How to tan a seal hide

How To Tan seal Hides

DRYPTOMAX WAY

Products I use for tanning seal hides. -          Pickling Acid (I use formic acid) -  Rittels EZ Tan - Tanning Oil (PROTAL, OR RITTELS "PRO PLUS") - Salt - Sodium Bicarbonate (BAKING SODA) - PH Tester (I use electric one) but strips are ok. -          Large Bucket (I use 50L) -          Measuring tools(cups) -          Plumbo or Caustic soda (control the PH VALUE UP/DOWN After skinning and removing all the fat layers of the seal, follow these steps.

Salting

Salting and drying is very important because it leaches out unwanted liquids, sets the hair tight, and kills most bacteria that is on the hide. It’s better to salt the sealskin to much than to little. In the video you can see my sealskins have lost hair a few places. This is because I didn’t salt the skin good enough. Salting is the very first thing you should do after the animal has been skinned. Do not waste time trying to remove small pieces of fat; you can do that after salting. As long as the skin is in its raw state, unsalted, it is collecting bacteria. And bacteria are the main cause of hair slippage. You should keep the sealskin somewhere it does not get wet or to hot. Before salting you should:  Remove the very large pieces of fat, try to get as much as possible. This is a very messy job, seals have a lot of fat and grease. After this is done, apply a heavy layer of salt to the flesh side. Rub the salt into the flesh, making sure that it reaches into tight areas. Then, fold it flesh-to-flesh, and hair-to-hair, and place it on an inclined surface for 1-2 days. If you want to use the sealskin for something as a jacket, then put it in the freezer with the salt on for a week. It is much easier to get the sealskin soft of you freeze it and break down the fibers early on. You'll want to put some type of drip pan under it, because the hide will start to drain out alot of liquids. When drained, shake out the excess salt and re-apply another layer of clean salt. Let it sit for 2-5 days. Both iodized and non-iodized salt work well for this purpose; Non-iodized salt is typically cheaper in large quantities, however, so it is usually preferred. I buy sea salt in large quantities than its a lot cheaper

Pickling

A pickle is a low pH acidic solution that is used to stabilize skins in the tanning process and stop deterioration. Pickling plumps the skin, which makes shaving easier, and sets the hair. Salt alone simply creates a poor environment for bacteria to live; but unfortunately it doesn't kill it all. The acidity of a pickle does, however. A pickle also helps remove the non-tannable proteins in the skin. Skin is made up of two types of protein - globular and fibrous. Globular protein is the unwanted protein in the skin, and that is what the pickling solution will remove. It will wash the protein away, leaving open sites for the tanning chemicals to attach to. So, once your skins have been salted , they are ready to go into a pickle bath! Make sure you have removed any blood stains before you put the skins into the pickle. Pickling acids There are many acids used to create pickle solutions. These include Formic, Citric, Oxalic, and "Safetee" acid. Citric acid, Formic acid, and Safetee acid are the three most commonly used acids. I use Formic acid because where I live it’s hard to get a hold of the others. Safetee acid is the best and the safest to use, but all the acids have their good points. FORMIC ACID: Formula: 1 oz. (90% Formic acid) 1 lb. Salt 1 Gallon water The positives of this acid is that it is a very strong, stable acid. If the pH is checked and maintained, it can be re-used several times. It does an excellent job of plumping the skins for shaving, and the skins can be kept in the pickle for months if you want. The negative is that the acid can be VERY dangerous in full strength; it will cause serious burns if it comes in contact with your skin. And the fumes are potentially harmful to the lungs. I would be very, very careful using the acid, and if you live in a house with children or pets. I use a gasmask with a particle and gas filter. And always use long sleeved gloves. If you want to use these different acids its important you know what they react with. For example do not mix any metals in the pickling bath. SAFETEE ACID (the best, in my opinion!) Formula: 1/2 oz. Safetee acid 1 lb. Salt 1 Gallon water The positives are that its fairly affordable, and extremely safe. It can be re-used if the pH is maintained. It does an excellent job of plumping the skin for shaving, and can be disposed of safely and easily. No matter what acid you use, after mixing the pickle up, you should check the pH level using quality pH papers or pH meter. It should read below a 2.0. Usually it reads 1.1. You should not let the pH go about 2.5 during pickling, and definitely not about 3.0, because then bacteria will continue to grow. If the pH is too high, add more acid. If it is too low, add more water and salt or a little baking soda diluted in water. The time it takes to thoroughly pickle the skin will vary depending on the thickness of the skin. You can tell it is completely pickled when the skin is a milky white color all the way through, with no pink color. The minimum time of the skin to be in the pickling bath is 4 days in my opinion. Be sure to check the pH levels on a regular basis during the period the skin is in the pickle. Do not let the temperature of the pickle go any lower than 12 celsius. Low temperatures cause the salt level to drop, thus lowering the protection of the pickle. For best results, keep the mixture at room temperature.

Shaving

After at least three days in the pickle, you should take the skins out of the mixture and shave them. The thinner the skins are shaved, the softer they will be in the end. With sealskin being so rich in fat and grease it’s very important to shave the skin very good. There are many different methods for shaving a skin. You can you a fleshing machine. But I prefer the good old method using a ULU knife. After tanning, let the skin dry out COMPLETELY (very important). Then, sand the skins using an electric sander. I found that a heavy grit sandpaper works better than a light grit, but be gentle when sanding, especially on thin skins. I ordered my products from. http://www.rittelsupplies.net

Neutralizing

When you are ready to tan, remove the skins from the pickle and let them drain for 30 minutes or so. While they drain, mix up a neutralizing bath. So, what is the purpose of a neutralizing bath? Well, it brings the pH level of the skin up. Most tanning agents bond better to the skin at a pH of 4 to 5, which is approximately the pH that your neutralizing bath should be. For every gallon of water needed to submerge the skins, add 1 tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Put the skins into the mixture and stir them in the mixture for 20 minutes. Do not leave them in for longer than 20 minutes, or you may not get as much stretch out of them once they are tanned! After neutralizing, rinse them and allow them to drain.

Tanning with EZ-Tan

EZ-Tan, in my opinion, is one of the best tanning agents you can buy. The skins are white-leathered, durable, soft, and stretchy, and there is little shrinkage "What is the difference between EZ-Tan and Lutan. Lutan is another tanning agent on the market, which is the same price and works in very much the same way as EZtan. But there are two differences that I have found. First off, with Lutan you use twice as much of it per gallon of water as you would EZtan, therefore making it technically twice as expensive. Secondly, EZtan is a WASHABLE tan (making it great for garment use!), and Lutan skins cannot be washed. Tanning agents are very sensitive, and you should always check the pH before putting the skins into the tanning solution. EZ-Tan tans at a level of 4.0 pH. If the pH is too low, add small amounts of baking soda. If higher, add small amounts of the pickle, or some Safetee Acid (very small amounts). Check the pH before putting the skins into the mixture, and also a half hour later. There are two different formulas for mixing EZ-Tan: Tanning Formula based on wet drained weight: After neutralizing the skins and letting them drain, weigh them. This is their wet drained weight. This formula is the least wasteful and most accurate method, and it is the method I use. For every 1 lb. of wet drained weight, mix: 2 quarts water 1/2 oz. EZ-tan (4.5 level teaspoonfuls = 1/2 oz.) 4 oz. salt Tanning Formula based on water volume: You may prefer to make things simple and simply mix enough solution to completely submerge the skins. This formula is based on the amount of water used. For every 1-gallon of water wanted, mix: 1-gallon water 1 oz. EZ-Tan (3 level tablespoonfuls = 1 oz.) 8 oz. salt You should be careful not to overcrowd the skins when using this method. When mixing, you should first add the EZ-Tan to the water and let it dissolve; then add your salt. Keep the tanning solution at a comfortable room temperature. Leave the skins in the mixture for 24 hours. Almost all skins will thoroughly tan in 24 hours. After the required amount of time, remove the skins from the solution. Rinse them and allow them to drain for only 20 minutes, no longer, or they will get too dry.

Oiling

Did you know that oiling is THE most important factor in producing a soft, supple pelt? It's true! That's why it is so important that you invest in good quality tanning oil. There are several kinds of great tanning oils available. Some of the best are Rittel's "Pro Plus oil" and "Protal". I have used Protal with good results, and have heard that Pro Plus works great too. Once the skins have drained for 20 minutes, they are ready to be oiled. Mix the oil using 1 part oil to 2 parts hot water. It is important that the mixture be warm, because the oil will bond to the skin best when warm. Make sure that the pelt you are oiling is at room temperature, too. I leave my skins on a heater floor it works great. Apply the oil to flesh side of the pelt using a paintbrush. You may also want to rub it in with your hands (I would advise wearing plastic gloves). Apply it carefully around the edges and around holes. Keep applying the oil until the skin will take up no more. Then fold the skin up tightly, flesh to flesh and hair to hair. Put it in a warm spot to "sweat" for 4-6 hours. Maximum take-up of oil will occur in this period.

Drying

If the skin is to be mounted, after sweating it can be toweled dry and then mounted, or frozen for thawing and mounting later. If you want to dry and finish the skin after it has sweated in the oil, open it up and hang it to dry. The time it takes to dry depends on the thickness of the flesh. It will usually take 2-4 days. You can put the sealskin in the drying machine, be careful to not use any heat or to dry it to much. When the skin is almost dry, but not quite, begin to work and stretch the fibers of the skin with your hands. This is where the work comes in, but it must be done to produce a soft pelt. If you stretch the skin carefully and the place you stretched turns white, then that area is ready to be worked and stretched. If it doesn't turn white, then it is not quite dry enough. Continue carefully stretching and pulling on the skin until the whole thing is white and it feels very soft. If you do not want to use your skin for anything other than wall mount or on the floor. You can stretch the skin out on something. I have made a frame that is a little bigger than the skins. I stretch it out with string and nails. This procedure takes a little work and time.

Finishing

When the skin is completely dry, use sandpaper to clean up the flesh side. I use a sanding machine it works great and makes the skin softer. If you did everything in the description you should be rewarded with a nice and soft sealskin for a long time. I am not an expert on tanning sealskins, this is just my way of doing it. It was very hard for me to learn how to do this, because there is not a lot of information on the internet. In this description I have read a lot and tried different thing I read online, and this worked great for me. The link to all the products are in my YouTube video description.

www.youtube.com/dryptomax