The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: lucyparadisepotions on November 07, 2017, 08:41:19 pm
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Has anybody got experience of doing their own sheepskin at home with k tan brush on system from Snowdonia? I'm going to try it and looking for experiences good or bad and tips please. :fc:
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Where do you get k tan, Lucy?
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If anybody is interested it went very well and I now have two beautiful sheepskin rugs done by myself!
Sounds great! How much work was it to do?
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Found it http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits (http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits)
Now to go and peruse.
I too would be interested to know if it's a young person's job ie needs untold energy, or if old fogeys can tackle it.
After a quick look, I see it's aimed at taxidermists. Now I know where to get a kit for moleskins next time we have a cull. Last time, rats ran off with the skins for their nests when I tried salting them :rant: . Would be good for bunnies too.
Thanks for drawing our attention to this Lucy. Any pics of the process or finished skins?
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THIS (http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/view_larger.pl?ref=CP06) one does sheep and deer too, it says. £30 for enough for two sheep. As I’m near enough Devonia to drive there, think I’ll stick with them.
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Found it http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits (http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits)
Last time, rats ran off with the skins for their nests when I tried salting them :rant: .
Thought it was just me - did some tanning solution on bunnies skins, might have been k tan (orange bottle) my land lady's dog ate them!
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Found it http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits (http://www.snowdoniasupplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?ref=tanningkits)
Last time, rats ran off with the skins for their nests when I tried salting them :rant: .
Thought it was just me - did some tanning solution on bunnies skins, might have been k tan (orange bottle) my land lady's dog ate them!
:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
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Quick run through of procedure: pick up skins same day as killed from abattoir and cover generously with salt. Leave a week. Rinse off. Deflesh using a knife or fleshing blade. That bit took about an hour. Wash a few times. I did 3 washes in sink and last one in washing machine on wool cycle. I used bio d wash liquid. Lay on a pallet and apply the kit solutions every 24 hours. That took about 5/6 days but quick to do each coat. Made a wooden frame 5x4ft and stitched skin to frame to stretch it. Leave to dry. When nearly dry start to work the skin. I rubbed it with a lawn edging tool. Then sand with coarse sand paper. Take off frame, trim edges. Brush wool which took a while. Finished!
:bookmark: home tan sheepskin using kit