just when you think you have it all figured out

**your_comforting_company** · 12-13-2009, 11:57 PM

the big man upstairs reminds you that you don't know everything.

so I made a batch of brains the other day, enough for two hides..
I only have 1 frame..
First hide softened beautifully, took the better part of the day, it was really humid, I knew I'd have to fight it.
second hide, I caught a day or two later. (brains get a little smelly really quick) It was cool with low humidity and lots of sunshine. It almost went rawhide on me before I got to staking it, so I learned that I need a little less wringing.. a little more dampness, but once I got it broken, it softened to be one of my best so far. took only a short amount of time and with success... well, you start thinking you know something.
ok.. so by the time I got to the third hide I still had enough solution to totally coat it.. saturated, though it was a quite smelly and unpleasant, even for me. but I toughed it out, thinking this might be the "sour brains trick", but apparently it wasn't. a good wringing and redunking in brains before going to the frame proved too long of a wait.. that extra day, apparently the brains went from "sour" to "rotten". I mean... make a butcher gag.. but I toughed it out and framed it anyway.
it started softening slowly. It's 97% humidity today here so I knew I'd have to move inside by the fire, not exactly an ideal setup, but manageable.
after about 4 hours of constant stretching and buffing (you should be able to take breaks after the initial breaking) a big spot right in the middle goes stiff for no apparent reason. only minutes ago it was softening... now, it's like cardboard.. right in the middle of the hide...
What happened? What went wrong? ..EVERYTHING.
The rules state that every animal has enough brains to tan it's own hide... The solution I made was for two hides.. not 3, so there wasn't enough brains-to-water. The weather was bad, but I thought I could circumvent that with controlled environment.. wrong. The brains were rotten.. no longer oil, but rather decayed flesh at that point.
So just because you think you know what you are doing, doesn't mean you do. Sometimes you just lose all gumption and go wild.. trying to break all the rules that you previously accepted as true.

I've found the same things when knapping.. not paying attention to flaws in the rocks, not setting up a platform... you know the rules that one should always follow.
I'm sure this is true with many things we experiment with, and If it weren't for many, many failures, we'd never find what works best, so alls I'm saying is keep an open mind, and never give up.. some things you can only learn from doing

**crashdive123** · 12-14-2009, 12:05 AM

Ahhhh - the third hide wasn't a failure --- just a lesson on another way not to do it that's all.

and you do realize how strange this might sound to somebody that is not a member of the forum don't you?

so I made a batch of brains the other day

**your_comforting_company** · 12-14-2009, 12:16 AM

I didn't, but since you pointed it out, I do. thats funny

**finallyME** · 12-14-2009, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by your_comforting_company

so I made a batch of brains the other day,

'bout time. Now, are you going to use them......

sorry, couldn't pass on that one.

**trax** · 12-14-2009, 12:10 PM

You might want to make up a couple more batches and pass them around in the forum here. Maybe slip some to the next person who's going to sign on and ask about the best knife to use

**gryffynklm** · 12-14-2009, 02:59 PM

Good idea like a pass around brain for those who want to experiment using and modifying it before passing it along.

**rwc1969** · 12-14-2009, 10:00 PM

and to think I was considering trying brain tanning. Doesn't sound like fun.

**your_comforting_company** · 12-15-2009, 09:35 AM

rwc.. on a serious note...

the first time you work that sloppy, stinky, wet mass of flesh into the chamois soft, supple, sweet smelling, magical material you will be addicted. Every time one comes out right, I swear I giggle like a little girl on valentines day. If you are thinking of trying it, GO FOR IT!!

**rwc1969** · 12-15-2009, 03:01 PM

I will eventually. I'm just trying to figure out how to do it without driving away the neighbors, family and friends.

**your_comforting_company** · 12-15-2009, 04:09 PM

...
damn the neighbors. family will stick with you even if you stink like rotten brains, and friends... well... they'll just have to schedule visits around your tanning schedule

**your_comforting_company** · 12-15-2009, 04:10 PM

As a result of my slackness, I thought I'd try a technique I read about in several of my books called "pre-smoking".

much to my amazement, the skins softened beautifully. I was not defeated, nor was it a failure.. it was an opportunity to try something new.
I'm glad I did!!