Skin Preservation

Tim5

Member
Hi All,

I have managed to successfully preserve quite a few deer skins by defleshing and salting but I now need to permanently preserve them which im told can be done with Allum.

Where can I buy Allum, in what form and how should I use it?

Many thanks,

Tim (Suffolk)
 
Old prescription for curing skins.
1/2 lb saltpeter from chemist
1/2 lb powdered alum from chemist
Pumice stone from chemist, this is volcanic rock and was used for removing hard skin. I expect any similar hard skin block will work the same.
Scrape off all fat. Cover inside of skin with thick layer of saltpeter and alum in equal parts. Rub well in. fold up and leave for a week. Repeat 3 times then rub well with pumice. Stretch and hang to dry slowly.
 
Old prescription for curing skins.
1/2 lb saltpeter from chemist
1/2 lb powdered alum from chemist
Pumice stone from chemist, this is volcanic rock and was used for removing hard skin. I expect any similar hard skin block will work the same.
Scrape off all fat. Cover inside of skin with thick layer of saltpeter and alum in equal parts. Rub well in. fold up and leave for a week. Repeat 3 times then rub well with pumice. Stretch and hang to dry slowly.

Can you buy saltpetre (Potassium nitrate) I thought you couldn't as its used to make gunpowder
 
Well I am not saying you cant do that. Although I have never heard that before!!

As a trained taxidermist of some 38 years you need to fix a skin first prior to tanning. Using any salt or Alum is NOT tanning it is curing, and diesel is fixing a skin not tanning.

All I will say is that if I tanned skins for taxidermy purposes or for rugs in such a manner it would ruin them and make them unfit. If you are tanning for a rug you need a chrome tan, if you are tanning for taxidermy you need Lutan FN. There are many tans on the market but very few are used in taxidermy work, and for rugs you need a tan that produces a denser pelage. If you end up using Alum it will be like a piece of sheet metal, and will reabsorb moisture from the surroundings and one wet salt loving bacteria can make it rot and slip.
 
Well I am not saying you cant do that. Although I have never heard that before!!

As a trained taxidermist of some 38 years you need to fix a skin first prior to tanning. Using any salt or Alum is NOT tanning it is curing, and diesel is fixing a skin not tanning.

All I will say is that if I tanned skins for taxidermy purposes or for rugs in such a manner it would ruin them and make them unfit. If you are tanning for a rug you need a chrome tan, if you are tanning for taxidermy you need Lutan FN. There are many tans on the market but very few are used in taxidermy work, and for rugs you need a tan that produces a denser pelage. If you end up using Alum it will be like a piece of sheet metal, and will reabsorb moisture from the surroundings and one wet salt loving bacteria can make it rot and slip.


Thanks Malcolm, I'm no expert so I will take on your advice. It's only what's in the book.
 
Right that sounds simple enough, what could go wrong? Diesel and bicard here I come. Ive got a lovely red skin that has been salted and been sitting in my caravan for the last 6 months that would be perfect plus many others in the attic that are looonnng overdue for curing
 
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