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Had to finish removing a few tatty bits on the face, so a quick shot of tools.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/Brain Tanning/DSCN6988.jpg

We started this bobcat...

It got that "greasy" look to it, so I put a handfull of salt in those areas. I do not see any yellowing of the salt or dripping where the salt has drawn out the ground substance. Rain is expected...

Three hours fleshing to get this thing suitable for pictures. I'll hold off on showing the pics of the meat pile that I scraped off. This is a beaver I got early last year but haven't had time until...

That looks much cleaner to me. It should brain and soften much more nicely without that thin layer. It is tricky to keep one moist while you work it. I usually keep a squirt bottle handy and just...

the word white might not be a precise description, lol. You'll know when it's good and wet ;)

When the skin dries and the "rawhide" sets up the skin becomes thinner in it's 'thickness' dimension. your pelt should be fully white and fluffy to scrape, and as you scrape it turns back that tawny...

It didn't look rehydrated to me, which would make fleshing harder. Still, that's really good for a first run. I'd like to see how it turned out. And you're right. To sell a skin that poorly fleshed...

Hey...

Now that it's smoked, brain it again. Try it. You'll like it.

Drying causes the skin to shrink in all 3 dimensions. prolonged soaking will cause it to swell back to it's normal state, but runs the risk of causing slippage.

As with most things, there is a...

Glad you are having some success. Hair slipping on the edges is pretty common, so as long as you didn't make bald spots I would consider it great success. Can't wait to see the pics! You'll get the...

the next option for your case would be the towel trick. Sopping wet towels. Given how thin they are (going on your word, I've never even seen a muskrat that I know of) you shouldn't have to soak them...

Glad to hear you got some skins to work with Michael. Please keep me informed on your progress.

I will tell you to expect a little bit of fur loss on the edges as you pull. Just can't help but...

Good Luck, and remember, they aren't as tough as deer, if you noticed Flandersanders' post above.. you can poke through them if you go at it like a neanderthal (like I do most things LOL)

If you're gonna keep 'em, it won't make any difference in the end product. If you're selling them to tanners who want unsalted hides, it's best not to.

Salt will make them get wet anytime the...

Hey, Michael. I'm glad you're interested! tanning your own pelts, no matter how they are stored is very rewarding.

I do use salt sometimes, but I prefer to freeze them for storage. When I use...

the more slack you leave in those strings, the bouncier it'll be. Glad you are having fun with it. Keep at it. The end result makes it all worthwhile.. and hey, you can't really mess it up! If it...

The only two methods I'm aware of, are salting, and bark-tanning. I'm not sure why salting sticks the hair, but it does, and bark tanning will tighten the skin, making the hair fast.
There are...

as long as the wood is rotten, I find them all to do the same thing, just with a little different color. In my mind, letting the wood rot gets rid of all the organic junk that would gunk up the hide,...

hand softening is one alternative, though it can be tricky to keep from pulling out the hair with your fingers while stretching. It might be possible to rig up a staker of some sort to stretch it...

I mentioned before that eggs and brains were very similar in composition. If you don't want to use brains, just take a dozen eggs, yolk and all, and beat them like you were making scrambled eggs,...

Flander, It is not required to frame a fur-on hide, but I highly recommend it because of the delicate handling to keep from pulling out all the hair with your fingers. Softening can be pretty...

yep. I bought them at Harveys. surely someone sells them. they were in the frozen food aisle. right next to egg rolls, go figure.
of course, if you wanted a whole case, you could probably call up...

This particular squirrel was shot in the head by someone other than myself. I like fox squirrels and don't care to kill them. I have only seen one other black one down here, ever, so it's something...

Ok, maybe some of you remember me asking about the black squirrel.
I finally finished it yesterday. It's Oh-So-soft and very nice to look at.
Most likely it will be a scope cover for my gun, or a...