Fast skinning. Preparation and sequence of the technological process of dressing skins at home

Dressing skins is a procedure that even beginners can do. Using improvised means and a simple tool, you can independently prepare the material for sewing a fur product, which will significantly reduce its cost.

Dressing animal skins - the oldest human craft

First, the skins are distributed into batches based on the following criteria:

• thickness and size;
• type of animal;
• the sex of the individual.

Skins after conservation are stored in an unheated, dry, well-ventilated area. At temperatures below 6 ° C, the raw material is not subject to attacks by pests - moths, beetles, cockroaches. But if such conditions cannot be provided, the material is treated with an agent against these pests.

a - kozheed beetle; b - its larva

At the preparatory stage, the skin is examined. If there is contamination, the fur is wiped with textiles soaked in soapy water (use laundry soap). Areas where the pile is tangled are combed with a brush.

Attention! If the skin is processed incorrectly, then its shelf life is reduced, and the quality of the material is reduced. Therefore, you must strictly follow all the recommendations.

Step 2. Primary skinning

This is one of the most important ritual processes. After being removed from the animal, the skin is usually greasy, which is why the mezra subsequently deteriorates. If not treated, the fat oxidizes, decomposes, the decay products enter the skin and form fatty burns. From this, the properties of raw materials change, dressing becomes more complicated, and damage occurs.

Degreasing is carried out within a day after skinning. First, sunsets, gore, pollution are removed. The blade of the tool is held at an acute angle to the bracket. This reduces the chance of cutting the skin and hair roots. For beginners, it is better to use spoons and blunt knives. Experienced craftsmen degrease the skins when shooting.

If it was not possible to clean the skin from all the tissues of the animal, the remains are cut with curved scissors. The same tool is used to clean the paw area.

The flowing fat is sprinkled with sawdust of deciduous trees. Hands and accessories are constantly wiped with a dry, clean rag.

Step 3. Soaking, or soaking

Soaking is the first technological operation in the dressing process. The purpose of this stage of processing is to remove blood from the skin, the substances used for preservation, and return it to a state close to a pair.

Attention! All stages use soft or medium hard water. High hardness leads to the formation of lime soap, which makes processing difficult. Hardness is reduced by boiling with alkali or ammonia (10 g / l) is added.

The required volume of water is calculated in accordance with the LCD (liquid coefficient). So, if LCD = 5, then this means that for one skin you need to take water 5 times more than its weight. When there is no information about this indicator, then the volume of liquid should be such that the skins float freely in it. For soaking take plastic, wooden, glassware. The metal is not used because of the likelihood of an oxidation reaction.

For soaking skins preserved by the dry-salted and fresh-dry method, you can use the following solution:

• water - 10 l;
• phenol - 20 g;
• table salt - 500 g;
• zinc chloride - 30 g;
• formalin - 10 ml;
• Surfactants (shampoos, foaming agents) - 15 ml;
• borax crystal - 300 g.

The last two components are optional, but their use is the best result, especially when working with spoiled raw materials. So, zinc prevents hair loss. If there is no formalin, use furacilin, norsulfazol tablets (10 pieces per 10 liters). To curb the growth of bacteria, special preparations such as BiocideMLS are also used. Surfactants are optional, but especially recommended for sheepskin, marmot, fox and other hides that have a higher fat content. Washing powders are used less and less as surfactants. These funds provoke the appearance of rigidity. It is better to use non-ionic products based on ethylene oxide - for example, Wetter HAC.

The optimum solution temperature is about 20°C. The skins are immersed in the soaking liquid so that they are at the bottom, and a layer of solution of 4–5 cm covers them from above.

Carelessly cleaned skins, materials with keratinization of the mezra do not soak well. Then enhancers are added to the solutions. Alkaline products are popular - ammonia (500 ml / 10 l of water), soda ash (100 g / 10 l of water).

Attention! If the hair is weak, then alkalis can cause even more hair loss. Then preference is given to organic acids (10 ml / 10 l of water).

The soak lasts from 2 to 24 hours. Sometimes it becomes necessary to soak the material for 4 days. The fastest soak skins, preserved dry-salted and wet-salted ways. In the latter case, the material is simply washed in warm water.

Signs of the end of the soak:

• uniform soaking of the core;
• softness and elasticity of cartilage;
• hair strength.

Attention! Soaking should be carried out as soon as possible in order to prevent the development of microorganisms that can damage the raw fur.

The best result is obtained if the soak is carried out in two steps. After draining the remaining water from the skin, they proceed to the next stage - skinning.

Step 4. Secondary skinning

This is a process in which the inner layers of the skin, the remains of meat, fat are removed from the skin, the dermis is loosened for a more complete effect of the chemicals used in the remaining stages. If the skin is thick, cut off the core to get the same thickness over the entire surface. Carry out work carefully so as not to damage the skin and not expose the hair root.

For this treatment, the skin is placed with the fur down on a convex surface. The main tool is a knife or scraper with a blade placed on the end. Cleanse the skin from the tail to the head, along the line of the spine, then from the spine to the sides.

In order not to stain the fur with fat, the skin is sprinkled with sawdust or calcium sulfate (burnt gypsum). The operation is completed if it was possible to achieve elasticity and softness of the skin, its extensibility in all directions. Next is the breakdown. To do this, use a cutting tool with blunt blades. This helps to get rid of the remnants of fat in the thickness of the skin and soften the core.

Step 5. Secondary degreasing

The skins are subjected to washing in water at a temperature of about 35°C, strongly greasy - at 40°C, using washing paste "News", detergents for washing dishes such as Fairy and others.

Attention! Do not increase the washing temperature, as overheating may cause hair loss.

Washing time is about 40 minutes. Strongly greasy skins are washed 2-3 times. It is allowed, and even recommended, the use of activator-type washing machines or multifunctional electric launches.

From the washed skins, the remaining moisture is squeezed out by drying in a centrifuge or placed on goats so that the liquid is glass. If the core is thick, the skins are beaten off on both sides. It also improves the appearance of the fur.

Step 6. Pickling

The next stage is processing with pickles, or saline solutions with the addition of inorganic (sulfuric) and organic (lactic, formic, acetic) acids. Inorganic products act more aggressively on the material, this has a bad effect on its subsequent service life. Organic acids work more gently, but can also harm the material by changing its color. Therefore, in order to reduce harm, at the end of the procedure, the action of acids is neutralized.

Pickel can be prepared on the basis of acetic acid:

• water - 1000 ml;
• acetic essence (70%) - 20-50 ml or concentrated acetic acid 15-35 ml;
• table salt - 50 g.

For this purpose, sour white wine (1 part) diluted with water (3 parts) is also used.

Attention! Acetic acid is a universal preparation for all types of fur.

During the pickling process, the skins are constantly stirred to prevent them from twisting, especially if the tails are preserved. The duration of the procedure depends on the density and thickness of the skin.

Table 1. The duration of the pickling process depending on the type of skins

The readiness of the skin is checked by folding the corner four times and squeezing the folds tightly. After the fingers are unclenched, white seams should remain on the skin. In this case, the material is pulled out of the mixture, carefully squeezed out, and left for 12 hours at a temperature of about 20°C.

Neutralize the action of acids with an alkaline solution. It is made from baking soda (100 g / 10 l of water). Also use hyposulfite (500 g / 10 l of water) with the addition of 300 g of salt. The skins are soaked in the neutralizer for 2 hours. Then they are allowed to ripen for another 12 hours. To do this, the skins are turned inside out with fur and stacked under a press of 5–7 kg.

Step 7. Fermentation

This method makes the mezdra very soft. It is often used when working with lambskin, sheepskin, squirrel, fox skins.

In this case, fermented sourdough from flour and bran is used for soaking. The dipping and spreading method of processing is used.

For perch fermentation, kvass is prepared:

• boiling water - 1000 ml;
• coarse oat flour - 200 g;
• salt - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
• some yeast.

When the solution has cooled to room temperature, the skins are immersed in it, and the container is covered with a lid. The temperature of kvass during the entire soaking period should be at the level of 30°C. Stir the skins every 2-3 hours. A day later, the material is checked for readiness.

However, this method is very time consuming, since subsequently it is quite difficult to clean the fur and skin from leavened dough. Spread fermentation is more convenient. It involves kneading the dough with more flour and yeast to the density of sour cream, which is left for fermentation. The mixture is applied with a wooden spatula to the mezra with a layer of 1 cm and the skins are folded with the treated side inward. For best results, fermented dough is changed every 24 hours.

Attention! Improper fermentation leads to damage to the fur raw material. Therefore, beginners can resort to this method only if there are no chemical reagents.

Beginners may encounter difficulties such as:

• the need for careful control over the process;
• the complexity of the procedure;
• instability of the core.

Step 8. Tanning

This is the penultimate stage, the purpose of which is to strengthen the protein structure of the skin, to make it resistant to moisture. For this, chromium sulfate salt is used (1.5 g / l of water, t ° - 40 ° C). The skins are kept in the solution for 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Then they are taken out and dried. Instead of chromium oxide, chromium and aluminum alum are used. This method of tanning is called chrome.

Vegetable tanning is also common - instead of chemicals, they take alder and willow branches, wild rosemary, nettle leaves and oak bark. For 10 liters of water you will need:

• vegetable raw materials - 2.5 kg;
• salt - 600 g.

Plants are placed in cold water, salt is added, allowed to boil, kept on fire for 30 minutes. Then bring the volume to the original boiled water, cool. The skins are kept in tannin for 6 hours.

Step 9 Fattening

Zhirovka provides softness, facilitates the work of the cutter and tailor. The fur then becomes shiny, smooth. At home, the skin is impregnated with any industrial or domestic fat composition. For this purpose, fish oil and laundry soap are used, 50 g of each component, which are diluted in warm water (300 ml). Fat is produced from the inside of the skin. The solution is generously applied with a brush to the core.

After processing, the skins are stacked and allowed to soak for 2 hours. Drying follows. In summer, processed materials are taken out under a canopy, in winter - in a warm room at a temperature of 30 ° C. Drying time - days. The entire period of the skin is crushed, turned inside out, again wrinkled.

When the material is dry, the skin is polished with sandpaper, the fur is combed. The thick core is trimmed with a metal brush. Ideally, a skinning machine or miniflasher is used.

Step 10 Finishing

A sign of a well-dressed skin is shiny, crumbly fur, soft and plastic skin underneath. The fur is polished with sawdust of deciduous trees, combed again.

Skinning is a fairly lucrative business. Therefore, it is useful to master it for those who are engaged in the cultivation of fur-bearing animals.

Video - Dressing skins

Dressing skins is one of the first types of crafts mastered by man. This skill is very useful for modern people. Hunters are happy to keep the skins of killed trophies. People purposefully engage in the cultivation and slaughter of fur-bearing animals for the sake of obtaining skin and fur. In agriculture, mass dressing of animal skin is carried out. Knowledge and practice of dressing skins at home will allow you to obtain high-quality raw materials for further processing - sewing clothes, bags and hats, making accessories and shoes, forming stuffed animals and dummies, creating decorative elements.

Primary processing of skins

The choice of dressing technology depends on the type, lifestyle and physiological state of the animal, the type and quality of fur, age, gender and many other factors. Incorrect primary processing reduces the quality of leather and fur raw materials and reduces its shelf life.

Mature fur is lush and shiny, with a dense, uniform undercoat. The hair should be elastic and even, with a well-developed awn, not fall out.

Before the dressing of fur begins, you should carefully examine the hairline of the animal. Dirt and blood are washed off with a rag or gauze soaked in warm water and laundry soap. Entangled and matted areas of fur are usually combed with a special brush. The skin must be removed carefully, avoiding cuts and tears. It is desirable to keep the head, paws and tail.

Stages of dressing skins and furs

The removed skin is degreased and dried. Defatting is the process of removing all subcutaneous fat. It is carried out manually with the help of special tools on the frozen fat layer. Raw skins are corrected, giving them the correct shape and symmetry, and then dried under certain conditions - high humidity and temperature, good air exchange.

In order not to stain the fur and hands with fat, experts recommend sprinkling the workplace and skins with small sawdust.

Dressing skins at home consists of nine mandatory steps:

1. Soaking. Initially, the skins are soaked for a day in a concentrated saline solution. For 1 liter of water at room temperature, you need 4 tablespoons of salt without a slide. After soaking, they are turned inside out and squeezed out.
   
2. Mezdrenie. The skinning machine will help you quickly and efficiently remove the skin. The mezdra is the subcutaneous fat layer of animals, it is removed with a blunt knife with a wide blade in the direction from the tail to the head.
   
3. Secondary degreasing. At this stage, the skin is washed in a foamy solution of laundry soap. The liquid temperature must not exceed 25°. You can soak the skins in a soap solution for 20-30 minutes. Then they are thoroughly rinsed in clean cold water, squeezed out and turned inside out with fur.
   
4. Pickling or pickling. The dressing solution is prepared from 2 tablespoons of vinegar essence, 4 tablespoons of salt without a slide and 1 liter of water. The temperature of the solution is within 18-23°. The skins, turned inside out, are immersed in the liquid and left for several hours, stirring occasionally. For thin skins, the exposure time is 6 hours, for skins of medium thickness - 8-10 hours, thick skins are soaked in a pickle for more than 12 hours.
   
5. Exposure under pressure. During pickling, organic fat and collagen fibers are destroyed in the skin tissues. After pickling, the skins are squeezed by hand, folded 2 or 3 times and placed under oppression. Thin skins are kept under oppression for 3-4 hours, skins of medium thickness - about 5 hours, thick ones - 6-8 hours.
6. Drying. The skins are dried at room temperature away from heat sources, while the fur should be directed inward.
   For drying, special devices are used - rules. You can stretch the skin on a sheet of plywood. Periodically, while the skin remains wet, it is removed from the stretch and wrinkled by hand.
   
7. Tanning. Tannins restore the structure of collagen fibers. After the procedure, the skin becomes softer and more elastic, does not tear or crumble. As a tanning agent, you can use a thick infusion of oak or willow bark (half a liter of crushed dry bark is taken for 1 liter of water). The bark is poured into water, brought to a boil and boiled for 10-15 minutes, then insisted for one day. The infusion is filtered through gauze and applied with a brush to the mezra. The skin is then dried and crushed.
   
8. Zhirovka. For fattening at home, a special fat emulsion is prepared. In 300 ml of warm water, it is necessary to dissolve 50 grams of soap, 50 grams of fish oil, 10 drops of ammonia, cool the solution and add another 500 ml of water to it. All components are thoroughly mixed and carefully, so as not to get on the fur, are applied to the skin with a brush from the side of the mezra. The treated skins are dried at room temperature.
   
9. Finishing processing. Finally, the skins are crushed with a pumice stone or fine-grained sandpaper, passing it along the mezra in the direction from head to tail. If necessary, the skin is stretched and shaken. Now she is ready for further work - cutting, gluing or sewing.

Popular leather dressing recipes

The fermentation procedure is considered a classic version of skin dressing, after which the material becomes durable and elastic. Alum for dressing skins is prepared according to different recipes, using ingredients of natural and artificial origin - flour, malt, rock salt, soda, acids, fermented milk products. Acid pickling is an alternative to traditional fermentation. Acetic acid, salt, and water are commonly used to make pickel. Instead of vinegar, sulfuric or boric acid can be used.

It is necessary to engage in dressing with a fresh skin. If work needs to be postponed, then the skin can be salted by rubbing it with plenty of salt, frozen or dried.

Recipe for dressing skins at home:

Dressing leather and fur is a complex, lengthy and laborious procedure. To achieve mastery in leather and fur business is possible only by working and learning. As a result of many years of experience, light, soft and elastic skins are obtained, which look great, are pleasant to the touch and have a long service life.

An easy way to dress skins - video

Equipment for skinning at home - video

In order for the fur to be good, the skin of a fur-bearing animal must be faded (faded, with a white mezdra), obtained during the hunting season, properly removed, degreased and dried. This is a prerequisite for obtaining high-quality fur.
For home dressing, you need: vinegar essence, table salt, laundry soap or better laundry detergent "News", wooden standard rules of the required sizes, hyposulfite, bark or roots of tanning plants, fish or seal oil, ammonia, brush, pumice stone, knife, glass jars with lids, a tablespoon.
Sequence and features of operations.

1 soaking.

So that a fur product does not deteriorate from environmental influences, is not damaged by pests and serves for a long time, it must be made from properly dressed skins.

Skin dressing at home involves the use of chemicals that can be harmful to health, so all procedures should be carried out carefully, in compliance with the rules for handling hazardous substances and safety precautions.

There are relatively simple and affordable ways of dressing skins that may be suitable for those who want to try their hand at the production of fur products. The main task is to preserve the high quality of the fur and give the skin qualities and properties that are convenient for cutting and sewing.

Let's try to figure out what is dressing skins at home, how to make a blank for a collar or fur frill from a dry skin at home?

The work of dressing skins is conditionally divided into several stages: preparation of raw materials, dressing and final finishing.

Harvesting skins and preparing for dressing

Only the skin removed from the carcass should be cleaned of fat and meat residues. After cooling, it is abundantly sprinkled with non-iodized kitchen salt, which should absorb moisture from it. As a result, the skin should dry out and become crunchy. This process can take several days or even weeks. The skin prepared for storage should be dry to the touch and hard, it retains its shape well.

Dressing skins at home begins with sorting. They are sorted by size and thickness of the skin layer into groups for ease of processing. All skins are weighed to accurately calculate the required amount of reagents for their dressing.

The skin after dressing should be thin and soft, and the raw fur should not show signs of shedding. The best quality products are obtained from the processing of animal skins aged 6-8 months.

soaking

After storage, dressing skins at home begins with soaking them in two stages. The first - for 4 hours in clean water. The second stage - up to 12 hours in an aqueous saline solution (20 g of salt per 1 liter of water). For 1 kg of skins for soaking, 8 liters of solution are taken. For just removed paired skins, it is sufficient to carry out only the first stage of soaking.

After soaking, the skins become elastic, and their subcutaneous layer should be easily separated. If this does not happen, the soaking of the skins in the saline solution is extended. With a long stay in water, the raw material may begin to rot.

There is another version of the solution - with the addition of antiseptics to prevent the reproduction of putrefactive bacteria in the water. For 10 liters of water for such a solution, 500 g of non-iodized salt and 6 tablets of furacilin are required.

Some experts advise adding up to 2.5 g of a detergent that does not contain biologically active substances to the composition of the solution to remove the flesh and dirt from the fur.

Mezdrenie

Skinning is the process of removing the subcutaneous fat layer. It is knocked down by hand on a blunt bracket or carefully cut off on a sharp spit. This operation for thick skins can be performed using a sharpened rotating disc knife.

Dressing skins at home at the stage of skinning is carried out carefully. The subcutaneous layer with the remnants of adipose and muscle tissue is cut off superficially so as not to touch the hair follicles in the thickness of the skin.

Thick skins are allowed to be processed with cutting off the thickenings at the base of the ridge. This process requires certain skills, as careless movement, especially when using sharp instruments, can damage the integrity of the skin.

The skin is usually cut in the direction from the tail to the head, then, if necessary, a thick layer is removed from the center line to the edges, trying to achieve the same thickness of the entire skin web.

Washing

In order for the dressing of rabbit skins at home to take place in accordance with the technological process, after the skinning stage, the raw materials must be thoroughly washed, even if detergent was added to the solution during soaking.

Washing is carried out in warm water with a simple shampoo. It is allowed to add special detergents for dishes to the water for a more thorough washing of greasy and heavily polluted places.

In the old days, this process was carried out using ordinary laundry soap. To prepare the solution, 10 g of soap was rubbed on a grater and dissolved in 1 liter of water, soda ash (0.5 g) was added and the fur was washed until the hair creaked lightly.

Pickling and pickling

To change the structure of the skin, a pickling process is performed. The skins are placed in a special solution: for each liter of water heated to 35 degrees, up to 15 g of acetic acid and up to 4 g of sodium chloride are added. The solution is prepared in sufficient quantity so that all raw materials are covered with liquid.

Holding time - from 6 to 12 hours or more with periodic movement. The skins should also be moved from the bottom of the tank to the top layers for even processing. The readiness of raw materials is determined by a white strip (dryer) on the fold of the skin when it is squeezed.

Surface treatment of the mezra without continuous soaking is also allowed. The solution concentrate (half as much water) is applied with a brush to the surface up to three times with an exposure between repetitions during the day.

The technology of dressing skins at home after pickling involves keeping them for a day after laying in piles. Before the next stage, excess moisture is removed by spinning in dryer rollers or in a drum-type washing machine.

The pickling process can be replaced by fermentation in an aqueous solution of oatmeal or barley flour. The process requires constant monitoring, since when raw materials are overexposed, the connection between the hairline and the skin is quickly lost. Such a composition is prepared as follows: for each liter of water heated to 45 degrees, 60 g of salt and 100 g of flour are taken with a preliminary infusion of the solution for 8 to 10 hours.

Tanning

To maintain resistance to moisture, chemicals and temperature changes, the skins are subjected to a tanning process. To do this, it is best to use special chrome tanning agents. Their active ingredient is chromium sulfate. An aqueous solution for tanning is prepared from one liter of water and 1.5 g of chromium oxide, the temperature of the solution is 40 degrees. The skins are kept in this composition for up to 6 hours with occasional stirring.

In the absence of chromium oxide, dressing skins at home at the tanning stage is possible using chrome alum. To prepare a working solution, they are taken in an amount of at least 6 g per liter of water.

Another option for replacing chromium oxide: the solution is prepared from aluminum alum, they are taken in an amount of 100 g per 1 liter of salt (50 g of salt) water. Stretched skins are treated with such a composition superficially over the mezdrovo layer 2 times a day for 4 days.

In the old days and now they still use natural tannins (tannins) extracted from vegetable raw materials: oak bark, willow branches, alder, wild rosemary, nettle. The solution is prepared from 250 g of crushed raw materials and 60 g of salt per liter of water.

The components are boiled in an enamel bowl for 30 minutes, cooled, filtered. Skins are loaded into such a composition and kept, stirring, for at least 6 hours until completely saturated with the solution, followed by aging in folded piles for at least a day.

Fattening

Dressing rabbit skins at home at the stage of fattening is carried out with a special emulsion. To prepare it, in one liter of water heated to 45 degrees, dissolve 200 g of grated laundry soap, 80 g of fish, pork or sheep fat and 10 g of ammonia.

With this composition, the skin layer of the skin is evenly treated with a swab or brush, avoiding contamination of the fur, followed by aging in stacks for lying for at least a day.

Another version of the fattening composition: 50 g of fat (preferably fish), 1 liter of water, 10 ml of ammonia 25% concentration, 25 ml of oleic acid. The solution is prepared in two containers. First, oleic acid is mixed with fish oil in one vessel. In another vessel, ammonia is diluted with water heated to 25 - 30 degrees. The contents of the first are added to the second vessel with constant stirring. After treatment with this composition, the skins can withstand up to 6 hours.

Dressing rabbit skins at home. Step-by-step instructions for processing using bran

The composition recipe is designed for processing 10 medium skins. To prepare the solution, boil 12 liters of water and add 16 cups of oat or barley bran for steaming for 1 hour. Separately, boil 15 liters of water, pour into a suitable plastic container, add 16 cups of salt there and mix well. The infusion of bran is strained on a sieve, added to a container with saline.

After cooling, carefully add acid for refilling batteries (3.5 cups) to the container, observing safety measures. After combining all the components of the solution, the skins are loaded into the container and kept for 40 minutes, constantly stirring. The skins are removed and washed with running water. To completely neutralize the acid, you can add baking soda to the water during the first rinse.

The skins are hung out to drain and dry easily. After that, the mezdrovy layer is treated with hoof oil until a light fatty coating appears. For final drying, the skins are stretched on frames or grates with fixed edges.

Dressing skins at home: instructions for beginners

The method is based on the use of sour cow's milk. Paired or previously soaked in water, the skins are rubbed with salt of a large fraction. They are stacked inside in piles and left to mature for three days. After that, the salt residues are removed, the skins are squeezed, kneaded and skinned.

At the next stage, they are laid with fur inside in a container with peroxide (5 - 7 days) milk of a suitable size and left for 3 days for exposure with periodic mixing of the solution. One skin requires at least 1 liter of sour milk. The readiness of raw materials is determined by the "dryer".

Subsequent processing: washing, tanning and fatliquoring - are carried out according to one of the already known methods.

Finishing operations

The fur raw materials prepared for tailoring should have a beautiful magnificent appearance, the hairline must be crumbly, the skin must be soft and plastic. For such a result, dressed skins are polished with fine sandpaper or abrasive bars. To give the hair shine and degrease it, the fur is treated with hardwood sawdust. For splendor, the pile is combed.

Dressing animal skins at home is a laborious operation. It is difficult to achieve a good result the first time, but after acquiring the necessary skills, you can independently prepare high-quality material for sewing fur products, avoiding its purchase from third-party manufacturers.