Step-By-Step COMPLETE TANNING TUTORIAL! Taxidermy WET *and* DRY tans! Anyone can do it!
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- Using Mckenzie products, this video takes you through a step-by-step process of tanning hides. Beginning with a salted hide, we will walk through:
Rehydration
Washing
Pickling
Shaving
Neutralizing
Tanning/Oiling
Drying/Softening
Drop any additional questions in the comments! Thanks for watching!
35 years ago I was a processer for a fur buyer, who also manufactured fur hats and wall hangers and rugs. We had a 2" pipe welded to a plate bolted to the floor . On top of that was welded a old disc from a farm disc unit . It was at a comfortable working level and we broke hides over that. It worked so well . Also the use of an old motorized clothes wringer to wring water out between salt brine to pickle to tanning . Much work again . Also a large drill with oversized mixer head to mix brine or acid bath . Hope these tips can further help your tanning operation. Great video so helpful to those just starting out .
I cannot compliment this video enough. I am well past the prime of my life but have over the years "many" times looked into learning taxidermy. You have once again lit a fire in my desire to learn it. Thank you.
Oh man!!! Where was this when I was 14?! I’ve tried tanning (largely unsuccessfully)for about a decade using really ancient online forums and DIY tanning books. My first ever project was a raccoon pelt I harvested myself. I used battery acid. Second one was a rock chuck in its own brains… then came sheep, like 10 different attempts, and more raccoons… and finally my husband said the piles of salty, rank smelling animal parts weren’t welcome in the house… so I’ve put learning to tan on the back burner until we have more acerage.
I feel so inspired by Amy!! Also… my name is also Amy! Maybe this video will change my husbands views on my creative pursuits… and maybe I’ll be able to actually be successful in a few of these attempts!
Thanks Amy!
Killer video! My biggest mistake getting started years ago was using salt that was too coarse. The penetration on a fine salt was the difference in slipping to not slipping and the finer salt the better!! Keep up the great work!
I've watched a ton of your videos and I just found Amy's channel. This coming season I hope to be able to mount my own deer.
@@MrMblakec Awesome man and appreciate the support! Good luck!
do you think crushed/powdered salt would be good option? also does it need to be cooking grade salt?
I get champions choice salt from tractor supply. $8.99 for 50lbs. Works great and can't beat the price
And no iodine I hear.
As a truck driver i come across a bunch of road kill. I used to just snip off a tail or two because i was living in my truck and didnt have room to facilitate anything larger.
Finally have a place with a nice garage and mudroom and i picked up a gorgeous red fox.
Im up in wisconsin and minnesota so whatever is hit stays frozen or cold until i get home.
Sadly this fox had sustained some injuries i couldnt see when i picked him up, but ill still use whatever i can salvage.
I have several swords hanging on my walls so ill use the fur to add to my wall mounts to make a nice vikingly display of my swords.
A lot of my friends are grossed out by my hobby...i need to find a new circle of friends that isnt so judgy 😅
Like they say...the people that mind, dont matter and the people that matter, don't mind.
That's a beautiful wolverine!
Thank you so much Amy for doing this video. I read up and tanned a couple deer hides in the past for wall hangers. You can't imagine how much it helps to see someone go through the whole process. I won't have to just guess on some parts of the process now. Really enjoyed watching you do this! Thank You So Much!
Amy is my go to for instruction. What a professional and great instructor!!!
One thing I love about your pets, is the always look good, they don't give you any back talk and you don't have to feed them or clean up after them. Great job!
Thank you for posting these videos. I am a beginner and I can’t express enough how useful and easy to follow all your videos are. I wish you offered classes! ❤❤❤
You absolutely did a great job.
All the important information and no boring or redundant parts.
Very informative and helpful.
Step by step just what I needed! Doesn’t get any better then that, Thank you
Ya might want to talk about the textures and smells that you can encounter. When scrapping the hides, I have used a small cheese grater on thick hides like deer. Your shaver is nice! The stretch can result in a tear. I tore a Cheetah skin once and nearly destroyed the hide. I did this as a hobby for many years. The deer skins made great knife sheaths for wooden knives for kids. Most of my finished hides were braided into slings. You will need to be strong enough to stretch scrap the hides.
HOW TF DID U GET A CHEETAH
@@BLIND_BEAR The same way most taxidermist get one, someone sends you the skin! You should try it sometime. The best taxidermists are self taught! I started off in the 1970's with a book on tanning skins and learned quickly those methods were junk.
Please don’t ever stop making content. You are by far my favorite teacher! I am so thankful I stumbled across your videos awhile back.
Previous fur trapper here. Tried doing squirrel hides when I was a kid not knowing anything and have salted some hides for wall hangings. Have some commercial recipes but didn't know where to get the chemicals. Very impressed you are into this. Thank you for this video. Good tanning is a real art that has been a real mystery for me. And that you do taxidermy is over the top. The dogs with the sander 😆
I read your comment about the dog and the sander right as I got finished reading it she was starting to sand
@@Susweca5569 cool. I've heard about those foxfire books but never saw one. I have some pro formulas that use alum but haven't tried to do any. For wall hangings I just salt them but of course they remain stiff.
Thank you for doing this video. As a taxidermist, its super helpful learning new tricks or ways I can improve my system.
The prison spoon escaped situation may differ
Awesome content! This is the 1st video I've seen completely breaking down the whole process! Thank you for doing this!
Very informative now I think I'm ready to tackle my two wolves. Thanks so much.
That was the best video on tanning I’ve seen. I used to tan stuff with alum and salt in 5 gallon buckets just to give to my kids and their friends. A lot of work goes into this. The Kids loved the muskrats I tanned.
I always enjoy watching your videos, it's nice to watch someone who has the knowledge to create a quality hide or mount and has pride in their work!! Keep up the great work!!
Great video, very good narration, explanations spot on, high quality content and high quality presenter.
Very informative video! I'm vegetarian but my daughter is in interested in Taxidermy (go figure, huh?) 😅😊 I have actually enjoyed researching videos I think she would like to learn from and 100% I will be sending her your video, I think she will enjoy it a lot! Thanks for making it, and for showing your process. The Bobcat really turned out beautiful at the end! (No vegan rants, just appreciation for your craft)! Wonderful job! 💖
I dig this comment. Giving love from both sides and understanding! Great attitude!
@@justinstarr9828 Thank you, I try. I want to believe what I believe but also appreciate others as well. I want my daughter to grow up knowing there are many different perspectives in life and we're all valid in ways. 💖
Aw good on u for letting ur daughter explore that despite ur own beliefs!! :DD and even being INVOLVED! I wish my parents were like that
How do you find out if a person is a vegan??🤔
- They'll tell you...😉
great video; thanks for sharing; got a 35in long bobcat yesterday at 9,000ft in the rockies; got half my chickens but I got her ; wanting to tan it;
Literally the best video I've seen. I've been trying to find a good explanation on how to tan for years and they NEVER jelp. I genuinely feel like I'll be able to tan my animal hides this year after seeing this. Thank you!
It's probably the best video i have seen on hide tanning. Great video
I have found breaking a hide that I took a 2 x 6 and I cut a 45° on it and I cut it in a half moon shape so it’s art across the top with the 45° and then sanded it all down real good. I even Put a finish on it after fine sanding and sanded it after I finished it. Fasten that to the end of the bench and I can run the hide back-and-forth over that rounded board with what pressure I want and it softens it up real nice even after you do stretch it out and pull it. You can work at some more with that. Just something I found helpful. God be with you and bless you.
I’ve always wondered how to make my pelts so soft and this video helps me so much.
Hi My names Joe I work for the California Department of Corrections I am an amities taxidermist who is learning as much as I can.love your videos and look forward to learning from you. I retire in 4 so hopefully I’ll be ready to get into it full time I love it.
Hi, wondered how you empty your barrels of water please?
Can u just dump ur pickle down the drain it can’t be good for ur septic
I finally took time to watch your tanning video. I'm old school and was wanting to learn more about pickling tanning. I also been using McKenzie sense mid 80s. Don't do the math.. im 60. Lol. I called McKenzie last week and talk to a taxidermist about using their pickling tanning products and the how 2s. Actually I learn more from your video. I really wanna give this a try. But I'm sure am afraid of screwing up.. but it looks simple tho... I do old school wet tanning... 1 lbs salt per gal water. 1/2 cup alum.. soak over night. And liquid tan. Never no problems. Taxidermist from McKenzie said then why change. I said good question.. I want to better my overall product. Sorry I can go on and on.. I just shut down my lawn care business after 21 yrs. I plan to stay in my taxidermy shop full time now.. and taking on lot more work .where before I would pick and choose what I mounted. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and thoughts. BYRD TAXIDERMY MADISON COUNTY AL
I always Cringe when I throw hides out know that was a beautiful fur. Sending my stuff to Moyle is not cheap the shipping. You do a great job thanks for sharing.
It was so satisfying when you stretched it and it turned white!!😮😅
I have watched this a few times, but last night, my daughter pointed out that the hide you are shaving is mine. The mount looks great BTW.
Wow, I learned so much in this video. The whole process was a complete mystery to me up until now.
GREAT Video. My brother has been a Taxidermist up here in Pa for over 30 years now. I gotta say, Your skills are Above Awesome. I also watch you videos on F/B, that's is what got me here to this video. And i enjoy them. if you ever sell T-Shirts, let us know.
Wow this popped on my feed and i remember Amy's website like 20yrs ago or more when she was just starting out and doing a blog. Its cool to see how far she has come since then. Way to go amy and thanks for the tips and help
Amy, I found a short tanning guide you wrote several years ago that used Rittel's EZ tan, and I've used it to tan a few deer hides and many squirrel hides. Glad I stumbled upon your UA-cam channel.
Yes. Very educated video. People. If they would have read paperwork that came with tanning chemicals years ago. They would have figured out the tanning game. Think sally dames had some paperwork I read in about 1984. Lol. I was in high school and the teacher had a taxidermy class for students. Great school. But he only did birds and ducks I was good at them and wanted something else to do. And learned HAIR/FUR. Tanning from books and pictures. No web at that time. So it was so hard learning tanning as a 16 year old kid. I’m 56 now Still doing taxidermy. But I’ll watch more of your videos. Might learn something. Lol. And that’s a nice color on the wolverine. And I don’t have any videos yet. I trap all winter make videos just haven’t ever posted any. But you have a nice page. Good luck.
Dang Nabbit!! I gotta go grab me all the stuff you recommended! I never ever saw anyone bring up the saw dust bath or tumble. I gotta try me out some of that too. Thank you so much for making a video for us that got no clue what they are doing!
One of the best on tanning that I've ever seen.
fallen in love the way you work and describe in details greetings from himaliya karakurams
Thank you. I just retired after 32 years. I am going to taxidermy school in March and starting my own business so I enjoyed your video and definitely be watching more of your videos.
i bet the friction of running it over that pt 6x6 helps alot too by warming it just enough.
This is so inspiring! I've been wanting to try my luck at tanning deer hides for years because hardly anyone does it anymore where I live. My husband got his first bear this year and it was almost impossible to find a taxidermist who will do a rug because of the limited tanning places around. I did manage to find a guy but after seeing some of his mounts, I am very leary about the end result. This is the first video I watched from you so if you don't already have one out there, maybe you can do one on how to fix a poor taxidermy job (if it is even possible!)
@lizmercury3271 - I wondered that same thing so I Googled your question and the answer is Yes, they can be repaired
Taxidermy can be repaired…..but it’s much easier to find a reputable taxidermist before allowing a hack to touch your trophy.
Good info. Thanks! Do more steps in mounting deer 🦌 please. Thanks.
Pickling salt is usually coarse.. run it through a blender or magic bullet if that’s all you got .
Awesome info. Haven't tried it yet and buying from Amazon is good at first. If it's an enjoyable project it's going to be worth it to have a good supplier that charges shipping. I'm in a backwoods hunting area and going off-grid for retirement is just sensical. This info works.
Never thought my retirement would be an off-grid lifestyle - at all. As I'm getting older and realizing that the newest things only add to a life less enjoyable, I'm just gathering more information to eventually make life as simple as possible for retirement. It works for me. 🙂 Ditch student loan debt and fix up my cabin in the woods while my kids become self-sufficient.
Very nice job Amy. I no longer do taxidermy, but I'm thinking of tanning some hides in the future. When I was doing taxidermy I always sent my hides out to be tanned. At the time it was faster for me and I really did not have the time to do them myself. I really enjoy watching your videos. You do a superb job on all of your mounts.
Possibly the best video I have ever watched on tanning! very thorough step by step and useful thanks.
Amy I love your videos and I hope you make more in the future as I have learned a ton from you!
Was wondering the method you use to rehydrate the bobcat heads when you let them dry out for rugs. I currently have two raccoons I am mounting and want to know the safest way to rehydrate their heads for rug mounts.
Thank you!
Great video. I love how you go into detail with everything. You missed nothing out.
You're very knowledgeable in the trade, and you have a wonderful way of presenting that knowledge. My very first time to watch a video on tanning and I've learned a lot. Very nice work with the video...keep the good work.
Where were you a year ago when I started my buis!!! Thank you so much for your videos!!! They're so helpful!
Wow, you’re good young lady. Very much enjoyed watching you explain the tanning process,. Thank you for a well edited, educational, tutorial about your craft. Thank you. We’re from Missouri.
Very informative! I have a coyote and a beaver in my freezer that have been there for about a year now waiting to be tanned. This was the perfect video to help get the job done! Thanks!
Amy muchas gracias, me ayudó mucho tu información, con tu asesoría podré mejorar mis curtidos ❤
truly one of the best i have ever seen, TYVM for the whole video (not making 20 videos that are 5 min long step by step) its all here!
This was great. One question, can you wash a hide after the entire process has been done? Or would you have to re tan it again after washing? Thanks
Great job Amy! You've got some good teaching skills.
very good How to video. I am definitely more confident to prep all the few hides i have in the freezer
I've done many smoked tanned ("brain tanned" although I use soy lecithin in place of brains for the softening agent) buckskins and fur on tans on deer, yotes and probably 500+ domestic rabbits, squirrels.... in the last 40 years and now I'm ready to switch to chemical tanning in hopes it's a little less labor intensive on my old hands. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks for the video; super informative. Could I ask what you do with your waste pickling water when you get rid of it? I live in the country and don't want it in my septic tank. What do you think?
Yes this is the first video of yours I’ve seen so I did subscribe. I have done a deer hide years ago because I’m may be doing something and think a piece of leather would work and to purchase it is expensive to me. Now you have made it easier for me so I’ll try some more in the future. Now the other tanning method you should at the beginning wouldn’t work for you because the guy’s would not let an attractive girl like you get away 👍✌🏻🇺🇸
This was absolutely worth the wait!! I cannot wait to do this myself
Nice vid! Wish there were girls like you where I live. Thanks for the info. Been wanting to make my grandkids things from my furs I catch.
Absolutely the best video on tanning hides I've ever seen, you one amazing gal, could watch more of your videos, did you ever do one on shaving the head area or one with a scalpel or knife Amy, I now know where to send my stuff to be mounted. 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Best video I've sent on tanning
Thanks for sharing all these important details. Looks like there is hope for my over salted, dry, goat hide! Excellent teacher 🙏❤
I do a lot of my own tanning so that really helped! Great job and thank you for sharing Amy!
I cannot thank you enough. This was really informative. Greetings from Israel.
Thanks so much for the video! Every step is touched on unlike SO many videos out there that forget this or that. I really enjoyed watching you actually do the process, not just explain it. Awesome job! I have a question though, what do you do with hides that are stretched and dried but NOT salted (trapper dried), as far as the salting process? I'm assuming they need to be re-hydrated (relaxed) first like the wolverine? Then proceed with the salting process as shown? I'm speaking of ending up with a wall hanger more than a mount. Thank you and keep up the great work, it's VERY much appreciated!
Thank you, I’m really glad you enjoyed it! With the trapper dried hides, the relaxer/degreaser product will really help with rehydration. After that relaxing step, I would go straight to putting the hide into the pickle
@@amysanimalart Should anything additional be done to trapper dried hides with Borax on them?
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your video. I have many questions. I wonder if you have somewhere that you can do Q&A? Thanks again for the great content.
I am jealous of your knowledge and skill Always wanted to be able to do hides. And love taxidermy things Now how do I remember all what you said 😀? This is great thank you 👍
That’s right anyone can do it if u just put ur mind to it
I knew nothing about tanning hides. You did a great job of explaining and demonstrating. I am not ready to try it but I learned a lot.
What an amazing video! So glad I found your channel. Instant subscribe and great to see a fellow North Carolinian taxidermist!
Awesome video I will be doing mostly livestock and farm animals (rabbit, sheep, goat) etc.
I'm so happy I started to watch her videos. I'm really, really hoping to get into taxidermy this is amazing
Omg thank you! I've got a deer hide in the freezer and have been afraid to get started as there is so much info out there but few complete tutorials! Thank you very much!
Very good presentation. Thank you
awesome video it was so nice for you to make it the finished rug is beautiful the cat tattoo on you arm is amazing too you scared me using the fleshing machine without gloves i am not that brave
Thank you for an amazing though lesson along with each stages.
I only do rabbits, but this was very informative
Great video. I have started tanning my furs from trapping to make some wall hangers and garments.
Awesome presentation. Very informative. Thank you.
What a great video! I have always wanted to tan. Someday i may give it a go. Thank you so much!
Super video and very generous of you to share your experience. I just want to tan a few hides for garments, decoration, and lure-making. I have a separate but related question if you’re still active here.
My pickle is much cleaner once I started following your step by step method. Thanks Amy
You’re welcome. I enjoy re-using a pickle several times but only if I’ve properly washed the hides first otherwise it gets so nasty
You do an excellent job teaching this art. Compliments to you!!!
Excellent. Well informative video. Thanks
One of the best videos on tanning I've watched! Thank you 🙏🙏
I liked you presentation and want to follow through on tanning a few deer hides . Currently they have been salted for about a month . I fleshed them well and salted them twice, rolled them up and put them into 5gal buckets incision side down on wood blocks . How long can they be in there before the pickel process? I intend to salt them again and dry them out more until my supplies arrive . Any suggestions are appreciated. THANK YOU !
Awesome hides! Video was excellent and very informative Amy! I would like to try and tan a coyote hide as a wall hanger. Is there anything different required for a coyote compared to a bobcat? Thanks!
I just stumbled into this video out of curiosity. I do roughly 300-400 or more whitetail European mounts every year. A guy contacted me asking what I do with all of the brains. I told him I toss them out. He wanted me to save them for him to use for tanning hides. He paid a lot of money for the brains. Have you ever heard of using brains for tanning hides???
Hi Amy, my name is Tim and I have another question for you when you’re doing the full tanning when you do the baking soda rinse to neutralize the acid first question is can you paint it? What do you bring the pH down to? Do you actually bring it down to a seven or do you bring it down to six? The next question is have you ever thought of using a old washing machine on a gentle cycle when you do the baking soda rinse? Or would that be too harsh for the hides? The gentle agitation I would think would help to penetrate all of the areas. Thank you again, God be with you.
Best video on how to tan like a pro , Thank You
Thank you for doing this video. You helped me alot. I was told that when I salted my hides, and let them completely dry. I see that is not the case.
42:35 "This is gonna be a very small rug"
You didn't have to go and insult a man's honor like that!
Awesome video btw, I've learned a lot
Great great video!!!! Love this video and makes for a good way to do your deer hides. Thank youu. ❤️🙏🏽
Thanks for the video! Someday I’ll have extra space to do this with some of the animals from trapping. And it’ll be fun to teach my kids!
Awesome video. Great presentation style. All the little "hints" are invaluable.
Fascinating. Never done this. That fleshing blade machine looks super dangerous, but obviously must not be. Anyone ever get hurt with those things?