How to tan a fox skin. Fox dressing

Many hunters claim that fox hunting is the most interesting activity for a true connoisseur of this type of activity. But what about the trophy you receive? You can make a gorgeous soft collar at home, but it needs to be cleaned, and not everyone knows the basics of how to properly tan a fox hide. At wrong process at home, the skins can simply be thrown away. In order to begin the dressing process, you need a freshly harvested hide. You can find relevant literature in libraries or on the Internet, watch training videos, find necessary recipes and independently complete the entire process step by step.

Preparatory work

Fox skin is very soft, so even a beginner can process and clean it at home without any problems. But you need to be very careful and cautious when performing all operations for dressing fox skins. All work with it, cutting and the entire processing process will directly depend on the place of extraction of these specific skins. This may be an individual from its natural habitat, or one that was raised in a special way at home. The skins of animals that have been caught by humans or caught in a trap are most often quite dirty. In addition to natural dirt, a fox, living in a wild forest, can carry burrs on itself, which become very tangled in the fur. To free the fur from all extraneous attributes and clean the skins, it is necessary big time, special solution and focus on work. A place heavily damaged by burdocks needs to be thoroughly cleaned. You can’t cut it and you can’t comb it with metal brushes either. It is necessary to preserve the skin so that every hair is even.

Animals that are raised in cages are much cleaner, and their skin does not have the same blemishes and excess vegetation as wild animals. Preparatory stage for skins it does not take much time and the process is faster. If a fox was shot by a hunter, there will be unsightly marks on its skin and the fur itself will be stained with blood. This type of skin must be repaired and cleaned before dressing.

The fox skin is prepared and washed in special conditions. The water temperature should be room temperature, and ordinary washing powder or detergent should be added to it. You can use a washing machine and delicate wash for this.

Dressing process

The process of dressing skins, not only fox skins, but any kind, consists of the following steps:

• soaking;
• fleshing;
• pickling;
• tanning.

The first stage, at which the fur is well soaked, is the most important. Make a special solution: add a tablespoon of salt to a container of water based on 1 liter and about 10 ml vinegar essence. The water should be warm. Many people use formaldehyde for its antiseptic properties. The skin must be dipped into this solution for 12 hours and constantly turned over for a uniform process. To keep the fur cleaner, you can add a little dish detergent. Then, the skin must be thoroughly cleaned of fat and various meat residues. This process is called fleshing. This is important and neat work, requiring special care and perseverance. It is performed using a dull knife. The material is straightened out on a special wooden block. After fleshing, the skin must be washed well again using the same technology as the first time. The pickling process requires immersing the skin in water with salt and acetic acid. It is necessary to constantly stir it there to make the final material tender. To keep the skin constantly in the water and not float to the surface, you can put something heavy on top of it.

To give fox skin special stable parameters and to enhance its properties from moisture, heat and various enzymes, it is necessary to carry out the tanning process. For this, natural materials are used: they take the bark of an oak or willow tree and finely chop it. You can buy ready-made decoctions at the pharmacy. Boil the broth for 20 minutes, let it stand for 24 hours and use this cold solution to soak the skin with a brush.

After a while, you need to take out the skin and shake it properly, hang it, wait until all the remaining water and solution have drained. Do not dry near heating devices or on a radiator. An important step is the moment at which, when drying out, dark spots will appear on the skin. They are located in places where there is almost no water. These places need to be broken down well, cleaned and the skin rubbed with your hands. It will then become very soft. Then hang to dry again. We saw something new dark spot and break it again. This work must be done constantly when dark places form. If you did not see these places, and the skin became overdried, you can again immerse it in the solution and repeat the process.

Wait until the material dries well, spread it in an even layer around the entire perimeter and use the following solution: 50 g of any grated soap, a tablespoon of fish oil, 15 drops of ammonia and 500 grams of water. The material will become soft, beautiful and elastic. At the end of all work, comb the fur well.

Conclusions

There are many recipes, but this process of dressing fox skins is actually very simple and minimal costs. Of course, professional leather processing at the factory, using professional means and the equipment will be better. But if you are not looking for the ideal quality of the skin and will not show it to professionals, then by following all the steps and standards, you can get a soft and beautiful collar made from animal skins.

Preserved fur skins are turned with the fur facing out. Dressing foxes begins with soaking such skins in a solution of salt, antiseptic and degreasers. In the domestic fur industry, JSC NIIMP has developed a number of chemical materials and technologies for processing fur raw materials, which are currently successfully used by various companies, small workshops and home-based craftsmen.

The skins must be soaked in the solution to such an extent that the entire surface of the skin does not have roughened areas, and in the future it is possible to easily turn the raw material inside out. On the surface of fur skins preserved freshly dry or dry the salty way There are always particles of fat, in the process of soaking with the help of modern highly effective degreasers this is achieved.

In production, in small firms and workshops, as well as in many home-based craftsmen, all water processes for dressing fur are mechanized. Various containers with mixers, washing machines and even household construction concrete mixers are successfully used. The condition for good processing of raw materials is mechanical impact onto the skins using frequent rotation in solutions, taking into account the length of the fur pile. Prolonged and high-speed rotation can lead to felting of the fur, therefore the number of revolutions in the devices is limited and ranges from 30 to 40 rpm. per minute. Typically, rotation is carried out for 10–15 minutes every hour. The liquid coefficient for such skins is overestimated and is equal to 20 - 25. (LC = 20 - 25).

Prepare a solution: ZhK = 25, water temperature 32 - 35 degrees, salts 20 g/l, effect M - 0.5 g/l Gamma 1 or Verinol - 1 g/l, PC preparation - 0.5 g/l. (Any antiseptic in the solution can be used). After introducing the chemicals, the skins are loaded and mixed for 10-15 minutes every hour; to automate this process, a time relay is installed. The duration of soaking is 4 hours, but it depends on the quality of the raw materials.

Effect M is a highly effective product for washing fur pelts, a composition based on non-ionic surface - active substances(surfactant), developed by OJSC Research Institute of Fur Industry. Viscous homogeneous mass brown, dissolves well in water at a temperature of 35 degrees, has a slight odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 6.5 - 9.

Effect M is used for soaking, washing, and also when washing dyed skins. The amount of the drug during the soaking process is 0.5 -2 g/l, washing 1 - 1.5 g/l, when washing dyed skins 0.5 -1.5 g/l.

Gamma 1 is universal remedy, applies as excipient in all liquid processes when dressing hides, the quality of dressing improves. The amount of the drug during soaking is 1 -3 g/l, for heavily dried and keratinized raw materials 2 - 4 g/l. This drug is often used in combination with Gamma 3.

All Gamma brand products are developed by OJSC Research Institute of Fur Industry. Similar materials exist in other countries, all designed to provide more quality product, knowing their purpose, you can safely use them when dressing skins according to the instructions. Consumption of the drug in soaking is 0.5 – 1 g/l, during degreasing 1 – 2 g/l and during tanning 0.5 – 1 g/l

The drug FH is an antiseptic and disinfectant, a composition based on salts organic acids and special additives. The clear liquid has a slight odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 4.5 – 6. The drug has high antiseptic and bactericidal properties wide range antimicrobial action.

The amount of the drug in the soak is 0.5 – 1 g/l, for bacterial raw materials 1.5 – 2 g/l.

Verinol is a product for soaking fur pelts, a composition based on nonionic and anionic surfactants, antiseptic drugs and special additives based on cyclic terpenes, represents clear liquid dark brown colors. The pH of a 1% solution is 6 – 8. It has a slight odor.

It is used in all fur soaking processes, has good wetting, emulsifying and washing properties, and removes dirt, fats, proteins and carbohydrates well.

Consumption: for soaking 1 - 2 g/l, for very dried and keratinized 2 - 4 g/l.

After soaking, the skins are turned inside out with the fur, paws and tails are trimmed, pressed in a centrifuge or passed through rubber drums and prepared for fleshing, placed in basins, covered with burlap so as not to dry out.

Flesh

After the skins are unloaded from the soaking solution and loaded into the pickle, 5 hours remain, during which time you need to have time to strip off the prepared skins, and when there are a lot of them, mechanization is indispensable. It is necessary, due to which the speed of fleshing the skins increases; one skin takes several minutes. In the case of a small amount of skin, you can scrape it off manually or on a wooden block with a two-handed scraper or on a scythe.

Washing

After fleshing, the skins need to be degreased, removing the fat that is located in the thickness of the leather tissue - this is achieved by washing using highly effective preparations. Washing is carried out in longboats or washing machines, you can use a concrete mixer.

Prepare a washing solution: ZhK = 25, water temperature 38 degrees, Lanem - 2 g/l, Effect M - 0.5 g/l. Washing duration is 1 hour. The skins are rotated for 15–20 minutes. The water is then drained and washed in clean water half an hour at a temperature of 30 degrees. The skins are squeezed out and immediately placed in a pickle.

Lanem is a product for washing and degreasing fur skins, a composition with a predominance of anionic surfactants. It is a light-colored paste yellow color with a faint odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 7 - 8.5. Washing consumption 1 g/l.

Pickling

When pickling, you can use any acid; sometimes two acids are used for furs. Formic acid is quite suitable for foxes. Prepare pickel: FA = 25, water temperature 35 degrees, salts 50 g/l, Gamma 2 - 0.5 g/l, formic acid 80% - 5 g/l. Add salt and Gamma 2, add skins and mix. After an hour, the acid is introduced and stirred for 15 minutes every hour. Pickling duration is 12 – 14 hours.

Gamma 2 – complex drug for pickling fur pelts, multi-component system consisting of ethoxylated products with antiseptic properties and special additives based on cyclic terpenes. Transparent viscous liquid yellow - green, has a slight odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 4.5 – 7. It is used in the pickling process of fur skins, especially thick skinned ones. Promotes rapid pickling, fine separation of collagen bundles, removal of acid hydrolysis products of fats, proteins and carbohydrates from the skin, and reduction of hair loss.

The amount of use of the drug at a peak of 1 - 2 g/l, 60 minutes before giving the acid.

The skins are then pulled out, squeezed and dipped in tanning agent.

Tanning – fatliquoring

Fox skins can be tanned with a chrome tanning agent - basic chromium sulfate (basicity 33%). Tanning can be combined with fatliquoring using dipping fat. Prepare a tanning solution: FA = 25, water temperature 35 degrees, salts 50 g/l, Gamma 3 - 0.5 g/l, chrome tanning agent - 3 g/l, mekhsinol - 5 g/l. Add salt and Gamma 3, add skins, stir for 15 minutes. After an hour, the tanning agent is introduced, the skins are stirred for 15 minutes every hour. 2 hours before the end, a fat composition – mekhsinol – is introduced. Tanning duration is 12 hours.

After tanning, the skins are pulled out, wrung out, turned fur side out and stacked in a separate container for 24 hours. Cover the container and leave it in warm room.

Gamma 3 is an auxiliary product for soaking, degreasing and tanning fur skins, a multicomponent system of nonionic surfactants and special additives based on cyclic terpenes. The viscous liquid is light pink in color and has a faint odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 5.5 – 7.

It is used in the processes of soaking, degreasing and tanning all types of fur raw materials, removes natural fats, hydrolysis products after the pickling and tanning process. Has good emulsifying properties.

The consumption of the drug in soaking is 0.5 - 1 g/l, during degreasing 1 - 2 g/l and during tanning 0.5 - 1 g/l.

Mehsinol is a universal fatliquoring preparation for fur skins and sheepskin, a composition based on sulfonated animal and vegetable fats. This is a viscous liquid from light beige to dark brown color with a specific odor. The pH of a 5% solution is 5 – 8. It gives softness and plasticity to the leather fabric of the skins.

The consumption of the drug for dipping fatliquoring is 2 – 10 g/l, for spreading fatliquoring it is 33% of the emulsion.

Rollback - finishing

After curing, the skins are turned inside out with the fur and pulled over the rules, dried in warm weather under canopies in the air or in a warm room until completely dry, to a crisp.

Dry skins are moistened with water, stacked and covered with cellophane, after 20 hours the skins are placed in a retractable drum with pieces (or balls) of rubber, and broken for several hours. The broken skins are turned inside out, loaded into a drum with sawdust, and Gamma 7 is added to the sawdust in an amount of 30 ml per skin. The amount of sawdust is 0.8 kg per skin. Within 2 - 3 hours the skins are rolled in a drum. Then the skins are shaken from sawdust, replacing the lid with a mesh or in a special mesh drum. The skins are turned inside out again and the heads are moistened with Gamma 6 (300 g/l).

The skins are then rolled over the skin. The skins with sawdust are loaded again (consumption 0.8 kg per skin), Gamma 6 - 20 ml per skin is added to the sawdust. The skins are rolled for 3 hours. The skins are shaken free of sawdust, turned inside out, cleaned and the fur combed.

Gamma 6 is a product for rolling fur pelts onto leather fabric, a multi-component system consisting of various organic matter and specialty additives, including synthetic terpenes. This emulsion is light cream in color and has a slight odor. The pH of a 1% solution is 6 – 8.

It is used in the processes of rolling out leather fabric of fur skins, imparting softness and plasticity.

Gamma 7 is a product for removing fur skins, a multi-component system consisting of various organic substances and special additives, including synthetic cyclic terpenes. It is a light brown liquid with a faint odor. pH of a 1% solution is early 6 – 8.

It is used in the process of removing all types of fur; it cleanses the hair from dirt, dust, grease, and gives it fluffiness and elasticity.

Fox dressing using Lowenstein technology

Soak

The purpose of soaking is to soak the raw materials until they are steamed, then turn the skins inside out, since fur raw materials are most often turned fur side out. For oily skins to remove excess fat special degreasing additives with an antiseptic are added to the soaking from fur and leather. The soaking process begins late evening and leave the skins overnight. Prepare a solution: ZhK =25, water temperature 30 degrees, salt 20 g/l, WETTER HAC – 1 ml/l, for skins without signs of fluidity ELBRO 100-C – 1 g/l, LP-12-B – 2 ml/l . The skins are loaded into the soaking solution and stirred for 15 minutes. After 2 hours, the skins are turned inside out and stirred for another 15 minutes. Then the skins are left in a container or longboat overnight in a warm room. The duration of soaking the skins is 10 – 12 hours. In the morning the skins are pulled out, wrung out, and flayed disk machine, heads and paws are processed, tails are cut. Fleshing can also be done manually on a scythe or on a wooden block using a two-handed scraper or a dead end from a scythe. The stripped skins are prepared for washing.

WATTER HAC is a highly effective non-ionic wetting agent from Lowenstein, which is suitable for all types of canning. It has antiseptic properties thanks to additives.

ELBRO 100-C – enzyme preparation, improves the extraction of ballast proteins and lipids from skins, in the future the leather tissue is more easily degreased, made softer and lighter.

LP-12-B is a product for eliminating fur matting.

Washing

Washing skins can be done both in longboats and in washing machines. Prepare a solution: FA = 25. Water temperature 32 degrees, salt 20 g/l, SOLVO B – 1 ml/l and DE-SOL-A – 1 g/l. Washing duration is 1 - 1.5 hours. The skins are then squeezed out and placed in a pickle solution.

DE-SOL-A is an anionic degreasing surfactant material with good cleaning and wetting properties.

SOLVO B – this degreasing agent is used in conjunction with DE-SOL-A, as a result of which the degreasing effect is improved.

Pickling

In the evening, prepare a solution: FA = 25, water temperature 32 degrees, salt 50 g/l, glycolic acid - 2 ml/l, lactic acid - 2 ml/l, after 1 hour 80% formic acid is introduced - 2 ml/l, at For hair to become limp, add oxalic acid - 1 g/l; for skins without signs of limpness, add SUPER LOTAN A - 0.5 ml/l.

To better loosen collagen fibers in the skin, two acids are used: lactic and formic.

Add salt and lactic acid, load the skins, mix for 15 minutes, an hour later add formic acid and mix again for 15 minutes. pH = 2.8 – 2.9. The skins are left overnight, checking the temperature of the solution. Duration 12 – 14 hours. The skins are pulled out, squeezed out and sent into the tanning solution.

SUPER LOTAN A is a complex of proteolytic enzymes and organic acids that facilitates the removal of soluble proteins, increasing the softness and plasticity of hides.

Tanning

You can tan skins with any tanning agent; currently, chrome-free tanning agents are very popular for tanning furs, although chrome-containing tanning agents are also often used. Prepare a solution: FA = 25, salts 50 g/l, aluminum-ammonium alum 35 g/l, TANNING ASSIST B - 3.5 g/l (dissolve in a small amount of water and add to the rotating solution, when the solution becomes transparent, load the skins) . After 2 hours, LOWENOL EML is administered - 1 g/l, LOWENOL LFB - 1 g/l, after an hour MOUTOTAN - 2 ml/l. The skins are stirred for 10–15 minutes every hour. Tanning duration is 12 – 16 hours. The temperature of the solution is controlled and kept constant. approximately equal to 3.6. The skins are pulled out, squeezed out, turned inside out and placed in a separate container overnight to lie in a warm room. In the morning, they stretch the skins over the rules with the flesh outward and fatten them.

When using any aluminum compounds in tanning, tanning agent may precipitate. To avoid this phenomenon, a drug from the Lowenstein company TANNING ASSIST B, which is a mixture of salts, is added to the solution carboxylic acids. The pH value is stable. The consumption of the drug is 1:10 in relation to the consumption of aluminum alum.

MOUTOTAN – chromium-containing tanning agent, is a basic chromium sulfate.

LOWENOL EML is a fat composition for dipping fatliquoring.

Fatliquoring

Spread fatliquoring using a brush, fat composition FRIESOL - 30 - 40 g per skin. They lay for two hours, then the skins are hung to dry. After drying, break the skins using rubber pieces in a drum. Dry cleaning in a drum with sawdust - 250 ml of GLO-MOR solvent (half with water) per 100 skins and per 10 kg of sawdust. Roll back until the hair is completely cleaned. Then shaking from sawdust, pulling along the length and width, sanding the insides, ironing and combing the fur.

So that the fur product does not deteriorate from the influence environment, was not damaged by pests and served for a long time, it must be made from properly dressed skins.

Tanning hides at home involves the use of chemical reagents that can be harmful to health, so all procedures should be carried out carefully, in compliance with the rules for handling hazardous substances and safety precautions.

There are relatively simple and available methods processing of skins, which may be suitable for those who want to try their hand at production fur products. Main task- this is conservation high quality fur and giving the skin qualities and properties convenient for cutting and sewing.

Let's try to figure out what tanning hides at home is, how to make it yourself at home from dry skinned blank for a collar or fur frill?

The work of tanning hides is conventionally divided into several stages: preparation of raw materials, their dressing and final finishing.

Harvesting hides and preparing for dressing

Only the skin removed from the carcass should be cleaned of residual fat and meat. After cooling, it is generously sprinkled with non-iodized kitchen salt, which should absorb moisture from it. As a result, the skin should dry out and become crispy. This process can last several days or even weeks. The skin prepared for storage should be dry to the touch and tough; it retains its shape well.

Tanning hides at home begins with sorting. They are sorted by size and thickness of the inner layer into groups for ease of processing. All skins are weighed for accurate calculation the required amount of reagents for their isolation.

The leather after dressing should be thin and soft, and the fur raw material should not show signs of shedding. The best quality products are obtained from processing animal skins that are 6-8 months old.

Soaking

After storage, tanning hides at home begins with soaking them in two stages. The first is for 4 hours in clean water. Second stage - up to 12 hours in water saline solution(per 1 liter of water - 20 g of salt). For 1 kg of skins for soaking, take 8 liters of solution. For freshly removed paired skins, it is sufficient to carry out only the first stage of soaking.

After soaking, the skins become elastic, and their subcutaneous layer should be easily separated. If this does not happen, keep the skins in saline solution extend. If left in water for a long time, the raw materials may begin to rot.

There is another version of the solution - with the addition of antiseptics to prevent the proliferation of putrefactive bacteria in the water. For 10 liters of water, such a solution requires 500 g of non-iodized salt and 6 furatsilin tablets.

Some experts recommend adding up to 2.5 g to the solution to remove fur and dirt from fur. detergent, which does not contain biologically active substances.

Flesh

Fleshing is the process of removing the subcutaneous fat layer. It is knocked down by hand using a blunt staple or carefully cut using a sharp scythe. This operation for thick-hide skins can be performed using a sharpened rotating disc knife.

The dressing of hides at home during the fleshing stage is carried out carefully. Subcutaneous layer with remnants of fatty and muscle tissue cut superficially so as not to touch hair follicles in the thickness skin.

Thick-hide skins can be processed by cutting off thickenings at the base of the ridge. This process requires certain skills, since careless movement, especially when using sharp instruments, can damage the integrity of the skin.

Cutting the flesh is usually carried out in the direction from the tail to the head, then, if necessary, remove a thick layer from center line to the edges, trying to achieve the same thickness of the entire skin.

Washing

To ensure that rabbit skins are processed at home in accordance with technological process, after the fleshing stage, the raw materials must be thoroughly rinsed, even if detergent was added to the solution during soaking.

Washing is carried out in warm water with simple shampoo. It is allowed to add special dishwashing detergents to the water for more thorough washing of greasy and heavily soiled areas.

In the old days, this process was carried out using conventional laundry soap. To prepare the solution, grate 10 g of soap and dissolve it in 1 liter of water, add soda ash (0.5 g) and wash the fur until the hair squeaks slightly.

Pickling and pickling

To change the structure of the skin, a pickling process is performed. The skins are placed in a special solution: for each liter of water heated to 35 degrees, add up to 15 g of acetic acid and up to 4 g of sodium chloride. The solution is prepared in sufficient quantity so that all raw materials are covered with liquid.

Exposure time - from 6 to 12 hours or more with periodic movement. The skins should also be moved from the bottom of the container to the top layers for even processing. The readiness of the raw material is determined by the white stripe (drying strip) on the fold of the skin when it is squeezed.

Surface treatment of the flesh without continuous soaking is also allowed. The solution concentrate (half the amount of water) is applied with a brush to the surface up to three times, leaving 24 hours between repetitions.

The technology for tanning hides at home after pickling involves keeping them for 24 hours after stacking them. Before the next stage, excess moisture is removed by squeezing in drying rollers or in washing machine drum type.

The pickling process can be replaced by fermentation in an aqueous solution of oatmeal or barley flour. The process requires constant monitoring, since when raw materials are overexposed, the connection between the hair and the skin is quickly lost. This composition is prepared as follows: for each liter of water heated to 45 degrees, take 60 g of salt and 100 g of flour with preliminary infusion of the solution for 8 - 10 hours.

Tanning

To maintain resistance to moisture, chemicals and temperature changes, the skins are subjected to the tanning process. For this, it is best to use special chrome tanning agents. Their active substance- chromium sulfate salt. Aqueous solution for tanning is prepared from one liter of water and 1.5 g of chromium oxide, the solution temperature is 40 degrees. The skins are kept in this composition for up to 6 hours with occasional stirring.

In the absence of chromium oxide, tanning skins at home is possible using chrome alum. To prepare a working solution, take them in an amount of at least 6 g per liter of water.

Another option for replacing chromium oxide: the solution is prepared from aluminum alum, they are taken in the amount of 100 g per 1 liter of salt (50 g salt) water. Stretched skins are treated with this composition superficially along the inner layer 2 times a day for 4 days.

In the old days and now they still use natural tanning agents (tannins) extracted from plant materials: oak bark, willow branches, alder, wild rosemary, and nettle. The solution is prepared from 250 g of crushed raw materials and 60 g of salt per liter of water.

The components are boiled in an enamel bowl for 30 minutes, cooled, and strained. The skins are loaded into this composition and kept, stirring, for at least 6 hours until completely saturated with the solution, followed by storage in folded piles for at least a day.

Fatliquoring

The preparation of rabbit skins at home at the fatliquoring stage is carried out with a special emulsion. To prepare it, dissolve 200 g of grated laundry soap, 80 g of fish, pork or lamb fat and 10 g of ammonia in one liter of water heated to 45 degrees.

With this composition, the inner layer of the skin is evenly treated using a tampon or brush, avoiding contamination of the fur, followed by storage in piles for storage for at least a day.

Another option for fatliquor composition: 50 g of fat (preferably fish), 1 liter of water, 10 ml of ammonia at 25 percent concentration, 25 ml of oleic acid. The solution is prepared in two containers. First, oleic acid is mixed with fish oil in one vessel. In another vessel, ammonia is diluted with water heated to 25 - 30 degrees. The contents of the first are added to the second vessel with constant stirring. After treatment with this composition, the skins are kept for up to 6 hours.

Making rabbit skins at home. Step-by-step instructions for processing using bran

The composition recipe is designed to process 10 medium skins. To prepare the solution, boil 12 liters of water and add 16 cups of oat or barley bran to steam for 1 hour. Separately, boil 15 liters of water, pour it into a suitable plastic container, add 16 cups of salt there and mix well. The bran infusion is filtered out on a sieve and added to a container with saline solution.

After cooling, carefully add battery acid (3.5 cups) to the container while observing safety precautions. After combining all the components of the solution, load the skins into the container and leave them for 40 minutes, stirring constantly. The skins are removed and washed with running water. To completely neutralize the acid, you can add baking soda to the water during the first rinse.

The skins are hung to drain and dry easily. After this, the inner layer is treated with hoof oil until the appearance of a lung fatty plaque. For final drying, the skins are stretched on frames or racks with the edges secured.

Tanning hides at home: instructions for beginners

The method is based on the use of soured cow's milk. Steamed or pre-soaked skins in water are rubbed with coarse salt. They are placed with the skin inside in piles and left to age for three days. After this, the remaining salt is removed, the skins are squeezed out, kneaded and peeled.

At the next stage, they are placed with the fur inside in a container of suitable size with peroxidized (5 - 7 days) milk and left for 3 days to mature with periodic stirring of the solution. For one skin you need at least 1 liter of sour milk. The readiness of raw materials is determined by “drying”.

Subsequent processing: washing, tanning and fattening are carried out using one of the already known methods.

Finishing operations

Fur raw materials prepared for sewing must have a beautiful, lush appearance, the hair must be crumbly, and the skin must be soft and pliable. To achieve this result, the tanned skins are sanded with fine sandpaper or abrasive stones. To add shine to the hair and degrease it, the fur is treated with sawdust from deciduous wood. For splendor, the pile is combed.

Tanning animal skins at home is a labor-intensive operation. Good result It’s difficult to achieve the first time, but after acquiring the necessary skills, you can independently prepare high-quality material for sewing fur products, avoiding purchasing it from third-party manufacturers.

It is better to remove the skin from a fox with a pipe. For this sharp knife don't cut the skin on your feet hind legs from the middle of the pads to the claw of the middle finger.

Then from the middle of the pads to anus, By inside hind legs. Next, cut the fox skin from the anus to the base of the tail. In the same way, the skin on the front paws is ripped open, from elbow joint through the foot to the middle claw.

Next, separate the skin from the hind paws, holding the paw with your left hand, thumb right hand We separate the skin from the hind paws, and then the front paws. Using a knife, we trim the connective film and tendons connecting the phalanges of the fingers. After removing the skin from the paws, he begins to separate the skin of the tail from its shaft.

To make skinning easier, it is better to hang the fox carcass by hind legs in acceleration.

After removing the tail, separate the skin from the body. Smoothly pulling it down, if necessary, trim the film from the skin. Approaching the front joints, we first remove one paw after the other, then the skin will again be easily removed.

Near the head you need to help with a knife, because... dense in this place connective tissue. By carefully trimming the ears (leaving a thin piece of cartilage in auricle) remove the skin from the tip of the muzzle, trimming the lips and nasal cartilage, remove the skin completely.

Primary processing of fox skin

The removed skin should be thoroughly degreased and wiped with a dry and clean rag. If there are tears in the skin, they must be sewn up with threads, but they should not be tightened too much, only until they are closed. The degreased and rubbed fox skin is put on a straightener, with the fur inward and the flesh outward. It is important that the ridge and tail are strictly in the middle. Place the straightener with the skin at a slight angle so that the paws and tail do not come into contact with the main skin. The skins should be dried at room temperature. After drying, remove the skin from the straightener and turn it fur side out and dry it.

By nature, fox skins are soft, and the processing process usually produces a fairly high-quality skin, even for beginners. Nevertheless, it is necessary to pay particular attention to the initial operations of dressing the fox skin.

Where to start?

Getting started with the pelt and its nature will depend on how the particular pelt was obtained: whether it was a wild fox or a farmed one. The skins of foxes killed by a hunter or caught in a trap are usually very dirty. Inhabited in natural environment, the fox, in addition to the usual dirt, carries on its skin many burrs entangled in its fur. Freeing the hair from everything extraneous requires time and great perseverance. Do not use metal brushes to comb out burdock and under no circumstances cut off a difficult area. Every hair must be preserved.

Domestic foxes raised in cages are cleaner, and their skin is devoid of the listed disadvantages, and therefore, the preliminary stage will not take so much time. If the fox was shot, there will be holes in the skin from buckshot, and the fox's fur will be contaminated with dried blood. Such a skin will need to be repaired before being tanned.

Having prepared the freshly removed fox skin in this way, it must be washed. You need to wash in water at room temperature with washing powder or with the addition of detergent. Can be in the washing machine.

The dressing of any skin, including fox skin, consists of the following main sequential stages: – soaking; – fleshing; – pickling; – tanning.

High-quality tanning of hides requires some experience. For distance learning For all operations, you can use video tutorials that are presented on the Internet

Soaking

Thorough soaking is the main condition for further successful processing of the skin. In a suitable sized container with water at room temperature, add 50 g of salt per 1 liter of water and 7-10 ml of vinegar essence. You can also use formaldehyde, furatsilin, and other acids as an antiseptic. small quantities. Leave the skin in the solution for 11–12 hours, turning it periodically. You can also add just a little detergent here to better clean the fur.

Fleshing and pickling

Fleshing is the process of cleaning the surface of the skin from fat, meat and muscle residues. The operation is very complex and responsible; the abdominal area requires special care. It is carried out using a dull knife, straightening the skin on a wooden block. Afterwards, wash the skin thoroughly again, as you did the first time.