The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-07
DRESSING SKINS.

| IN" method ot dressing skins with the
hair on differs but little in principle from
! that of tanning them for leather. In PIC
pairing skins for leather, they have to be dc
| rrivcd Of their hair, either hv sweating or
Im'ns-this process l.; dispensed with in
! preparing robes. The fre>I, skins, if thew
have To stand for some time before thew
can be treated, are first s,cel"l in brine
of common salt; then lifted out Of the
brine and laid over table or bench, with
the hairy side downward, all the ileshy
parts scraprd oil clean with Il knife, and tI.e
ragged e'l" "cs cut of and trimmed. They
are now ready for undergoing the prcscrv
ing operations. If they are clean white
| sheep skins, intended for seats, saddles or
mats, they are stccped in Il solution of alum
for several days-from three to six-thcn
lifted out, nailed on racks, to stretch them
to their fullest extent, and dried in the air.
They are now ready for use. The strength
OF the alum solution employed should be
| at the rate of one pound Of alum to every
| four pounds of skins, the alum being dis
solved i'll sufficient quantity to cover the
skins
Calf, dog, and other skins designed for
robes, are prepared in different manucr.
After having all the ilcshy parts removed,
rs heretofore described, they arc stepped in
Il bath Of oak bark or suinac, or blackberry
|
wool liquor, containing some alum in SO
luton. y peck Of ground oak bark is suf
ficent for tanning twenty pounds of skins :;
twill require twenty pounds Of American
sumac, or the same amount Of young black
berry bushes, to effect the same Object
These are boiled in close vessel for about
three hours i'll water to extract their
strength. then mixed with sufficient cold
water to cover the skins in two SEPARATE
baths Tor else bolc... at two several times
Three pounds of dissolved alum is also
placed III each bath when they arc ready
lor the SKINS; these arc all placed in one
Of the baths at time, and allowed to re
main for three days. being turned in the in
tcrim every succeeding day, and then lifted
out, drippcI and placed in the fresh bath,
whore they undergo similar operations du
ring The noxt threo days. They arc again
lifted out, nailed on rae Ks, dried in tic open
air, and arc then lit for use.
Skins are composed mostly Of gclatine
which is very iikoy to decomposo by expos
urc to moisture and tho atmosphere. TO
preserve them, they arc brought into chem
ical union with some substances, SO us to
form an insoluble compound. An acid in
oak bark, willow, sumac and hemlock, has
been used from time inmcmorial rs the
chemical agent, to form an insolublo com
pound with the gelatne Of the skins by a
process called tanning. Any other chemi.
cal substance that will produce the same
effect may be used for tho same object,
and hence alum, which is a colorless sub
stance, is employed for this purpose for
white skins. Robes Of skins require to be
more elastic and soft than leather, hence
they arc not submitted to the tanning pro
cess for such a long period. Young black
berry ushcs impart to the skins greater
softness than oak or sumac liquors.
10 preserve skin robes from the attacks
Of insects, they shoald he submitted TO Il
slight smoking in IL smokc-housc, and then
hung up in tho wind foy a few days after
wards. If found to be Ii,,lc too hard
when dric'l, they should be hratcn with
rods until they are quite soft. by attend
ing 10 these directions carefully, persons
living i'll the country may prepare t, cir
own skins, with no more apparatus than a
barrel, u table, and II kettle. Scientific
IimcricaN.
o.