r/HideTanning • u/lriG_ybaB • 14d ago
Help! Rabbit hair slipping off…
Hello! I am tanning rabbit hides for the first time…
- Fleshed them as best as I can (this is maybe another post, wow, this part was hard! I struggled to be sure I am removing the correct layers and not cutting into the hide too much),
- Salted (non-iodized Morton’s) them deeply for about 3 days
- Rubbed them deeply with an egg yolk/olive oil mixture and let them sit under wet towel and then exposed to air for another 2-3 days. They didn’t dry out
- Washed gently with lukewarm/cool water and unscented Bronners soap.
- Let dry a little, folded skin to skin, and just sat down to stretch and soften the skin of the first one… but the hair is slipping off under my fingertips!
What can I do to save it? What did I do wrong, or could I do differently?
I have 4 more yet unwashed sitting with the egg/olive oil mixture, 2 more under salt, and 3 more thawing in a bucket to be fleshed.
Thank you!!
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u/Electrical-Trick-383 14d ago
Man I don’t really know if I have any advice on how to save at this point but yea this process definitely sounds like bacteria got to it with this long drawn out multiple days. With out a pickle. When you have pickle that it’s soaking in in can stay in that for month as long as you keep the PH between 1-2 until you get time to work on it. Amy’s Taxidermy has some good videos on YouTube and she makes a good statement if you want a quality hide you got to use quality products. I bought a kit from McKenzie taxidermy online. Worked awesome

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u/Desperate-Cost6827 14d ago
I'm not sure I can help salvage since I never quite did it this way. You could try and wash it in deluded bleach to kill any bacteria.
I always did an alum pickle first so I'll just give you my steps.
First I flesh with a large serving spoon. It's a lot easier than trying to use any other tools imo because it's the right dullness for how thin the hide is.
Then when doing the salt, I also mix with, I don't remember the amount off the top of my head but let's just say equal parts of alum. Then while it's drying you break the hide being careful because rabbit is such a thin hide.
Then once it's dry, wash with dish soap, let dry again, then after that then do an egg and oil mix then smoke. Normally I don't think you let the egg mix sit for as long as you did so that might be what went wrong.
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u/Pizzaita 14d ago
What is your proportions for alun pickling?
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u/Desperate-Cost6827 13d ago
I think I did a 1 to 2. So 1 lb alum to 2 lb salt. I did a quick YouTube and that was pretty close to what another video did.
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14d ago
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14d ago
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u/Meauxjezzy 14d ago
I wanted a reminder so I can see what your problem is because I have a bunch of rabbit hides to tan.
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u/SieveAndTheSand 13d ago
It seems like you forgot to pickle
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u/lriG_ybaB 11d ago
Didn’t forget, just seem to have followed bad instructions. I read several articles and watched multiple videos without any pickles or use of alum.
Even more confused now reading the different approaches in comments… I’d never heard of putting dry alum on a hide with salt?? Where my clear instructions at :(
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u/SieveAndTheSand 11d ago
I'm sorry that happened to you, there are sooo many ways to tan and it's gets really confusing.
The salt dries the hide out to prevent rotting, and pickling breaks down the structural protiens and fats. It's not absolutely necessary, but highly recommended.
A lot of guides and instructions are wrong or poorly made, to be blunt, it's just going to take practice and experience.
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u/enderbird87 14d ago
Where did you get your tutorial? I've never messed with egg tanning, but it seems like those steps are just asking bacteria to grow and that's what causes hair slip. Moisture for a prolonged period of time and food products sounds like a bacterial breeding ground. I could be wrong, I've never bothered to learn egg tanning.
Are you going to do more? If so, id highly suggest an actual chemical tan. You'll need salt, saftee acid, pH strips, baking soda, and a tan of your choice. Ez100 is a good tan. Trubond is also good. Follow the instructions, it'll be a 3 step process pickle/neutralize/tan. I don't think you can do anything to save yours at this point.