Learned a lesson the other day....
If your gonna brain tan, don't do it on an Oklahoma day when the temps are in the 90's....
Got to hot and was drying faster than I could do the work so I put it back in the brain mix and was gonna get up early (4 am) and finish it the next morning before the heat kicked in.... Unfortuantly got called out of town that evening and did not get back to it for three days... nothing left of the skin in the brain but fragments... I am fortunate that I had only the cost of the brain invested and just a little sweat of labor, But I feel bad because Beadro gave me the skin and helped me buck it for my first attempt....
I am gonna try again when the weather breaks! I want to learn how to do this right!
I feel your pain.................
If in the event that you have to walk away from the operation and wont be able to get back to it for a period of time you can do a couple of things to save it all. One being that you can hang the skin over a line and let it dry, wont hurt anything and you can then soak it back whenj you get time.
Or, you can freeze it and thaw it out later when you get back to it. Loosing a skin is really the pitz!
I just found that out! I was under the impression that once it was brained it had to be finished right then...
I learned something! Who says ya can't teach an old dog new tricks? What makes me feel bad is that it was my first attempt, and it was a pelt which was given to me for this attempt... If it had been all my materials I wouldn't feel so bad, but they wern't and Allen has been so patient and helpful that I feel bad for wasting his time and effort in getting me the skin and helping me to buck it...
I understand how you must feel. But at this point all you can do is chock it up to a learning experience and move on to the next one.
I remember the very first hide i brain tanned it was a hair on black buck doe hide ..It didnt turn out perfect matter of fact it was a little.. well alot stiff once it had dried while i was working it.....
I tossed it back in the brain for while and went at it again done that a few times and never did get it as soft as i wanted it.But it was good enough to be used for the coffee table as i intended . You will find it is a on going learning process and ya learn something new nearly everytime you do a hide as each hide is a little differant.. But you will get get it down just takes time....
Just keep at it Jim, this is where too many people decide to quit. Everyone has a few hides that go to waste at least once. Write the procedure down if you have to , no shame in taking notes either. I had a calendar marked with all my hides so I wouldn't forget them.
In this hot weather we are having it's hard to tan, early morning is the best time , you shouldn't have to wait until fall if you really need them for the rendezvous season.
Oh I have no intention of giving up!
I just have to proritize right now... My new business is about to take off, I have a baby bulldog (only 1 ) which needs care every couple of hours, another litter within the next week and a half ( I hope), and about 30 other projects the wife would like to see done... As soon as I can get some free time I'll get started on another skin and hopefully this time it will work out. I am a firm believer in the "if at first you don't suceed, try, try again" school of thought. And with all you guys advice and comments I know I will get it right!
(besides I am gonna try and sneak the extra window a/c unit out into my shop to cool it down so I can do some of my work in there) (just don't tell the wife....)