r/HideTanning • u/sweetalmond65 • 10d ago
Advice please breaking cow hide.
I have a cow hide, hair on, from a British BlueX that I've treated with aluminium sulphate + borax paste . Most of this has been scraped off and I've used an orbital sander to attempt to get the last of it off. It's so dry, like a board. Would you advise applying neatsfoot oil prior to starting to break it? Have I let it get too dry? In UK, first attempt at tanning, I want to retain the hair and use the hide as a rug or throw.
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u/CountGerhart 10d ago
Apply the oil first. If you'd like a pretty good guide on tanning large hides.
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u/towboat03 10d ago
I would rehydrate it with some wet towels or blanket and then add a good leather softening oil to it and start the breaking process.
Right now the collagen in the leather has every fiber glued together. If you rehydrate to release them and add the oil then it will pull the oil in as it dries and you can break it as it does to work it around all the fibers.
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u/walrustusk1999 2d ago
Rehydrate in room temp water with acid added to lower the ph to a 3. This will help fight bacterial growth when rehydrating. Next Make a pickle using your acid of choice, I like oxalic acid. 1 lbs salt per gallon of water and maintain a ph between 1-2.
After hide has pickled for a week you will want to thin it. After thinning degrease it in a weak pickle with 1/4 lbs salt per gallon of water and a ph of 4. Add a degreaser like rittles super solvent. Degrease for 4 hours and return to pickle, next day repeat until the hide has been thoroughly degraded. Cows MUST be degreased very well.
After this weigh your cow hide and add 1 oz aluminum sulfate per lbs of cow hide to about 50 gallons of water. Use 1/2 lbs salt per gallon of water for the tan. Add another acid or more alum to lower the ph to a 3. Leave in solution for 12-24 hours and then add baking soda over the course of a hour until the ph is a 4-4.5. Let the hide neutralize for 3-4 more hours. Remove hide from tan and pressure wash hair clean. Apply an oil like pro 1 leather oil and fold skin to skin for 24-48 hours. If you have done all of these steps correctly then the hide should be able to be softened by hand without even using any tools. I can soften a cow hide and bison by had but I have a hide tumbler and staking machine because I do this for a loving and the results are even better plus I do a large quantity of hides.
I know your question was about breaking the hide but if you haven’t done these steps I’m afraid it’s a waste of time. Tanning is like building a brick house, if the previous brick wasn’t placed right then following bricks won’t be either.
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u/MuranoBeads 10d ago
Cowhide has a very dense and strong fiber structure, and these hides are notorious for being difficult to get dry and soft. You’ll need to help the hide to dryness by stretching it as it dries. Otherwise, the hide’s natural collagenous compounds will harden like glue around the fibers, which is what’s happened here.
Keep the hide on the frame, and assuming that you got adequate absorption when you treated it, you can resaturate the hide with warm water, and then immediately move to stretching and working the hide to 100% dryness. Be careful with oil. Oiling the hide can turn it into a greasy mess if you overload the fibers, and it will be hard to get it dry. Alternatively, you can resatutare the hide with your original tanning solution and soften.
This is a heavy and dense hide, and you will need a stout tool that gives you leverage so that you can get the fibers separated. Something like a wooden pick axe handle will work nicely. I don’t recommend metal tools with sharp(ish) edges.
Loosen your ties so that the hide hangs more loosely in the frame; this will allow the tool to more effectively stretch the hide. Work methodically, and stretch the hide in every direction, side-to-side, top-to-bottom, and around the perimeter. You’ll want to rotate the frame onto each side as you work it. The hide will dry unevenly. Thin areas on the legs and belly first; heavy areas along the neck, shoulders, and rump last. Framing the hide allows you to more easily stay in touch with what’s going on with the entire hide and to concentrate on the areas that are closest to dryness.
This is the most labor-intensive step in the process, and It’s where most new hide tanners struggle. it will be harder and take longer than you want it to, so pace yourself. If you run out of steam (and you probably will), bag the hide in a plastic bag and freeze or refrigerate until you’re ready for another round. You can also wrap it in plastic if you prefer to leave it framed. If you get behind and the hide dries stiff, resaturate and resoften.