# Tanning Hides - Goat/Bull Scrotum



## Ernie

Any of you ever done this? How exactly does one go about it? I've followed instructions before on how to tan hides, but that's for flat material. A round sack wouldn't seem to work very well. 

A Google search for how to do this nearly put my eyes out. Never google "tanning scrotum". Ever.


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## EDDIE BUCK

Cutum off turn wrong side out to tan and use the pouch for blackpowder equip,bullets and such or maybe a bacco pouch. Im sure it would be a conversation piece, no matter what its used for. Eddie


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## diamondtim

Ernie said:


> Any of you ever done this? How exactly does one go about it? I've followed instructions before on how to tan hides, but that's for flat material. A round sack wouldn't seem to work very well.
> 
> A Google search for how to do this nearly put my eyes out. Never google "tanning scrotum". Ever.


I can only imagine what you came up with using that search phrase. I hope now that you don't get google ads for related subjects. That would also be embarassing to explain that to the wife and kids.


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## Farmerwilly2

I'd imagine you could flesh it and such if it were stretched around a baseball, crochet ball, soft ball....guess it depends on 'big' a sports fan your critter was. Now that I think of it, just what were those old timey football helmets made of?


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## DavidUnderwood

I've done a few, for muzzleloader balls.
Mostly deersacks. Took a 1X2, rounded 
it off and clamped it in the vise to flesh
them on. I use a soak/solution tan, so
that is no problem. But breaking it to be
soft, now there is a piece of work!


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## DavidUnderwood

Alum Solution Tan:
The following is good for two, one-foot-square hides (or one if deer is being tanned).
In a plastic bucket, add 16 ounces of potassium alum to one gallon of luke-warm water. Stir in one cup of uniodized salt, then add about a tablespoon of the club soda (sodium bicarbonate). Stir well, then add the hides. Stir the hides in the solution well, but gently. Stir frequently over the next couple of hours. To help keep hides immersed, a rock can be used to weigh them down in the solution. Now it's just a matter of time. I like to put lids on the buckets for safe keeping. For thin skins, forty-eight hours is about right. Deer should be left for about a week. Go back and stir the hides a couple times a day. Another good quality of this tanning method, is that extended time in the solution does little or no harm to the hides. When they are done, they will be primarily white all the way through. If in doubt, cut a small corner and check the cross-section of the hide. If it is white, it is done. There may be some discoloration from blood or bruising, so keep this in mind. If the middle of the skin is still a dull grayish pink, leave the hide in the solution for another day or so.


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## OkieDavid

As DU said, tan utilizing whatever tanning process you want to. If you want it to finish out firm and maintain its "natural shape" you can do as I did to make an arrow quiver from a case skinned bobcat hide. Once it is removed from the tanning solution, stuff it with firmly packed newspaper and allow to dry. Once dry you can dampen,cut,pull,pry-dampen,cut,pull,pry your newspaper packing out. It will maintain the shape for years. If you want it soft and pliable (aka possibles bag) then it will need to be softened/broken once dry. This is a drawn out process where you basically pull, bend, stretch over and over with occasional applications of a softener (neatsfoot oil is what I've used) until it is the desired softness/pliability.


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## pheasantplucker

Use the traditional technique of chewing on it to make it soft


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## OkieDavid

pheasantplucker said:


> Use the traditional technique of chewing on it to make it soft


Actually it was the woman who chewed the hide traditionally.....Suggest that to your spouse and let me know how that works out for you. Take it from one who has been there, this subject needs to be brought up when you are both outside and away from anything heavy or sharp and have your running shoes on.


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