Cow hides are actively used to produce high quality leather. The production of this material has a long history. The basics of leather dressing were already mastered by ancient people, who, using improvised means, obtained leather and created clothes from it. Nowadays the need for leather products remains relevant. In order for the product to be durable and beautiful, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules of the procedure for tanning cattle hides at home.
How to tan cattle hide at home
To properly process cow hide, you will need some skill. In addition, the procedure involves many subtleties and nuances, without which it will not be possible to achieve a good result.
Preparation for the process
After skinning the carcass, you need to do the following:
- Clean it of organic residues.
- Place the skin on a smooth surface with the fur on the bottom. This is necessary for the material to cool.
- When the raw material has cooled, you need to sprinkle the skin with a large amount of coarse salt (3-4 kilograms per skin). At the same time, the product should not contain iodine.
- The raw materials must be dried within 3-4 days. As a result, the skin should become hard and dry.
Soaking the skin
The procedure includes two stages:
- Immerse the raw materials in clean water. The material soaks for four hours.
- Then, for another twelve hours, the raw materials should be soaked in a saline solution.
Important conditions at this stage:
- There are twenty grams of salt per liter of liquid;
- at the same time, eight liters of water are taken for every kilogram of skin;
- Experienced breeders advise adding furatsilin to the solution. This measure will avoid bacterial infection.
The criterion by which the quality of the result is determined: the subcutaneous layer should be easily removed from the workpiece. If this is not observed, it is necessary to keep the skin in the saline solution for some more time.
The workpiece must not be damaged, otherwise the quality of the leather will noticeably suffer.
Mechanical degreasing, fleshing
This stage consists of complete removal of subcutaneous fat. The procedure can be performed manually or using a special mechanism.In the latter case, experience with the device is required: improper removal of hair follicles will negatively affect the quality of the material.
In order to obtain a high-quality product, the fat layer must be removed evenly. First, the tail section is removed. Subsequent movements are made from the axial center to the edges.
Washing material
Next, the cow's skin must be washed in warm water using a soap solution. To prepare the product you will need ten grams of soap per liter of liquid. The best option is laundry soap or soda ash.
Pickling (or pickling)
The pickling procedure is aimed at changing the structure of the material. To do this, the raw materials are soaked in an acetic-chlorine solution. Ingredients required: acetic acid (concentration - 0.15%) and sodium chloride (concentration - 0.04%). Processing involves regularly stirring the liquid with the raw materials immersed in it. The stage lasts twelve hours. The signal for completion is the presence of white stripes on the folds of the skin when it is squeezed.
An alternative to pickling is fermentation, which involves soaking the skin in a water mixture with the addition of barley or oatmeal and salt. For every liter of warm water there are sixty grams of salt and one hundred grams of flour. The ingredients are thoroughly mixed and after achieving a homogeneous consistency, the workpieces are soaked in the mixture.
It is important to periodically monitor the fermentation process to prevent overexposure. Damaged material is not suitable for further processing.
Tanning
After all the above-described manipulations, the material is tanned. First you need to prepare a solution based on chromium oxide.The ingredients are taken in proportion: one and a half grams of the substance per one liter of warm water. Next, the skin is immersed in the mixture and stirred periodically.
To prepare the composition, you can use oak bark, willow branches, alder, and stinging nettle stems. The components are crushed so that the same amount of each of them is obtained - 250 grams. The ingredients are then added to the saline solution. The mixture is brought to a boil and left to simmer for thirty minutes. Next, you need to strain the liquid, wait for it to cool, and then soak the skin in it for six hours.
Zhirovka
To process the material, you will need a special emulsion. The procedure includes the following steps:
- Boiling water to 45-50 degrees.
- Laundry soap is ground to produce shavings.
- Fat (80 grams), ammonia (10 grams) and soap shavings are added to the water.
- The ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- The mixture is used to process the wrong side. The raw materials are rubbed using a swab or a soft bristle brush.
At the end of the procedure, the skins are placed in a pile and left for a day. In this case, heating appliances cannot be used for drying.
Drying skins
The last stage of processing involves stretching the skins onto a wooden grid with the wrong side facing out. It is important to ensure that the tension is not excessive. Otherwise, the material will not withstand so many treatments and will lose its integrity. The tension should be sufficient, but not excessive.
During the entire procedure, the raw materials must be ventilated outside every day, leaving the workpieces in a cool place. Remove the skin when the middle of the back surface is completely dry and elastic.Next, the skin is stretched on a flat surface and the inside is cleaned. It is recommended to do this with a wire brush. As a result, the product will acquire a light shade and additional softness. Cleaning should be carried out evenly, without sudden movements or transitions.
The very last step is to dry the material for two days. After which the skin will be finally ready.
How are cow hides classified?
There are several varieties of cow hides. Each type has a certain level of strength and requires compliance with a number of nuances during processing.
Opoek
Leather obtained from a calf carcass is characterized by the presence of matted primary wool. Skins are removed from birth to the end of lactation. Such raw materials are used to create lycra and chrome leather.
Outgrowth
The source of raw materials is young animals that have switched from a dairy diet to a plant-based diet. The material has the following characteristic features:
- the presence of a ridge strip;
- dull, shedding fur.
This type of cow hide is also used to produce lycra and chrome leather.
Yalovka
This type of skin is obtained from adult individuals. This type, in turn, is divided into several subspecies:
- light skin (13-17 kilograms);
- medium (17-25 kilograms);
- heavy catch (more than 25 kilograms).
The material is used to make yufti, saddle cloth, and velor.
Bychina
As the name implies, this type of skin is obtained from castrated bulls whose weight exceeds seventeen kilograms. The material is up to five millimeters thick, but despite this, it is highly durable - products made from bull meat last for many years, while maintaining their visual appeal.The raw material is actively used for manual and mechanical embossing. Bull hide is also characterized by a minimum of folds in the collar area. The beef, depending on the weight, is divided into several types:
- light (weight varies from 17 to 25 kilograms);
- heavy (more than 25 kilograms).
Bull
This type of skin is obtained from bulls that have not been castrated. Features of the material are:
- thickness;
- high strength.
The raw materials are used for the manufacture of yuft, morocco, napplak, and blinders.
Every breeder can do the tanning of cow hide independently. The main condition for obtaining strong, elastic skin is strict adherence to all instructions, rules and recommendations. The accuracy and diligence of the master will be a significant help in this matter.
