Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

322 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTfurther soaking would loosen the hair or fur.flesh and pickle it at once.Then2. Fleshing.—Even if the inside of a pelt hasbeen well fleshed immediately after skinning, still,after it has dried, it will have a tough, glazed surfacethat must be cut and scraped away, after soaking,to open the pores so that the tanning liquorcan penetrate at every point. Do this on a beam, asdirected under Buckskin in Chapter XVII. Thickhides must be shaved down uniformly before tanning.If the skin is greasy, It will not take the tan.To remove grease, rub hot corn meal or sawdust,over the flesh side, being particular not to get it onthe fur, as it might be hard to remove ; then scrapewell. An easier way is to soak the skin for anhour in gasoline, then hang up and dry before pickling.3. Pickling.—Dissolve one quart of salt In onegallon of hot water. Let this cool, and then slowlypour Into It one fluid ounce of commercial sulphuricacid. Do not Inhale the fumes. These arethe proportions', the amount, of course, will dependupon the size of skin and vessel used. The lattermust not be of metal, but glass or earthenware,or a wooden pail or tub. Soak the skin in this,turning and working it around, once In a while, toensure that every part gets the benefit of the tanningliquor. A thin skin will be tanned In abouttwo days; a heavy one may take a week. Thelower the temperature the slower the action. Itwill not hurt the pelt to let It stay in the pickle formonths: taxidermists use this formula for preservingskins to be mounted at any future time. No, Itdoes not Injure hair or fur, but sets it, and discouragesattack by moths and other Insects.If you are In a hurry, a stronger solution can beused : water two quarts, salt one pound, sulphuricacid one ounce, which will tan a light skin In abouttwenty-four hours; but this is Hkely to *'burn" the