove any smell.
would you recommend this for other hides? Bobcat?
Thanks for posting. I'll be getting some wild rabbits soon. Hopefully it goes well!
Does heat affect the process of soaking the hides, would I have to keep it in a cooler area?
The only place I can find it is a small Pharmacy where I live. You might find some in Larger grocery stores that have food canning supplies. I have switched to using Aluminum Sulphate and found it works just as good. I can get a 4lb bag of Aluminum Sulphate from Gardening Stores for about $6
I wouldn't recommend using an ulu (the knife he is using) a paint scraper works great especially on thin skin animals like fox musk rat I trap in alaska and we have smaller but more prime furs than a lot of places
trace farve 7 gillis way Antigonish ns
seems like the knife he is using works great for him..
What happens if this hide get wet again, from rain or something? Does it ruin it?
Large garden centers or big box stores like lowes or home depot will have aluminum sulfate in 4lb bags for about 5 or 6 dollars
Glad I could help. I will be tanning more hides in a few weeks, hopefully I can do a video on sewing the arm holes to make that a useful piece of hide
How well did this solution work long term? Did you have any hair loss?
marsh prepper, i am trying to tan some hide for mounting/taxidermy.. You were straight to the point in your video .. would these steps work for what im wanting to do? I order some stuff from a taxidermy shop for wet tanning is this the same process ?
Is there a microbial process going on here? Do the lipids in the rabbit skin slime up the works? Does it turn anaerobic? Eventually you must toss out the solution... Is there a way to incorporate it into an organic garden without unbalancing it?
Alum comes in many types, NH4 being one of them. And NH4 is right along the pathway of plant uptake of Nitrogen... But the salts, and the Sulphur... Not sure how to render that useful to the food web... Any ideas?
Suyun içine ne attiginizi soyleyebilirmisiniz ❓ sırayla ne yaptığınızı soylermisiniz 🙏🤗ben yaptım alt tarafı çok sert oldu yumuşak olması için ne yapmam lazım ❓❓❓❓❓❓
Can you do one at a time?
This is an incredibly helpful video. Thanks so much for making this.
really want to do this for my Bunnicula that died recently. can you shrink the mix down for just one guy? what would be a good amount while still being fully submerged?
thank you im trying this now and I hope it works I have about 140 rabbit furs to tan. I think its funny how no one would tell me how to tan a hide so thanks a lot and I hope it works and the fur stays on the hide. im doing it with two rabbits to start to text your idea.
Hello, thanks for your video. Would this work on a moose or elk hide?
Can I do the same process but with a wild boar skin?
Great job them hides look great. Thanks for the post. Thinking about doing some otter.
awesome!..can't wait to start mine. thank you so much for your video
would you be able to use a stretching frame as opposed to stretching it by hand? And how much aluminum sulfate would you use for 2 gallons of water?
With a wild hog . How do you save the hair? What is the tanning process?
How come you don't flesh then first? And when freezing them why not keep the hide side in so it won't freezer burn? I flesh after I skin them .
Can i use baking soda in the solution instead of alum?
not yet, I have mad bomber hats next on the list to make for upcoming hunting season. I'll post a video
Would you get the same results if you fleshed them first, then soak them only once?
Soaking first makes fleshing a whole lot easier and gives a better end result.
Thanks for the help. Did you ever make that bead spread? if you did I would love to see how it turned out.
Doris and Jess are ignorant. These animals were raised for meat production. This man is responsible for using the hides and not tossing them in the garbage. Thank you for the very comprehensive video.
I use a dull axe in a vice, that I pull the hides over to stretch and break the fibers. Skin side against the axe.
10/09/2013 I have been soaking 8 white rabbit furs in a salt solution for 3 days and I am going to flesh them today using your technique on this video. I like the way you did this video, you are very detailed and easy to understand, Thank you. I am also processing the rabbits feet in rubbing alcohol to make into keychains. You may want to make a How To video on it, I think it will be helpful. I will let you know how the furs turn out in a couple of weaks, thanks. Jimmy
I have 3 skins soaking . Going to give this a try. This will be my first time. Hope it works out well.I will have about 25 pelts a year to tan, so I need something easy. Thanks
You want non-iodised/kosher/ice cream salt, it is in the canning section. The iodine may react with the alum and stain the fur.
Tthe first hide i ever did i used mink oil (The kind you put on your boots) to help seal it. I had read it on the internet that this would help to make it weather proof. It made it tacky feeling, so i never used it again. The article was posted on Mother Earth News . com about tanning hides
Can you use this for deer hides too?
Yes, it is a powder. Rabbits are New Zealand whites and yes wild rabbit skin is way to thin to be used for anything i can think of at the moment
Does this method work with sheep skins?
I was always told to use a "pure cotton shirt to flesh them, that's all you need". Never tried it myself that's why I'm here but maybe that interests you. I think it has to be done before the alum/salt bath
Just heads up i find buying the fine salt cheaper at feed stores get 50lbs around 10 bucks
Thank you very much for this video, it was super educational and just what I was looking for, you should make more videos as you make the whole process very easy to understand.
did tou flesh the hide before puting then in the bag
awesome video got a couple questions for you are you just using a stick to stretch the hide when you're pulling off all the flushing meet? second question is when you're finished please show a video of you making your trapper hat Thanks
I'm using a 2x4 board with the top corners cut off so that the board comes to a rounded point to better fit the hide
Can u please make a video on how you skin the rabbits
what would the mixture be for three deer hides?
When I was stretching the hide the hide ripped, do you know why?
so this process preserves the hide with the hair still on it no need for any other treatment?
I do use a stretching frame for larger animals like coyote and deer. and then use a rounded stick to break the hide. Rabbit are small and easy enough that i just use my hands.
Thank you so much for making this video. It's extremely informative and very helpful! :)
Excellent video, very well explained. I feel like even as a total beginner I could skin and tan a rabbit while walking through this video. Do you have any videos on the method you use for skinning it to preserve the largest amount of fur and hide?
Good video. Would love to see one on tanning deer hides as well.
How do i wash them?...i want to make a blanket out of mine and i watch my bed sheets every 2 weeks.
Excellent video. I work leather and am more familiar with oak tanning. Fur tanning is easier than I thought. Definitely give it a try. Thanks for the heads up on Aluminum Sulphate. I had wondered about that. It's less than half the price of Alum in bulk. The shipping is what hurts on the food grade so it'd be a big savings when you factor that in. I can't see there being a big difference unless you were making chew toys. I might stick to Alum if I was selling hides but for personal use it should be fine.
Dear Marsh, is it okey if i beat it with rubber hammer instead of streching
What is alum made of Im trying to find something of the same chemical comp
its been almost a year since you posted the vid how is the hair and the hide doing is it still soft. I am raising rabbits too and sell the meat and want to try tanning the hides. Also would this work on larger animals like deer, bear, etc....
i washed my mink coat by my hands very carefully but the pelts become so brittle....what should i do now? need your help
GREAT VIDEO! If, during the stretching process, you find that you let the hide dry out too much, can you simply re-soak it and start again with the drying and then re-stretch it again when it dries again? or will I be screwed?
I would think you could. Maybe use a spray bottle or better yet, try some conditioners or oils
So you don't salt them when you put them in the frezzer? I to live in south Louisiana fixing to get rid of some coyotes so trying to see what I need to tan them with hair on.
So how did the wild rabbit turn out
nice video. What do you do with the hides when finished? Idea video for use? appreciate your videos.
check out the video of the trapper hat i made from rabbit hides
th-cam.com/video/YFrcrTO0q2w/w-d-xo.html
Is aluminum sulfate the same thing as alum? I showed my wife this video and this is how we are going to tan ours. Very easily understood, thanks.
I followed your plan so why did my hides turn out dry and crunchy? They tore apart when I tried to soften them
Hi I am wondering about a bobcat hide. I would it to be big & soft - end result. It will be a fresh hide to start with. I seen another video to where this guy just uses 2 oz. of alum to 4 oz. of salt w/ 2 gal. of warm water. So is there a reason for so much alum and salt? I simply do not want to screw up on this hide. Thanks!!
dakotah white I don't want to screw up my pet rabbit either. there is a simple egg tanning method I think I'm going with
Could you do a deer like this?
Yep same way any animal
I'm about to do one for my brother in-law. If you want subscribe to my channel so you'll see it
hi hope you can reply .. where can i buy alum ? If lowe's or walmart sells them then what area would i find them..? thanks for your time
Can you use a knife instead of a scraper
does it have to be non iodised salt or will normal salt work thanks
can you just use salt or do you have to use alum
I recently used your method to do some rabbit hides up but I had a problem with the stretching one completely dried and once it was dry it was near impossible to stretch even tried two people another I tried to stretch before it was completely dry and it ripped clean in half any hints or tips to make this part go more smoothly
the next time you let a hide get too dry, soak it in water and allow it to soften back up, then be sure to hang it to dry and catch it before it gets too dry again :) Sounds like yours are just getting too dry.
Thank you. I found this very helpful in tanning a Mink hide.
Can you just use salt in the water?
I am in BC Canada, and I am following your guide to tan a few of my rabbit hides. Your video is awesome! I have had a bit of a problem with the fleshing...is it possible to take too much off? It feels like leather underneath, but it was a lot harder to do than in your video. I will let you know how they turn out :)
Hello Marsh Prepper, where do you get the large bottles of Alum?
Does this work with any hide like deer or bear
What temperature do you have the water during the Tanning Process? Surely cold? You do not allow it to get hot do you?
The water temp is cool. I usually only do this during the fall and early spring when night temp are in the 40's and 50's
i was wondering since you dont you iodized salt is sea salt ok or is there a specific kind
Do you remove the cartilage from the bobcat ears before you tan the head?
Yes, the cartilage has to be removed prior to tanning
Does it work with beef
would you recommend this process for a bobcat? thxs in advance for your advice
Aimee B yes, this process works for any hide with hair. Make enough solution to cover the hide. Good luck
this video helped me a lot. you should make some more of other animals
Could this apply for mink coat?
Thank you for the great video! I have a question for you. I saw in the comments that you said that they aren't washable. Is there anyway to clean them?
If you smoke the hides they can be washed by hand only. The smoking does change the flesh colour though. Smoking also stops moisture from being reabsorbed by the hides turning them back into rawhide.
I have always sold to a local broker. I thinking about NAFA too this year if I can get more money. Do your hides have to be stretched and dried to sell to NAFA?
Does this work with hog?
First thank you very much for sharing this video this will be my first attempt at tanning. The one question I have is will it hurt the hides if they have to stay longer than 48hrs I have a Hugh tendency to end up with to many irons in the fire at once? Thanks again
It may, you need to remove the excess meat and fat from the hide to allow the solution to work it's way into both sides of the hide.
What about smoking or oiling them?
Do you think this would work with any hide
This should work for any animal with a fur hide. I have personally done rabbit, raccoon, deer, coyote, skunk and bobcat. Just make sure you make enough solution to cover the hide completely.
What do you do with the fur?
You can work that bobcat really soft with a mixture of water and tanning oil. Just takes a little time.