Lutan® FN Instructions:

 
  1. After the cape or hide has been skinned from the carcass, remove as much meat and fat as possible from the hide. Split the lips, turn the ears and take the cartilage out of the septum of the nose. The longer the hide remains in its raw state the more likely the hair is to slip.

  2. Lay the hair side down. Flesh side up on a flat working surface. Salt the hide with a fine ground non-iodized salt. Thoroughly rub the salt into the flesh side. Never use rock salt or reuse old salt!

  3. Leave the hide salted for 12 to 24 hours.

  4. Pickling


    Mix the pickle at the following proportions:


    For every 1 gallon of water add:


    1 pound salt.


    1/2 ounce Saftee Acid, or 1 ounce of Oxalic Acid, or 3 ounces of Pickling Crystals, or the acid of your choice. The pH should read 1.5-2.0.

  5. Place the salted hide into the pickle. The minimum amount of time for the hide to stay in the pickle is 72 hours. Remove the skin anytime during the pickle and shave the skin as thin as possible. The thinner the skin is shaved the softer and more flexible it will be. As soon as you are finished thinning, put the hide back in the pickle.

  6. Once the allotted time for pickling has been completed, remove the hide from the pickle and rinse in cold water.

  7. De-greasing:


    De-grease the skin if necessary. Skins such as bear, raccoon and beaver will require de-greasing. Heavy de-greasing can be done with Super Safety Solvent (2 fluid ounce per gallon of water). Leave the hide in the de-greaser for 30 minutes then rinse in clear water. For light de-greasing, Dawn dish soap can be used at a ratio of 1/2 fluid ounce per gallon of water. Be sure to rinse all of the de-greasing agent out with cool, clear water.

  8. Neutralizing:


    Mix a neutralizer bath to the following proportions:


    For every 1 gallon of water add:


    1 ounce of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)


    or use 2 ounces of Borax

    Leave the hide in the neutralizer solution for 15 minutes for light skinned animals or 20 minutes for deer, etc.

  9. Remove the hide from the neutralizer and rinse in clean water.

    Rinse again in a bath of room temperature water. Hang and drain for 30 minutes.

  10. Tanning with Lutan® FN:


    Mix the Lutan® FN accordingly:


    For every gallon of water add:


    2 ounce of Lutan® FN


    1/2 pound of non-iodized salt


    Use enough water to allow the hide to float freely in the Lutan® FN solution.


    Raccoon                        3 gallon water, 6 ounce Lutan® FN, 1 1/2 pound salt


    Fox                                3 gallon water, 6 ounce Lutan® FN, 1 1/2 pound salt


    Coyote                           4 gallon water, 8 ounce Lutan® FN, 2 pound salt


    Deer cape small            5 gallon water, 10 ounce Lutan® FN, 2 1/2 pound salt


    Deer cape large             7 gallon water, 14 ounce Lutan® FN, 3 1/2 pound salt

  11. Submerge the hide or cape in the Lutan® FN for 12 to 22 hours, depending on the hide. (Caution: do not leave skins in the tan longer than the recommended time!)


    12 to 14 hrs for Mink, Raccoon and Fox size animals


    13 to 15 hrs for Coyote size animals


    16 to 18 hrs for Deer


    20 to 22 hrs for Elk or Moose

  12. Remove from the Lutan® FN. Rinse in cold water and drain for 30 minutes.

  13. Mix the Pro-Plus Oil, 1 part to 2 parts hot water. Rub the oil and water mixture thoroughly into the hide.

  14. For rug or furs the hide should be stretched and broken as it dries. The combination tool works well for breaking the hide.

  15. If one has access to a tumbler, the hide may be tumbled for extra softness. A household dryer may be used provided it is set on No heat.

Options:

  1. The skin may be mounted immediately after the Pro-Plus Oil has soaked in for a minimum of 8 hours.

  2. The skin may be rolled up and frozen. When ready to mount, simply thaw and mount.

  3. To rehydrate after tanning, soak in water and bactericide for 2 hours. Roll up and cover with a large towel until completely re-hydrated. Re-soak for another 1/2 hr is necessary.


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