# Hunting > Taxidermy >  Deer skin tanning

## Chris

A skin from a recent trip but my Mum wanted it for the floor. But with a couple of small windows in it that didn't seem to worry the old one
Pic #1 & #2 tanned skin tacked out drying .



Pic's #3 , # 4 & #5 Dry skin ready for breaking .




Now the breaking & softening starts ,haven't done a skin for a while but the finished shape isn't too bad ?

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## veitnamcam

Nice,what method did you use?
I wouldn't bother working the skin unless to use for clothing, stiff is good for a rug or wall hanging.
As a rug put it in a low traffic area as deer hair is hollow and snaps easily.
You could trim up the shape with a very sharp knife from the skin side so as no to cut the hair .

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## Rushy

Is that a red skin Chris?

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## Chris

That was done with the cure I gave you VC .Will break the skin just to whiten the under side more than to soften it




> Is that a red skin Chris?


Was a red hind Rushy ,winter skin

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## Rushy

> Was a red hind Rushy ,winter skin


That is interesting.  I wouldn't have thought the hair would stick around with a winter coat knowing how easy it came out when handling them in the shed

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## Chris

Started it with the knife then punched it off,still created a couple of little windows though.

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## Chris

Spent most of the morning finishing it off . 1/2 way threw breaking the skin

Almost done skin coming up quite white ,pretty happy with it now . 

Finished skin on lounge floor ,what I'm going to do with it I have no idea .

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## Feral

Cool to see others also having a crack at the tanning. I've got my second sitting in solution now. What was it that you used? looks quite brown on the underside? I'm using hte leder stuff (from H&F) which gives it the blue grey finish. I have a fallow stag skin covering my coffee table (for interviews without coffee) and this one I might wall hang.

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## Dundee

Great job there Chris

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## Chris

I'm using a recipe the local Taxidermist gave me Feral,I forgot to wash the skin before tanning .The brown is only surface & cleaned off when I broke the skin .

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## oneshot

Just a tip, when applying the leather softening lube (if you use it) as the skin starts to dry go over it with an orbital sander with a really coarse paper, it gets the skin all fluffy then apply more lube, go over it again when its dry, you will get a very soft/supple and fluffy leather.

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## Dynastar27

apparently Hamills sell tanning kits

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## Rushy

> apparently Hamills sell tanning kits


and MacDonald' sell hamburgers

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## Dundee

And gun shops sell firearms

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## Chris

No shit, you fellas are so sharp .

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