Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

—:CHAPTER XVIIITANNING SKINS—OTHER ANIMALPRODUCTSThe methods used by regular tanners Inmakingleather are complicated and beyond the resourcesof men in the woods. Vegetable tanning, withextracts or infusions of bark, etc., requires weeks oreven months to complete the process. However, thi?sort of tanning is adapted mainly to heavy hides.Light skins, such as woodsmen usually handle, arebest made into buckskin or else tanned with mineralsalts or acids, which are comparatively quick andsimpleIprocesses.will describe a good way to tan a pelt with thefur on. It may also be used to tan naked leather,except that the skin, in that case, is first soaked untilthe hair will slip and then grained like buck&kin,beforetanning.Since one seldom makes a good job of tanning atthe first trial, it is best to begin wnth a skin oflittle value, and one that isnot of a greasy naturea cat skin, for example, either wild or domestic.The tanning of a furred pelt proceeds in five stagessoaking, fleshing, pickling, washing, and softening:I. Soaking.—A skin fresh from the animal needsno soaking, but one that has been dried must be relaxedbefore r,nything further can be done with it.Immerse the skin in running water from one to sixhours (depending upon temperature, and thicknessof skin), or, if this is not convenient, soak it insalted water, using a good handful of salt to thepailful. Take it out as soon as it is pliable, for^21