posted 4 months ago
We harvested some sheep this morning and I saved a sheepskin. I asked an acquaintance that used to be a part owner of a nearby organic tannery how to get started. Per her directions, I fleshed the fresh hide and she said I did a great job and to salt it. I did that. The hide is laid out, flesh up, over a big table with salt all over it (in a covered but airy shed) and to dry for a week to three. The tannery has a video on how to prep hides to send to them for tanning and this is what I've done. I could keep bothering this nice woman but I don't really want to do that.
All the tanning tutorials I'm seeing have you salting first, then fleshing and tanning. Can anyone with experience tell me if I have my salted hide stored properly (in the open shed). We are supposed to have 1"+ of rain tomorrow but it's been generally dry and windy. Maybe I should move it indoors during the rain; it won't get rained on but more than a couple drips depending on where the holes in the roof are, and the humidity will, of course, be high. And what are my next steps? supplies I need to gather? I want this soft in the end, not stiff.
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