Dan Rinehart Tanning Cream Instructions

“Brush-On” Tanning Process (Non-Pickle)

1.    Gather your hide tanning supplies and flesh the skin, removing all fat and meat from the neck, shoulders and face.  Split the lips, nose, and eyes and turn the ears.

2.       Place fleshed hide flat on the floor or bench, with the hide-side up.  Make sure there are no wrinkles in the skin and all s urfaces are exposed.  Apply and rub-in a liberal coating of fine, granulated, non-iodized farm salt.  Aggressively rub the salt into all areas of raw hide.  Let salted skin sit overnight, or for 24 hours.

3.       Shake out any remaining old salt and flesh hide areas requiring more thinning and prep work.

4.       Submerge the skin in a sink of cold water (5 gallons) combined with Dawn dishwashing liquid ( ¼ cub).   Agitate and clean the hide in the solution for 1-2 minutes.  Remove the hide from water and “wring-out” excess water.

5.       Submerge the skin in a sink full of clear/cold water and agitate for 1 minute.  “Wring” out any excess water.  Place the skin in a washing machine and spin out the water, or hang the hide for 1 hour and let the excess water drip away.

6.       Lay the skin flat on the floor (hide side up) and pour Tanning Cream onto the skin.  With hands covered with surgical gloves, spread cream throughout hide.  If brush application is preferred, brush on a liberal coat of Tanning Cream to all hide-surface areas.  Place a plastic bag over the entire skin and leave on overnight.

7.       After sitting overnight, remove the plastic bag and use a towel to absorb any excess tanning cream which has pooled on the hide surface, and then perform final fleshing.

8.       Wash in Dawn (1/4 cup) and water (5 gallons) for 1-2 minutes.

9.       Wash in hair conditioner (1/3 cup) and water (5 gallons) for 1-2 minutes.

10.   Mount the deer immediately, or roll up the skin and place it in a plastic bag and freeze.  Thaw the hide when you are ready to mount.