Preparing Bird Skins

[Mataura mayfly]

Nice thread Cassidy. Love seeing home prepared stuff and methods.


Jeff,

if you show some of what you did with those hares we took a few summers ago that would a good example because the hides are fantastic. Not sure if you have the photos to go with it but I endorse your tanning skills!

Wouldn't exactly use the work "skills" mate, more ability to read instructions!
I use a simple over the counter home tanning kit. Pretty easy measure & mix with water and salt- add fleshed hides and soak a while, remove- pin out and dry. No rocket science involved.
I have some possum skins under salt at the moment and one in a tanning bath.
I could do a bit of a shot by shot on those, that way there are no naked possums involved, but the actual skinning is a fun part of the entire process. Have guests here from Montana at the moment, not a lot of spare time- but I will add it to the "to do" list.

[Boris]

Jeez, I thought you were using manuka bark prepared with rare kiwis secret ingredients, a kit makes it less Impressive!

yep, do a possum blow by blow.

Well the hides from the hares are perfect for all sorts of flies as there's fur from the whole skin to choose from.

[Kelly L.]

I was at my friend's house this afternoon. I watched the process of tanning deer hides. He used a mixture I've never heard of to do it. Anyway, when the time set in mixture is over, you rinse hides, and hang them. Once they almost stop dripping, he lays them flat. Then he rubs Neetsfoot Oil all over the skin side. That soaks in, then later you add more Neetsfoot Oil. These hides were lovely. Guess who is going to get a patch from each hide? Hehehe...yes, yours truly.

[cassady]

Howdy all,

So the drying appears all taken care of (and has been for a while... life intervenes). I'll post pictures a little later.

My question now is: to wash, or not to wash?

I've received both pieces of advice from friends who do their own skins. One said just to brush off the borax unless absolutely necessary to wash; another said that he washes his because they look better, and it gets the borax off better. I realize that these statements aren't mutually exclusive... but I'm a bit confused.

So I'm asking those of you who preserve your own skins: what's your advice?

I might just make believe I'm Ray, and test the hypothesis: wash one and brush another...

[letumgo]

Chris - I am laughing, because as I read your post, I had just finished forming exactly that answer. Boy am I predictable. Too funny!

[Mataura mayfly]

Chris, my advice to you- do what you think is best.
Personally I do not was any bird skins. Skin out, tack out and borax dust, quick shake when dry and they are good to go.
Really it depends on your own tastes and where you do your tying. Small amounts of borax are retained in the feathers of the pelt and will fall on your tying area/clothes as you handle the skin. This does not worry me, but some people that tie inside the house might be in for a slapping from those that do the cleaning!
For me, washing and re-drying after preservation is just another step that is not really required, but that is me and my opinion. You do what you see fit for you to do.

[cassady]

A few pics, as promised:







And a few updates:

I haven't washed a skin yet; when I went downstairs to do so, I noticed (while taking these pics, actually), that on the hen skin there were a couple of places that would exude a bit of fat when pressed (just enough to dampen my finger), so I scraped a little bit and stuck it back into the borax. I had been planning to wash that one, and see if it made a difference, so I've postponed that for a little bit. The male skin seems done: it's dry throughout, flexible, tough.

And a question:

How does one dry a skin like this? Towel and hair dryer? Towel and air dry? Pin or not pin?

And once this is all done, but before mixing it into the rest of the tying materials, would it be wise to give it a pass through the freezer?

Thanks to all who have made it this far with me!

[Ruard]

If you put it in the freezer let it stay there for one month at least. That is what I do!

I put things also in the microwave 30 seconds on 1000 W must be enough, if the skin starts smelling you are perhaps a little bit too far.


greeting



Ruard

[cassady]

Thanks, Ruard! I generally put new skins into the freezer for a few days, take them out for a few days (to theoretically let any potential eggs thaw and hatch) and then back into the freezer for a few more days. I don't know if it matters (and mightn't the newly hatched critters potentially lay more eggs, necessitating another cycle?), but came from a wise friend, so I follow it anyway. I have a microwave in the man cave (so wouldn't have to use the family one, which would get me dirty looks), but I've always been a bit wary of putting them in the microwave... but I'm sure that is quite effective as well.

How does one dry a skin like this? Towel and hair dryer? Towel and air dry? Pin or not pin?

BTW, ^^^^ I meant, how does one dry a skin *after washing*