Curing a goat skin

[pussycat]

Okay i have a goat that i have slaughtered on Thursday morning and fancy making a nice rug out of the skin.
Have looked it up and think im going to use garden lime mixture.
Just wondered if theres any seasoned curers out there that could offer any advice.
thanks
Assumpta

 

[Bones]

Is there No old timers out there that used to cure fox skins ? It saturday nite surely some one can help a damsel in distress.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I've only ever used battery acid and salt. Worked well.

Try and scrape off as much fat and tissue from the underside before you start.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Okay i have a goat that i have slaughtered on Thursday morning and fancy making a nice rug out of the skin.
Have looked it up and think im going to use garden lime mixture.
Just wondered if theres any seasoned curers out there that could offer any advice.
thanks
Assumpta

Is that an Irish name ?


Dont you use alum ?
knowledgeable @Old Boar is good with these sorts of subjects .... ....

 

[Old Boar]

Wear gloves - it stings if it gets in a cut!
Getting all the fat off first is the main thing - it takes ages and you will get fed up with it before you are half way there, so bung a bit of salt on it and take your time. Putting it over a log or barrel helps, and dont use a sharp knife or you will cut it. A blunt table knife is good.
Dont trim it until it has been cured, but take off any hooves etc and really manky bits around the edge or it can taint the cure.
When it has been cured, go over the back again with a blunt knife, getting all the bits you missed before, and then find two strong men to stretch it on a frame. Every time you go past, stretch it again until it is dry. It can go like cardboard, so then you can stretch it and pull it back and forward over a gate (or a block wall, inside skin down).
If it still smells goaty, give it a gentle wash in a mild shampoo and then stretch and dry again.
I have two sheepskin on the go at the moment.

 

[landslave the 2nd]

Seen it on a smallholder website....try river cottage or the accidental smallholder . I think

 

[Paddington]

Wear gloves - it stings if it gets in a cut!
Getting all the fat off first is the main thing - it takes ages and you will get fed up with it before you are half way there, so bung a bit of salt on it and take your time. Putting it over a log or barrel helps, and dont use a sharp knife or you will cut it. A blunt table knife is good.
Dont trim it until it has been cured, but take off any hooves etc and really manky bits around the edge or it can taint the cure.
When it has been cured, go over the back again with a blunt knife, getting all the bits you missed before, and then find two strong men to stretch it on a frame. Every time you go past, stretch it again until it is dry. It can go like cardboard, so then you can stretch it and pull it back and forward over a gate (or a block wall, inside skin down).
If it still smells goaty, give it a gentle wash in a mild shampoo and then stretch and dry again.
I have two sheepskin on the go at the moment.

How long from start to finish @Old Boar ?

 

[pussycat]

Wear gloves - it stings if it gets in a cut!
Getting all the fat off first is the main thing - it takes ages and you will get fed up with it before you are half way there, so bung a bit of salt on it and take your time. Putting it over a log or barrel helps, and dont use a sharp knife or you will cut it. A blunt table knife is good.
Dont trim it until it has been cured, but take off any hooves etc and really manky bits around the edge or it can taint the cure.
When it has been cured, go over the back again with a blunt knife, getting all the bits you missed before, and then find two strong men to stretch it on a frame. Every time you go past, stretch it again until it is dry. It can go like cardboard, so then you can stretch it and pull it back and forward over a gate (or a block wall, inside skin down).
If it still smells goaty, give it a gentle wash in a mild shampoo and then stretch and dry again.
I have two sheepskin on the go at the moment.

Thanks @Old Boar thats really helpfull

 

[pussycat]

Is that an Irish name ?


Dont you use alum ?
knowledgeable @Old Boar is good with these sorts of subjects .... ....

Yes i believe its irish,but im not

 

[7610 super q]

Is that an Irish name ?


Dont you use alum ?
knowledgeable @Old Boar is good with these sorts of subjects .... ....

Stop making assumptions.......

 

[Shadow]

I did a deerskin a few years back. Scraped off all the fat and membranes etc. Soaked it in salt solution for 24 hours then soaked in alum solution for a further 2 weeks giving it a stir once a day. Then got it out and scraped off all the bits I missed and kept scraping every few hours until it was dry. Then rubbed a bit of neatsfoot oil into the skin side. It was bloody hard work and not sure I would do it again but I got a very nice bedside rug out of it.

 

[It was already broken.]

I did a deerskin a few years back. Scraped off all the fat and membranes etc. Soaked it in salt solution for 24 hours then soaked in alum solution for a further 2 weeks giving it a stir once a day. Then got it out and scraped off all the bits I missed and kept scraping every few hours until it was dry. Then rubbed a bit of neatsfoot oil into the skin side. It was bloody hard work and not sure I would do it again but I got a very nice bedside rug out of it.

What sort of deer was that @Shadow? Fella here did a water deer skin a couple of years ago and all the hair kept falling out!

 

[Shadow]

What sort of deer was that @Shadow? Fella here did a water deer skin a couple of years ago and all the hair kept falling out!

It was a roe deer. It did suffer some hair loss but that was due to my whippet grabbing it and ragging it round the house

 

[Old Boar]

How long from start to finish @Old Boar ?

To be honest, I put them in the cure and forgot about them until I fell over them...must have been in the cure about 6 weeks. Smelt fine though...