Tanning and processing of sheep skins: a complete guide. Tanning hides at home. Dressing rabbit skins: technology
After the slaughter of farm animals, the question arises of what to do with the skins. Leather and fur are popular goods on the market, so it is not rational to simply throw them away, and handing them over to specialized enterprises for processing is not always profitable. economic point vision.
You can tan skins at home. True, the dressing process is quite lengthy and includes the following stages: soaking, fleshing, degreasing, pickling, tanning and fatting.
Tanning hides involves working with various chemicals, including acids and alkalis, and requires strict adherence to safety precautions. Deviation from the rules can, firstly, spoil the skins being processed, and secondly, harm your health.
If you are dealing with freshly skinned skins, they must be cooled and treated with salt before dressing. Using a knife or scraper, the remaining fat and meat are removed from the inside (the flesh) of the skin that has just been removed. The cleaned skin is spread fur side down on a flat flat surface, for example on concrete floor. In order for the skin to cool faster, the sun's rays should not fall on it.
When the skin becomes cool to the touch, its interior is thickly sprinkled with edible non-iodized salt, which absorbs moisture, thereby preventing the processes of skin decomposition and fur loss. It takes from 1.5 to 2.5 kg of salt to process goat or sheep skin. For skins of smaller animals, appropriate adjustments should be made.
It is important that the entire core is evenly covered with salt. If some of the salt falls off when moving the skin, the bare areas need to be sprinkled again. The salt-coated skin is laid out on a flat surface, while its edges should not bend, but it should not be stretched either: this will cause the product to lose its strength. Depending on the thickness of the hide, salt treatment can take from several days to 2 weeks.
Dry skin can be tanned. Moreover, you must prepare equipment and substances for all stages of processing in advance, so that when the time comes for the next operation, it does not have to be postponed due to the lack of one or another chemical. No hitch in the best possible way will affect the quality of the final product.
On the Internet and in specialized literature you will find a large number of various methods of tanning hides: from methods that almost exactly replicate industrial tanning technology, to amateur recipes developed through experiments and based on personal experience. However, any of the proposed methods will include a sequence of standard steps for tanning hides. The chemicals used and the time allocated for each procedure will differ. We don’t see the point in describing many existing recipes step by step. Instead, let's present a generalization of the methods of each stage of dressing, listing possible options its implementation. Dried skin loses elasticity. To restore its ability to interact with chemicals, the skin is softened by soaking in water with antiseptics and table salt.
SOAKING
Remember general rule carrying out all procedures related to immersing skins in water: the liquid must be poured so much that the skins in it can be easily mixed, i.e. not too much, otherwise the water will splash out, but not too little, otherwise all the liquid will be absorbed into the lower layers without properly moistening the upper ones. For 1 liter of water, dilute 40-50 g of table non-iodized salt and some antiseptic substance: 0.5-1 ml of formalin; 1 g sodium fluoride; 2 g zinc chloride; 2 g sodium bisulfite; 1-2 tablets of norsulfazole, sulfidine or furacillin. For 1 liter of water, you can also dilute a mixture of 1 g of zinc chloride or sodium silicofluoride and 1 g of sodium bisulfite. To soak thick skins, it is recommended to add 2 g of washing powder to antiseptics. Soaking water should be room temperature, i.e. at the level of 18-20 ° C; if it is above 25 °C, it will lead to fur loss. Soaking takes several hours. If after 12 hours in water the skin is still not softened enough, the solution is replaced with a fresh one. A well-soaked skin is soft over the entire surface; there should be no hard areas left on it.
FUCKING
The soaked skin is laid out on a flat, level surface (board or block), the remaining fat and films are straightened and scraped off from the flesh.
The tool is a scraper or a blunt knife. If the skin was well cleaned during initial processing, fleshing will not take much time.
DEGREASING
No matter how carefully the initial treatment and fleshing are carried out, subcutaneous fat will definitely remain, and it seems possible to remove it only with the help of chemicals. To treat thin, non-greasy skins, use laundry soap dissolved in warm water (18-20 °C). More universal method- treatment of the flesh with washing powder (3.5 g per 1 liter of warm water). To degrease skins with a particularly thick fat layer, surfactants are used: sulfanols NP-1, NP-9 or santamid-5. 3.5 g of one of these chemicals is dissolved in 1 liter of water at a temperature of 30-35 °C. Surfactants can be replaced with a mixture of 8-12 g of soda ash and 2-3 ml of oleic acid. The skins are poured with one of the described compositions and stirred gently for 30 minutes. After degreasing, the skins are washed in running water, the fur is wrung out or beaten with a stick, then the insides are wiped with a clean rag, removing excess liquid.
PICKING
Pickling (from the English pickle - “pickle”) is the process of treating hides with acid. Used in industry sulfuric acid, at home it is replaced with vinegar.
The 3% vinegar pickle is universal and can cope with the task regardless of the type of raw material. To obtain it, 42 ml of 70% vinegar essence or 250 ml of 12% or 330 ml of 9% are diluted with water to a volume of 1 liter, after which 30-40 g of salt are dissolved in this composition.
Pickling takes from 5 to 12 hours. The readiness of the skin is determined as follows: lightly squeeze it, fold it in four, strongly squeeze the fold and immediately straighten the skin. If a dryer (white stripe) remains on the fold, pickling is completed. Initially, due to lack of experience, it will be difficult for you to recognize the dryer, so start checking the skin even when it is probably not ready. Each time the dryer appears more and more noticeable. A sharp, distinct drying will indicate that it is time to remove the skin from the pickel.
If the skin is intended for sewing clothes or other products that will be in direct contact with human skin, it is advisable to neutralize the pickle with a solution of baking soda (1-1.5 g per 1 liter of water) or photographic hyposulfite (10 g per 1 liter of water). The skin is kept in a neutralizer for 20-60 minutes. This reduces the strength of the skin, but reduces the risk allergic reaction. In other cases (for example, if the skin is tanned to make a carpet), you can limit yourself to washing the raw materials running water.
Pickling is sometimes replaced by fermentation. This is a more complex, but at the same time more effective procedure. It is carried out with various mixtures, which include coarse rye or oatmeal flour or oatmeal, ground in a meat grinder.
The skins are fermented at a water temperature of 37-40 °C for 2-5 days. About 3 liters of kvass are consumed per 1 kg of raw materials. The readiness of the skin is determined, as with pickling, by drying.
Bread alum
Recipe 1Stir in 1 liter hot water 200 g oat flour and add 10 g malt. Infuse this mixture for 6 hours at a temperature of 60 ° C, then lower the temperature to 40 ° C and add 20-30 g of kefir or yogurt.
Maintaining the temperature at 40 ° C, leave the mixture for another 12-20 hours. Then dilute the resulting mixture with 1.5 liters of water, add table salt at the rate of 50-60 g per 1 liter and place the skins in the solution.
Recipe 2
Stir 750 g of oatmeal in 1 liter of hot water, add 20-30 g of kefir or yogurt and leave for 12 hours at a temperature of 37-40 ° C. Dilute the mixture with 5.9 liters of water, add salt at the rate of 50-60 g per 1 liter, put the skins into the solution and keep them at a temperature of 37-40 ° C.
After fermentation, the skins are washed with running water, and then, as after pickling, they are skinned again, after drying them and removing excess moisture with a rag.
TANNING
During the pickling process, under the influence of acid, collagen fibers in the skin tissue are destroyed, causing the skin to become soft and tear easily, and tanning restores its strength. Tannins bind collagen fibers together, envelop them and prevent fibers from sticking together even when exposed to water.
There are 2 main methods used at home: tannin tanning and alum tanning.
Tanning is called tanning with vegetable decoctions. So, to prepare a tanning broth, pour 500 g of willow or oak bark into 1 liter of water, boil for 10-15 minutes and add 50 g of salt. After a day, the infusion is filtered. The efficiency of tanning will increase if you add a decoction of horse sorrel roots (prepared similarly) to the bark decoction in a ratio of 10 liters to 2-2.5 liters.
The flesh is impregnated with a tanning compound. Why are skins either soaked in a container with tanning agent or applied to inner surface skin using a brush (painting).
Periodically, a thin strip is cut from the skin and the cut is examined through a magnifying glass. As soon as the yellow-brown tanning agent saturates the leather completely, throughout its entire thickness, tanning is stopped. The skins are spread out on a flat surface to dry for 1-2 days.
Among the numerous recipes for tanning with alum, the most popular and reliable is the use of chrome alum. To prepare them, take 7 g of chrome alum and 50-60 g of salt per 1 liter of water. If you want the tanned skins to become even softer, you can add 10-12 g of potassium alum to the described composition.
The skins are dipped in alum tanning agent for a day. The degree of readiness of the raw material is determined in the same way as with tannin tanning - by the cut. At the end of tanning, after 1-2 days of drying, neutralization is carried out.
RINSE
Washing is only required for hides that have been soaked in tanning agent. When treating skins with ointment, this step is skipped.
The wool is washed with running water. To make the fur silky, you can add shampoo to the water. However, be careful to
the detergent did not get on the inside. Tanned leather is strictly contraindicated for washing!
FAT
Fattening is carried out in order to make the skin elastic and soft. To do this, stretch the skin over a straightener and coat the inside with a fat emulsion using a brush or swab. The emulsion should be warm (about 40 °C).
Fat emulsion
Recipe 1Mix egg yolks and glycerin in equal parts, beat the mixture with a mixer.
Recipe 2
Grate 100 g laundry soap and dissolve it in 1 liter of boiling water. Then, stirring continuously, add 1 kg of pork fat. Turn off the heat and pour in 10 ml ammonia.
When applying the emulsion to the skin, try not to stain the fur. If contamination of the fur still cannot be avoided, remove the emulsion from the hair using a cotton swab dipped in gasoline.
After fattening, the skins are dried again outdoors. Depending on their thickness, drying can take from several hours to 1 day.
DRYING
Having dried the skin after fattening, it is slightly stretched, and the inside is treated with pumice or a scraper. This procedure is carried out after white spots similar to drying marks begin to appear on the skin when stretched.
Cow hide is the most valuable raw material for the production of high quality leather. However, the final characteristics of the resulting product depend entirely on the correctness of the dressing procedure. Only then can you be confident in the strength and durability of the product. Read about the intricacies and technology of processing cattle hides at home further in the article.
Technology for processing (dressing) cattle skins at home
Leather production has a rich history and tradition. Even primitive people mastered the basics of hide dressing, using improvised means to obtain soft, smooth material for sewing clothes. And modern fashionistas cannot imagine their interior and wardrobe without leather goods, which never go out of fashion, are stylish and practical.
However, to obtain a quality product, a certain skill is important. Let's look at the process of processing skins step by step.
Did you know? The word “skin” in ancient times sounded like “goat” and specifically meant the skin of a goat. Subsequently, the meaning of this lexical unit expanded and began to denote the body cover of both any animal and human.
Preparation
At home, when preparing the skin for dressing, it is important immediately after removing it from the carcass:
- remove fatty meat residues;
- spread on a flat surface, wool side down, to cool;
- generously sprinkle with coarse table salt without iodine (about 3-4 kg is required for one cow skin; this is done when the raw material has cooled);
- Dry the skin for several days until it becomes dry and stiff.
Skin sprinkled with salt
Soaking
To obtain soft, high-quality leather, cowhide is soaked in 2 stages:
- First, the raw materials are dipped in clean water.
- And after that, for 12 hours it is kept in a saline solution, which is prepared at the rate of 20 g of salt per 1 liter of water. Please note that over time the skin will begin to swell, so experienced experts advise preparing 8 liters of liquid for each kilogram of it.
Soaking is considered to be of high quality when after it the subcutaneous layer is easily removed from the wet-salted workpiece. If difficulties arise, the raw materials require additional aging in a saline solution. 
To prevent bacterial infection of skins, tanners advise using a solution based on salt and furatsilin However, it is not worth it long time leave it in this form, because the material may deteriorate. Experienced tanners recommend adding 6 tablets of furatsilin to each 10-liter bucket of water to prevent bacterial infection of the skins.
Important! The harvested raw materials must be without cuts, since even small punctures reduce its quality.
Mechanical degreasing, fleshing of hides
At this stage of dressing, it is important to carefully remove the subcutaneous fat deposits of the slaughtered animal. Some craftsmen do the fleshing manually, while others prefer to use a special mechanical device, the design of which resembles a rotating disk with sharp edges.
However, without some experience it is dangerous to operate such a device, since incorrectly cut hair follicles will affect the quality of the skin. To get a good result, experts advise removing the fat layer evenly, starting from the tail, with smooth movements from the axial center to the periphery. 
Washing
After degreasing, the cowhide must be washed in warm water. For this it is recommended to use soap solution. It is prepared in a ratio of 10 g:1 l. It is best to use laundry soap; soda ash is an alternative.
Did you know? In the 17th–19th centuries, binding made of human skin was used to decorate some books. Most often, treatises on anatomy were decorated in this way. Copies of criminal cases of executed criminals could be bound with leather. And sometimes such books were made from the skin of the deceased according to their will.
Pickling (or pickling)
In order for the prepared skins to change their structure, they are kept in a special vinegar-chlorine solution. For this purpose, acetic acid must be dissolved in water at a concentration of 0.15% and liquid sodium chlorine at a concentration of 0.04%.
Pickling involves periodically stirring the resulting composition after dipping the raw materials into it. Its exposure should last for 12 hours, until white stripes remain on the folds of the material when squeezed. 
At this stage of home leather dressing, pickling can be replaced by fermentation. Its technology consists of soaking washed raw materials in an aqueous suspension of oatmeal or barley flour. The solution is prepared from warm water, adding 60 g of salt and 100 g of flour for each liter.
After mixing all the ingredients, you can dip the skin into the resulting mixture, but do not leave it unattended for a long period. Experienced craftsmen It is advised to constantly monitor the results of fermentation, since over-cured material is unsuitable for further processing.
Did you know? The reflex that leads to the appearance of goose bumps is inherited from animals. . The muscles of the hair follicles contract and lift the hairs, causing the animal's fur to stand on end. When reacting to cold, this helps to retain body heat longer; when reacting to danger, it makes the animal more massive and terrifying. In humans, during the process of evolution, there is little hair left on the body, and this reflex has no practical meaning.
Tanning
After these manipulations, the cow hide must be tanned. The technology of this process involves soaking the raw materials for six hours in a special solution of chromium oxide. When preparing it, maintain the proportion of 1.5 g of active substance for every liter of warm liquid. After placing the skin into the resulting mixture, it is important to stir it periodically. 
Some livestock farmers carry out the tanning procedure using:
- oak bark;
- stems of stinging nettle;
- willow branches;
- alder biomass.
All components need to be finely chopped and measured in equal parts of 250 g. After that, prepare a saline solution in a ratio of 1: 60 and add the plant mixture to it. The liquid must be boiled and simmered over low heat for half an hour. Then the finished broth is filtered, allowed to cool slightly and the cow skin is soaked in it for 6 hours.
Zhirovka
At this stage, the technology for home tanning of cattle leather involves the preparation of a special emulsion.
It is done by adding the following components to water heated to 45–50 °C:
- laundry soap shavings - 200 g;
- ammonia - 10 g;
- any fat - 80 g.
Mix everything thoroughly, and then carefully treat the inner side of the skin with the resulting product. This is done using a soft brush or swab. After fattening, the hide blanks are stacked and left for 24 hours.
Drying skins
At the final stage, the oiled skins are pulled over wooden grate or flooring in such a way that the core is located on top. You should not overdo it in this matter, because after so many treatments the skin may tear, but the tension should be noticeable. 
During the entire drying period, it is recommended to take the workpiece outside every day to a shady place for ventilation. When the skins in the center zone on the inner side become elastic and dry to the touch, they can be removed. After that, it is recommended to spread the skin on a flat surface and clean the inside with a metal brush.
Did you know? The polar bear has black skin under its fur. The bristles of the fur coat themselves are transparent and hollow, so different conditions The color of the bear can vary from white to yellowish. In hot countries in captivity, a polar bear may even turn green if algae begins to grow in the bristles.
This will make the material lighter and softer. In this case, sharp jerky jerks are unacceptable. The tool should move smoothly and evenly, which will give inside skins with a “suede” velvety feel. Then, until it is finally ready, it is sent to dry for another 2 days.
Video: skin processing
Classifications of cattle skins
Experienced livestock breeders who have mastered the technology of home-dressing cattle skins distinguish several types. Each of them differs in the level of strength and nuances in processing. Let's take a closer look.
Important! If the technology for tanning leather at home involves the use of any acids, remember that ordinary soda will help neutralize their effect. Please note that during chemical reaction There will be a lot of foaming, so choose rooms with good ventilation for work.
How to tan sheep skin at home so that it does not lose its marketable appearance? After all, sheep are bred mainly for wool and meat, but some farmers throw away the skins. And the point here is not at all that the skin itself is not valuable, it’s just that few people know how to tan it correctly. Most beginners give up this activity after the first unsuccessful attempt. In fact, dressing sheep skins at home is a difficult task, but quite doable. It is only necessary to strictly follow the process technology.
Peculiarities of skin dressing
The entire dressing process consists of several stages: aging, fleshing, pickling, washing, tanning and drying. It is worth noting the fact that it is necessary to start processing the skin as quickly as possible, without putting things off for a long time. Otherwise, the skin will lose its presentation and, accordingly, its value.
In order to make the entire procedure for dressing skins understandable not only to specialists, but also to beginners in this business, we will consider in detail each stage of the work. So let's get started.
After you have skinned a killed sheep, you need to carefully inspect it. If there are pieces of fat, meat or tendons left on the inside, it is recommended to scrape them off with a knife.
All excess debris is removed from the wool; the sheepskin must be clean. After inspection, the skin can be folded in half and stored in a cool place for two hours.
Stages of dressing
In order to produce high-quality sheep skin, it is better to start working immediately after removing it. This is what the process of dressing at home should look like.
Soak
For this procedure you will need a spacious container. The fact is that sheep are quite large animals, and the skin must be completely covered with saline solution. To prepare this solution you will need:
- furatsilin or formalin;
- salt;
- acetic acid.
The solution is made according to the following recipe: for each liter of water, dissolve two tablets of furatsilin or 0.1 milliliter of formaldehyde. The salt content in such a solution can vary from 30 to 50 grams at the discretion of the farmer.
As an antiseptic, you can add acetic acid to the solution at the rate of 5 grams per liter of water.
Experienced furriers add decoctions of oak, birch or willow leaves. The proportion of such decoctions in the solution should not exceed 500 grams per 10 liters of water.
The skins should be soaked in this saline solution for at least twelve hours. If after this period the skin does not soften, then the entire procedure must be repeated again.
To understand that the skin is ready for further processing, you need to scrape it with your fingernail inner part(mezdra). If it gives in easily, you can proceed to the next stage.
Flesh
The purpose of this process is to rid the hide of possible residual fat and grease. Additionally, it helps remove excess skin.
This is done as follows: the skin is stretched on a flat surface or a special machine. The work is done with an iron scraper or a dull knife. This is done so as not to accidentally damage the skin. Fleshment is usually carried out from the back, gradually moving towards the head.
Wash
After you have finished fleshing, the treated hide must be washed. To do this, it must be immersed in a cleaning solution for five minutes. To prepare it you will need:
- washing powder – 3 grams;
- table salt – 20 grams.
All dosages are based on one liter of water.
After the fleece has been in the cleaning solution, it is wrung out and proceed to the next stage.
Pickling
This stage is aimed at improving the properties of the fleece. After pickling, the fibers soften and the lamb skin becomes more elastic.
The pickling solution is made from water, salt and acid. Moreover, the acid can be used either acetic or formic. To prepare the solution, add 50 grams of salt, 15 grams of acetic or 5 formic acid for each liter of water.
As with soaking, the fleece should remain in the solution for about 12 hours. You can check how successful the process is in the following way: the fleece is bent in half and squeezed. After straightening, a clearly visible strip should remain at the bend site.
Tanning
It is impossible to produce high-quality sheep skin at home without tanning. The purpose of this stage is to give your product strength. This procedure is again associated with the preparation of the solution. To do this you will need:
- table salt – 50 grams;
- chrome tanning agent – 6 grams.
All components are indicated for one liter of water. The skins are dipped into the prepared hot solution and left for a day. It is necessary to monitor the process, not allowing the solution to cool, and periodically heating it.
Fatliquoring
This step is aimed at giving your products a shine. To prepare the composition you will need:
- table salt – 100 grams;
- glycerin – 25 grams;
- ammonia – 20 grams;
- egg yolk – 70 grams.
The solution is applied to the skin. After this, the skins are laid in such a way that their internal parts are in close contact.
Drying
First, you need to squeeze out the fleece; this can be done using a centrifuge. After this, the skins are dried in thermal chambers at a temperature of 40 degrees.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in dressing. Most of the time, you will be making various saline solutions. Show a little attention and responsibility, and everything will work out for you.
Before bringing it to us for dressing, remove the FAT and MEAT from the skins, and then salt the skins with 2 packs of fine salt and put them NOT in a plastic bag. Then your skins will be perfect!
Fur is obtained in different ways: hunting, breeding, purchasing, etc. However, in order for these skins to realize your ideas, they need to be tanned. Our factory provides dressing services. We have been serving both individuals and taxidermy studios for 40 years. The quality of the skins processed by us allows us to create not only taxidermy products from them, but are also perfect for tailoring. With the help of German manufacturing technology and chemistry, your fur will last for many years. The quality of our products is important to us.
For those who obtain their fur by hunting, we recommend taking a look at the “Tips” section. Remember, the quality of the skins depends not only on us, but also on you!
Skins are accepted for dressing in raw-salted, fresh-salted and dry form.
The cost of dressing hides and fur
Changes have been made to dressing prices:
- 1st column - for fresh-dry and raw-salted skins, fat-free according to GOST;
- 2nd column - for skins with fat, meat, bones, cartilage, without salt or frozen;
This measure was introduced due to the fact that the supplied raw materials are not properly processed, which increases the manufacturing process, the cost of time and chemicals.
| Name |
Price, rub.) (Preservation complies with GOST) |
Price, rub.) Raw materials with fat, meat, cartilage, no salt |
Discount for wholesale. If the order is from 50 to 5,000 pcs. |
| Badger |
1 000
|
1 350
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Squirrel |
250
|
250 | from 3 to 30% |
|
Beaver (any size) |
980
|
1 300
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Wolf |
3 500 |
5 300
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Otter |
1 000 | 1 500 | from 3 to 30% |
| Ermine |
250
|
250
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Raccoon |
850
|
1250
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Raccoon dog |
850
|
1250
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Hare rabbit |
650
|
950
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Boar |
5,200 l.m. |
7,160 l.m. |
from 3 to 30% |
| Boar (hoof) |
4 170
|
4 170 | from 3 to 30% |
| Camus of elk, deer (from hoof to knee) |
400
|
400
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Camus of elk, deer (from hoof to groin) | 800 |
800
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Astrakhan |
600
|
600
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Goat |
1 500
|
2 000
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Kid |
1 000
|
1 300 |
from 3 to 30% |
| Columns |
460
|
460
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
Roe deer (head with taxidermy cleaning) |
5 300
|
5 300
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Roe deer (hoof) |
2 170
|
2 170
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Roe deer (skin) |
4 200
|
4 200 |
from 3 to 30% |
| Marten |
460
|
460
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
Fox |
780
|
1 100 | from 3 to 30% |
| Elk (head without taxidermy cleaning) | 5,730 l.m. |
7,230 l.m. |
from 3 to 30% |
| Elk (skin) |
40 000
|
60 000
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Elk (hoof) |
4 170
|
4 170
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
Bear (Kamchatka) |
9,900 l.m. |
9,900 l.m. |
from 3 to 30% |
|
Bear ( middle zone)
|
7,850 l.m. |
7,850 l.m. |
from 3 to 30% |
| Seal |
7,850 r.m. |
8 100 l.m |
from 3 to 30% |
| Mink |
460
|
460
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Nutria |
980 |
980
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
Sheep/ram (without comb) |
3 500 |
5 300
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
Deer/deer (head with taxidermy cleaning) |
8 375
|
8 375
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Deer/deer (hoof) |
3 670
|
3 670 |
from 3 to 30% |
| Deer/deer (skin) | 4,550 l.m. | 6,870 l.m. |
from 3 to 30% |
| Muskrat |
300
|
300
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Arctic fox |
850
|
1 150
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Wolverine |
1 000
|
1 500
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Lynx |
3 500
|
5 300
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Sable |
500
|
500
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Marmot |
900
|
1 100
|
from 3 to 30% |
| ferret |
460 |
460
|
from 3 to 30% |
| Chinchilla |
250
|
250
|
from 3 to 30% |
|
|||
Factory dressing and processing
Humanity has always hunted. From the very moment the first weapons appeared, the first trophies appeared. Ancient people hunted not only for food; animal skins perfectly protected the body from the cold. How skins were processed in primitive times, and what production tools were used for this, is an interesting question. But let's leave it for historians, and let's talk about modern technologies tanning skins.
The modern factory "Lynx" invites everyone who is partial to natural fur to cooperate. Our diversified enterprise specializes in working with the fur of fur-bearing animals. The cost of fur dressing at our factory is available to everyone who is interested in this service. High quality work is ensured by the following characteristics in our company’s arsenal:
- Proven and reliable equipment for fur processing;
- Proven technologies for tanning hides, allowing to preserve as much as possible the quality characteristics of hide and fur;
- Our craftsmen have many years of experience in dressing and processing fur and skins;
- A well-coordinated team of professionals with different specializations.
The quality of the skins depends on their further fate. Only elastic, soft and light skins will become a source of inspiration for designers. They are demonstrated by the world's leading catwalks and the most famous women proudly throw them on their shoulders.
Trophies in the modern world
Hunting for men is not only entertainment and an opportunity to escape from the drabness of everyday life. Hunting is an opportunity to return home as a hunter, with a real trophy. A fur-bearing animal is a prey that you can be proud of. A properly tanned skin, be it a red fox or a fluffy raccoon, can also be an excellent gift. Products with decor from natural fur- it is always beautiful, stylish, elegant and warm, which is important for our climate zone. Regardless fashion trends, at all times, cold is the main incentive for hunting fur-bearing animals and breeding them on an industrial scale.
The Lynx factory has enough capabilities to provide skinning services on an industrial scale. To maintain high quality standards and comply with modern requirements, the Lynx fur factory uses special technological processes, compliance with which is not permissible in living conditions both from a human safety and security perspective environment. Poisoning and injury are possible, but the quality of the workmanship will still not be adequate.
It is important to understand that fur raw materials processed in an artisanal way cannot meet modern standards of quality and safety of manufactured products, and their service life is significantly lower than that of fur processed in production conditions.
What does the price consist of?
The cost of tanning hides in Malakhovka at the Lynx fur factory depends mainly on how competently the customer approached the issue of preserving the skins, whether he processed them correctly initially and how long he stored them before bringing them to the factory for dressing. The price is influenced by the type of fur raw material itself.
It is recommended to salt with natural fine salt (a couple of packets per skin), after removing fat and meat from them. It is recommended to store the skins without cellophane until delivery to the factory. Using a plastic bag significantly reduces the quality of the skin after tanning.
The difference in the cost of incorrectly preserved skins can be up to 50% of the cost of properly preserved fur raw materials.
The Lynx factory produces hides in Moscow and the Moscow region quickly and with a guarantee of results. Finished skins can be used for various purposes.
The quality of processing leather and animal skins is largely determined by a competent approach to conservation. It is recommended to deliver the skins to the factory in raw-salted, fresh-salted and dry form.
If you live in Zheleznodorozhny, then you will only need half an hour to get to our factory by car and use our professional services.
Among other things, you can order the following services at our factory:
- on tailoring fur products By custom design;
- taxidermy;
- for dyeing and cutting skins.
Rabbits can produce not only meat, but also valuable fur material. Skins are in demand for sewing many haberdashery items, clothing, and decor. It must be remembered that the cost and quality of fur depends on the dressing. It is important to carry out the procedure according to certain rules. The topic of this article: dressing rabbit skins at home.
There are three criteria that help you get off to the right start when working with rabbit skins:
- breed. The most expensive material is provided by white giant rabbits, chinchillas, etc. These hybrids are specially bred to produce thick, high-quality fur. Gray giants and similar breeds are suitable for skins when they can be raised with a dense pile. The main trick in this matter is a diet enriched with vitamins;
- slaughter time. The skins of young animals are best suited for dressing at 8-9 months, when the skin is fully formed. Killing is carried out from November to March, taking into account molting. If the process of changing the undercoat is not completed, the pile will come out of the skin and the material will quickly become bald. Adults are slaughtered after reaching the desired weight (3-5 kg, depending on the breed). Old rabbits are not used because of the coarseness and brittleness of the hairs;
- slaughter method. To preserve fur, methods that involve physical damage to the skin and a lot of blood are not used. They also try to avoid the electric option - it can scorch and weaken the pile. Air embolism and the French method are preferred. A blow with a stick or the edge of the palm behind the ears is used if you are confident in your ability to avoid bruises.
You can get high-quality meat and skin only by following the rules of slaughter. The process may be unpleasant in theory, but is not so difficult in practice. No breeder who wants to sell rabbit products can do without it. In this article you will learn how to kill a rabbit.
Experienced farmers advise not to neglect these points, since they directly affect the profitability of the business.
How to remove the skin correctly?
Before dressing, the skin and fur must be removed from the carcass. The procedure often causes difficulties for beginners. With experience, it ceases to be problematic and begins to work out quickly and accurately. It is best done immediately after bleeding is complete, before the rabbit becomes numb.
The fabric must come out whole, so the animal is “undressed” in a stocking manner. The carcass is hung by the hind legs on a strut, head down. The following are step by step:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Using a sharp knife, make cuts around the circumference hind legs near the hock joints. Then the skin is cut along the inside of the leg and perineum. The result is an arched stripe. The tail is cut off. |
| 2 | They begin to pull the skin down, carefully tucking it in like a sweater. Small “stitches” are made with a blade near the genitals and tailbone to bypass the areas without damaging the intestines and bladder. |
| 3 | When the skin is removed to the front paws, there are two scenarios. The first suggests sticking your fingers inside the limbs, breaking the joints and separating the meat from the skin there. The second method is easier - just chop off the front legs or make circular cuts similar to the hind legs. On the thighs, it may be necessary to slightly cut the ligaments that hold the flesh and skin together. |
| 4 | The stocking is pulled to the back of the head and separated from the rest of the head with a circular cut. If you need to remove the canvas, including the muzzle, make cuts around the eyes, mouth, and nose. The ears are amputated. Pull the skin to the end, helping with your fingers under it. |
It is important not to overtighten or tear the skin.
Primary processing of skinned skins and storage
Immediately after skinning, the skin must be scraped to remove pieces of meat and fat. It is much more difficult to clean a dried surface from these residues. You cannot leave a layer, otherwise the material will quickly begin to rot. It is also necessary to remove large debris from the wool.
To clean the inside, it is convenient to use a dull knife and own hands. It is better to stretch the canvas onto a thick wooden beam (blank). The movements are carried out in a circle. Warm muscles and fat layers will be easily removed. If there are tears, they can be carefully sewn up.
Dressing can be started immediately or dried for processing at a convenient time. Drying is carried out on a rack in a ventilated area. The temperature should be no more than 30°C. Some farmers freeze fresh skins, but this is also considered undesirable. Over-drying and hypothermia will make the skin brittle and may damage the pile. Dampness will lead to mold formation. The duration of the process varies individually. It is determined empirically. The canvas becomes completely dry, quite hard and slightly crispy. On average, the procedure takes 2-3 days.
Primary processed specimens are wiped with a rag or sawdust. Then they can be stored in tight, dry, well-closed boxes and bags. To kill moths, you can put naphthalene or its equivalent wrapped in cloth. Too much long-term storage Not recommended. It is advisable to start further dressing no later than in a month.
Some farmers additionally sort by size and thickness. This helps in later soaking the material evenly in the solution.
If dressing will be done “hotly,” then you can cover the straightened skin with salt while the materials are being prepared. This is also done when it is necessary to process several fresh canvases in a row.
How to stretch the skin
The rule is chosen to be wedge-shaped. Great option There is also a sliding design - it will better help maintain its shape, since it can be narrowed and expanded according to the size of a specific skin.
When tensioning, follow several rules:
- fur inside. The hair is smoothed a little, the fabric is put on inside out, skin out;
- moderation of stretching. There should be no folds or creases left. At the same time, you cannot overdo it (sparse hair will appear) and underdo it (the material will gather too much and noticeably lose in size);
- edge securing. The lower end is attached to the rule with a staple or nailed with a pair of nails so that it does not turn under during the drying process;
- rule size. For rabbits, equipment with a height of 80-100 cm is standardly used. The width of the base is 27-30 cm, the width of the top is 0.5-0.75 cm.
Under such conditions, the canvas will be of the correct shape, and the fur will not thin out.
How to tan rabbit skin at home?
Dressing is a set of operations to which raw hides and fur are subjected. The result is a material suitable for sewing products and their subsequent wear.
The procedure is labor-intensive and requires certain skills. Not everyone manages to carry out the treatment without torn areas the first time. Patience and practical experience invariably leads to a positive outcome if the production occurs according to a certain algorithm.
The technology for processing rabbit skins includes three sequential parts:
- preparatory. This includes soaking, fat removal, fleshing;
- dressing. It involves pickling or pickling, tanning and fatliquoring the skin;
- finishing. Final processing with drying, dyeing, combing the hair.
All stages are extremely important. Skipping or shortening their duration is definitely not recommended. Durable, high-quality fabrics can only be obtained by following all the technology.
Tools and materials
Before starting work, you should prepare chemicals. Their choice depends on the capabilities and personal preferences of the processor. Options will be discussed in the descriptions of the stages themselves. In addition to them you will need:
- sharp and dull knives;
- salt;
- rule (sliding);
- bark, branches from willow or pine;
- basins, large-volume pans made of glass or enameled;
- protective gloves, apron;
- blank or tabletop.
It is advisable to cover the work surface with film or paper. The room must be ventilated.
Step-by-step instructions for dressing rabbit skins
You should always start dressing dried fabrics by soaking them. This way they will return to their original softness. Northern peoples do this with the help of milk and tugging. Small areas of material are sprayed and wiped with your hand (similar to shaking off debris from trousers). Then they are gently rubbed, literally one centimeter at a time, while simultaneously removing the films from the skin. This skin becomes very soft, but the process takes a long time and requires a lot of effort.
Modern farmers more often use warm water with chemicals. At the same time, a short soak is done even for fresh skins, so that the skin is easier to clean and the fabric becomes more elastic.
Step 1. Soak
Soaking in water softens the material. The use of chemicals helps to carry out the first antibacterial treatment. Dried skins are kept only in a solution with an antiseptic (for rot) and for at least 12 hours. Fresh enough for 3-5 hours and you can take clean water at 25°C (but an antiseptic is preferable). For 1 kg of canvas, calculate 3 liters of liquid. The solution should rise 2-5 cm above the skins. For this amount, take 150 g of table salt or 6 g of zinc chloride and sodium bisulfite. Additionally, you can add 1.5-2 g of formalin. According to the second option, 150 g of salt is mixed with 90 g of borax and 6 g of carbolic acid in crystals.
The skins are folded flat, pressed down with a small weight for the first half hour so that they do not float (then the weight is removed). When the canvases have become completely soft and begin to float freely, the residual fat is separated from the flesh without extra effort, the operation is completed. The material is lightly wrung out and the solution is drained. During the process, you can stir the liquid and change it several times, especially if the step lasts more than half a day.
At the end you need to wash off the solution clean water, let it drain.
Step 2. Flesh
The surface of the soaked skin is wiped from excess moisture with a soft cloth. Stretch the canvas onto a blank or lay it out on the table with the fur inward. The surface of the skin is cleaned of films, fat and muscle residues. Then the topmost layer of flesh is cleaned off with a knife.
Scraping movements with a blunt knife are made from bottom to top. The center is from the tail to the head, the sides are from the back to the stomach. It is convenient to use a steel brush. The main thing is not to press the tool so as not to tear the skin. The stage is completed by lightly tapping the knife handle over the entire surface (breaking).
Modern technologies offer fleshing machines with magnetic and electric drives. This tool greatly speeds up the process.
Step 3. Degreasing
Next, you need to wash it in water with toilet soap, washing powder or regular shampoo. Powder takes the longest to wash out, so the other two options are preferable. For each liter of water, take 25 g of soap (shampoo) or 1.5-2 kg of powder.
IN warm solution(25°C) place the sheets for 10 minutes. Then they are thoroughly rinsed with clean water and wiped dry with a cloth. Should not remain on the skin household chemicals- it will not only ruin the view finished product, but will also complicate subsequent processing.
Step 4. Pickling and pickling
Choose 1 of the proposed methods. Pickling is a classic method for working with rabbit skin, but some people find pickling more convenient. Both procedures are needed to give greater strength to the material.
Pickling Pickling Prepare a homogeneous jelly-like mixture. For 1000 ml of hot liquid add 0.2 kg of rye or oatmeal flour, dissolve 3 tbsp. table salt, 7 g of powdered yeast (dry), 500 g of soda. This jelly is cooled to 30°C and the sheets are laid skin side up for 2 days. As soon as the flesh has acquired a white tint and the smell of bread has begun, it is time to remove and rinse the skins with clean water. Then let them drain.
Use acid pickle from 1000 ml of water (35°C), 12 ml of vinegar 70%, 5 tbsp. salt. The skins are placed in it for 2 days until the flesh becomes white. Readiness is checked by folding the fabric 4 times with the inside out. Firmly pinch the groin corner and draw along the fold with the sharp edge of the nail. If a white stripe remains when turning, you can rinse it off the acid. The neutralizer is prepared from water and soda (1.5 kg per liter), the material is dipped into it for 30 minutes. Rinse off with clean water and wipe dry.
All solutions are prepared at the rate of 3000 ml per 1000 g of skins, as for soaking.
Step 5: Tanning
It is necessary for moisture resistance, wear resistance, and less shrinkage when worn. Can be done in two ways.
Chrome Tannid 7 g of chromium alum per 1 liter of hot water. Keep the skins for 1 day.
Fill the container with oak or willow bark and branches. Do not compact. Boil for 30 minutes over low heat. Add 50 g of water per 1 liter of water. Cool. Keep the canvas for 1 to 4 days.
Remove the material, neutralize with the soda solution from Step 4 (Pickling). Rinse with clean water and squeeze lightly. Flatten and put under a press for 48 hours, skin on skin (flesh to flesh, fur to fur).
The readiness of tanning is checked under a magnifying glass. An even yellowish color throughout all cells, a velvety texture of the skin is a sign of complete tanning. Finally, you can lightly sand it with fine sandpaper.
Step 6. Fattening and drying
Fatting gives the skin shine, plasticity, and water resistance. A cotton swab is moistened with castor oil, glycerin or fish oil. They wipe the insides with it and leave it for a couple of hours. Then the skin is wiped with a clean cloth so that it absorbs any remaining oil and sent for final drying.
Drying is carried out on any convenient surface or leveling surface with the fur facing up. The air should circulate well. Sun rays, heating devices not allowed. Desirable shade outdoors or indoors with open air flow and low humidity.
Completely dry fabrics are kneaded and slightly pulled in different directions with your hands. It is recommended to rub the inside with chalk (tooth powders without additives are also suitable), and sand the surface again with sandpaper. The powder must be carefully knocked out along with the resulting debris. The pile is combed with a soft bristle brush.
The resulting skins can be stored for a very long time. It is better to do this in cotton or linen bags (cellophane is not suitable).
Alternative finishing options
Craftsmen have invented several more methods for preparing rabbit skins:
Both methods produce good, beautiful skin, but there is no reliable data on durability after such processing.
Classification of rabbit skins
Finished canvases are divided into 4 grades:
Variety Characteristics First full hair. With down and developed hair, without baldness; clean dense flesh. 3% blue spots are acceptable in skins from rabbit breeds of gray and blue colors. Second not full of hair. Not fully developed awns and downy layer, not densely packed pile; the mesdra is thin. The blueness near the ridge zone is continuous or in places. Third low pile Full hair, but short hair and little fluff, possible areas of loss; dull flesh. Thin, with blue throughout the entire area. Fourth sparse pile. Characteristic for slaughter during molting. Hair falls out, bald spots, no spine on the spine, the undercoat is very low; defective flesh. Small stitched tears (no more than 50%), blue discoloration, bites. Clumpy skins.
Video - How to process rabbit skin at home
