# Hair-on brain tan



## USMC0844 (Dec 2, 2013)

I have tanned a few hides using the "kits" online. I have three hides and brains from deer killed this year and I am going to try my hand at brain tanning but I want to tan hair-on. Please tell me if I am missing anything in my steps or additional tips I could use.

1) Fully flesh hide
2)Rinse and wring
3) Put on stretcher
4)Work flesh side with brain/water mix (how much water to use? Do I use mix on hair side at all?)
5) Let mix soak in for 48 hours
6)work hide until dry
7)smoke

 I feel like I am missing a ton of steps so please help fill in the blanks. I really don't want to screw these up.


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## Trefer (Dec 2, 2013)

USMC0844 said:


> I have tanned a few hides using the "kits" online. I have three hides and brains from deer killed this year and I am going to try my hand at brain tanning but I want to tan hair-on. Please tell me if I am missing anything in my steps or additional tips I could use.
> 
> 1) Fully flesh hide
> 2)Rinse and wring
> ...



Hair on tanning is a lot more time consuming than just making buckskin.  You have to be so careful to keep the hair side dry so it won't slip, and it takes a lot longer to get good brain penetration and to get the hide to dry.  You are right on with #1 -- try to get deep and remove as much membrane as you can.  Thats the very thin tight layer under the meat and fat...get as much as you can now. 
#2 not recommend to rinse and wring...You start wringing and you could really mess with the quality of the hair.  You can brush out any tangles/blood/etc. later. 
Just lace it in and let it dry out some.

I usually lay the frame flat with something like cement blocks under the corners for support to hold it up off the ground a little.  Others may have other ideas but I like to mix up a thicker brain solution than what I use on buckskin. You can use a sponge or cloth to really rub the solution into the flesh side.  I dissolve the brain into about a half gallon of warm water.  Mix it up good.  Don't put it on the hair side at all.  You're going to have to rub it in good all over the flesh side. Just use enough brain solution to get the skin good and wet.  Save the rest of the brains (put it in the fridge if its a hot day)  Let the skin dry.  You can work it somewhat gently with an ax handle or other pole with a wedge shape end - kinda like a canoe paddle.  Not too much yet. When it dries there'll be a glossy sheen on the skin.  Lightly sand that off with a fine sandpaper.  Heat up some of the remaining brain solution and reapply as before, getting the hide wet and floppy in the frame --keeping the hair side dry.  Again you can work it some as it dries.  Sand off the sheen and start again.....Keep in mind that you are getting brains into the hide fibers from only one side  since you can't get the hair side wet.  (As opposed to submerging the whole skin in a bucket of brains when making buckskin).  I'll repeat this brain, dry, sand, repeat process at least 6 -8 times.  It may take 2 or 3 days. And more than one brain. Each time you can work the skin a little more vigorously with the stick as it dries.  You'll start to notice thinner areas will start to soften up after only a couple times through.  For the final braining --and I have done this upwards to a dozen times on big thick hides -- really soak the skin good, starting pretty early in the morning so you have plenty of time to work it. dry.  The hair actually holds moisture in the skin and it can take all day to dry.  You'll know its almost there when you can hear the grain layer under the hair start to make faint 'cracking' sounds as you work it hard with the stick.  Keep going until it no longer feels cool to the touch.  Cool-ness means moisture still in the hide and that will lead to stiff spots if you stop.  (If you just need to quit for the day, cover the flesh side with plastic so it won't dry out, put it in a cool shady place, and come back to it the next day).
I'm afraid just putting one coat of brains on it and letting it sit awhile just won't work....at least it hasn't for me.  Other folks on here may have had other experiences.

Then after you work it dry you just need to smoke the flesh side (only).   Working the finished flesh side over with a good pumice stone really softens it up and helps remove any remaining chunks of membrane.  

HOpe this helps...Good luck and post pics!!


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## chehawknapper (Dec 3, 2013)

Richie nailed it for you. Tanning a deer with hair on is 4 times the work than making a good buckskin. Since you have not brain tanned before, I would suggest maybe you do a buckskin first to get a feel for the process. The reason hair on is so much work is the hair and grain layer holds the moisture in like Richie said and also prevents you from stretching out the dermis fibers as far as you can without them there. Eat your Wheaties!


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## Nugefan (Dec 3, 2013)

You can trust what Trefer says , he won't lead you down a wrong road ...


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## USMC0844 (Dec 7, 2013)

Thanks guys. I have two does and a button. the button is on the stretcher now. My processor said I could feel free to come get more brains and hides if I need/want them so if I screw it up, I guess I'm not quite up the creek. I tend to forget to take pictures while I am doing projects but I will do my best. Can I flesh and air dry the other two hides instead of leaving them in the freezer? My wife tolerates them being in there but I know she would prefer them to be in my workshop.


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## Trefer (Dec 8, 2013)

USMC0844 said:


> Thanks guys. I have two does and a button. the button is on the stretcher now. My processor said I could feel free to come get more brains and hides if I need/want them so if I screw it up, I guess I'm not quite up the creek. I tend to forget to take pictures while I am doing projects but I will do my best. Can I flesh and air dry the other two hides instead of leaving them in the freezer? My wife tolerates them being in there but I know she would prefer them to be in my workshop.



Yes you can flesh them but I'd recommend going ahead and getting them in a frame right afterwards. If you just let them lay out and dry they will shrivel and crinkle and curl up and the only way you'll get them stretched back out is to soak them in water -- which isn't a good thing to do if you're wanting to keep the hair on. 
And I think you should take the processor up on his offer of more brains! You can never have enough brains....


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## USMC0844 (Dec 8, 2013)

Well the first one didn't go as planned. I stupidly left the hide outside last night and critters got a hold of it and tore it to pieces. My other two are still in the freezer and I think I am going to make buckskin out of them per chehawknapper's advice. I don't think it could hurt since the processor has offered to provide me with more hides and brains. It will give me more practice and not cost me anything but time.


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## Bill Mc (Dec 8, 2013)

You gotta watch those critters

I fleshed one last Wednesday and my Jack Russell was on guard just waiting for me to turn my back.

He does clean up those little parts that I don't pick up.


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## snake reaper (Jan 7, 2014)

Good info have to try that. Will it work on other animals. The same way.


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## chehawknapper (Jan 8, 2014)

I will be putting a hide on the frame demoing the dry scrape process this weekend at the Chehaw Frontier Festival. Come join us and I'll talk you through the process.


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## snake reaper (Jan 10, 2014)

Where is that at


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## Trefer (Jan 10, 2014)

Chehaw Park near Albany GA .....I haven't ever been able to make it down but I hear from everybody that has what a GREAT event it is.  You should check it out if you get a chance.  Ben Kirkland and his staff put it on every year.  Here's a link to the park. 

http://www.chehaw.org/


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## Carl Cooke (Jan 11, 2014)

this is off topic but has anyone done any hair on deer hides with glycerin and alcohol and alum? that's what I do my snakes in and was wondering if itd work for deer. Ive never done a hide before just snake skins and one rabbit


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## chehawknapper (Jan 13, 2014)

My apology to anyone who came to the Frontier Festival looking for a dry scrape demo. The weather kind of ruined the opportunity to do a decent job so I scratched it. We will do it again this year. I will have a braintanner at the Indian Festival in April that will demo the whole process.


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## Trefer (Jan 14, 2014)

chehawknapper said:


> My apology to anyone who came to the Frontier Festival looking for a dry scrape demo. The weather kind of ruined the opportunity to do a decent job so I scratched it. We will do it again this year. I will have a braintanner at the Indian Festival in April that will demo the whole process.



See....even the Chehaw Weather Gods are trying to get you to come back over to the "wet-scrape side"!!

Sorry I missed it. Again.  Surely somebody has some pics they'll post!


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## Nugefan (Jan 14, 2014)

Trefer said:


> See....even the Chehaw Weather Gods are trying to get you to come back over to the "wet-scrape side"!!
> 
> Sorry I missed it. Again.  Surely somebody has some pics they'll post!



      

we missed having you down Brother , had some good time talking with Buck ...


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## TripleXBullies (Jan 14, 2014)

I did a gray and a fox squirrel when I was 19. The gray went ok. It definitely preserved it. The fox was better, also definitely preserved, but I didn't take quite as active of an approach to it. I left it too much and didn't really work the brains in to the hide. It was also below freezing for the time I was working on it which kept it from drying out. It worked out pretty well for my second try. It's not soft and cuddly, but it preserved my trophy. Oh... and I didn't stretch it at all either...


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