There are several ways to preserve the skins of fur animals, used depending on the type of beast, further conditions and the duration of storage of its skins. If the fur is intended for sale, then the requirements of the buyer should be adhered to, since the technology of further furrier processing depends on the method of conservation, and non-compliance with these requirements may lead to a decrease in the purchase price.
A fresh-dry method of preserving skins taken from prey, drying skins using rules, sizes of various rules for drying skins.
The most common way to preserve fur skins is fresh-dry. This method requires pre-balancing, complete if the skins are to be stored for a long time, or partial (only the removal of pieces of fat and large cuts of meat) during short-term storage. It consists in drying the skins with or without rules. Dry the skins at a temperature not exceeding 30-35 degrees in a dry room.
In no case should drying be carried out in the immediate vicinity of baking ovens or open flames. At elevated temperatures, the skin is welded, it loses its properties, becomes brittle and completely unsuitable for further use. Overdrying should not be allowed, as this results in a process similar to welding. A fully dried skin should remain slightly flexible, cardboard-like, but not completely stiff..
Types of rules for drying and preserving skins.
Many different rules are applied, including special ones for certain types of fur animals. There are four main types of rules: wedge-shaped, forked, sliding and collapsible. To edit skins of one kind, rules of different types can be applied, corresponding to the size of each skin. On collapsible rules, the skins removed by the stocking rule, on the rest – taken off the pipe.
Wedge-shaped rules for drying and preserving skins.
Wedge-shaped rules are made from whole boards of non-resinous trees. They can be solid or with cutouts and ventilation holes. The use of ventilated rules accelerates the drying of skins and therefore often improves their quality, since less time is left for the possible decomposition of leather tissue.
On ventilated rules, you can edit and dry skins with slightly damp fur, although this is undesirable, because the skin can be warmed up in small areas of tight fit. The surface of the rules is carefully rounded and polished so that there are no burrs or irregularities that could damage the skin. Some authors recommend painting rules or covering them with varnish..
We believe that this should not be done. The skin may be contaminated with lagging paint, a prominent drying oil. Pure dry wood absorbs moisture from the skin and helps to accelerate drying. Frying the rules with repeated use can be removed by washing it with detergents or wiping with clean gasoline. The outer dimensions of the wedge-shaped rules of any model should be standard.
Sizes of wedge-shaped rules for drying and preserving skins (cm).
The skin is put on a rule of the appropriate size with the mazra outward, straightened so that it is located symmetrically, the ridge line should go in the middle of the rule. They make sure that the fur under the skin does not fall lumps. Do not stretch the skin too much by applying a larger rule. The lower lip is fixed with one or two small nails, the nose is put on the end of the rule or fixed, also nailing.
Paper tubes or wooden planks are inserted into the front legs. Paper tubes are also placed under them so that the skin does not warp in the folds. The paws are straightened by applying strips of tissue paper to them or fixing along the edges with cloves on the planks. The skin of the hind legs is straightened with the help of cloves on the rule from the abdominal side of the skin or by the application of paper removed after partial drying of the legs to the ability to maintain shape.
The tail is spread on a special shank of the rule or on a separate board. The lower edge of the skin is fixed in several places with cloves, but not too often driven in. The rules with skins are suspended vertically or placed with their abdominal side down on horizontally suspended planks so that the front paws hang, but only parts of the rules that are free from the skin should touch the planks.
The skins, finished completely with mazra out, are dried until ready, and the skins, set with fur outside, are turned out, not a little dried, and dried on the same rule.
Fork standard rules for drying and preserving skins.
Forked standard rules make non-resinous wood, but not very hard, as their planks must be flexible enough. You can use the natural fork of branches or, accordingly, curved elastic metal wire. Wire rules can only be used in stainless steel or painted. Rust can seriously ruin the skin.
The tail of the skin, set on a fork rule, is straightened on a separate plank. For the skins of a wolf, wolverine, lynx, raccoon dog, large fox, jackal, arctic fox, wedge-shaped and forked rules No. 1 are used. For corsac, small fox, arctic fox, brown hare – No. 2. For the hare and the hare – No. 3. For a wild rabbit – No. 4. For sable, marten, dark ferret – No. 5 and 6. For wild minks – wedge-shaped rules No. 6, 7 and 8.
Dimensions of fork rules for drying and preserving skins (cm).
Sliding rules for drying and preserving skins.
Sliding rules make only three sizes. On a sliding rule with the lower ends released, put on the skin, and then slide the strips, fixing the skin in the extended state. In the upper part of the strip, they are connected to the side with a metal bracket, a short strip with two nails or a piece of steel trim strip on top.
The cross bar can be separate and worn simultaneously on two nails at the lower ends of the side bars. It can also be fixed on one bar and moved to another. On sliding rules No. 1, the skins of a wolf, a large fox, a jackal, a raccoon dog, a wolverine, a large fox, and a lynx rule. At number 2 – corsac, hares, otters and small foxes and foxes. At number 3 – a rabbit.
Forked and sliding rules are good because they provide excellent ventilation and uniform drying of the skins. All rules, as well as mezdrilny boards, should not have uncut edges and corners on working parts.
Sizes of sliding rules for drying and preserving skins (cm).
Collapsible rules for drying and preserving skins.
Collapsible rules are used for dressing and drying skins removed with a stocking. Editors with wedges are used to edit only sable skins. The standard rule should be recognized as the most convenient, other connector options are irrational, and using them can ruin the skins.
Sizes of collapsible rules for drying and preserving skins (cm).
The skins removed by the layer are dried by stretching on a shield, a wooden wall, a fence using nails or on a frame using ropes threaded through holes made along the edges of the skins. So dry the skins of bears, badgers, beavers, marmots. Skins of moles and water rats are nailed with small nails to special boards or shields. The ground squirrel skins are dried by stretching on pegs, dots, or several pieces at once on vertical knitting needles.
To dry beaver skins, some hunters use stretching with ropes on a sports hoop or ring bent from a flexible, even branch. For all editing methods, the standard ratio of the length of the skin to its width should be observed, since basically (except for the sable) it corresponds to the natural proportions:
1,5: 1 – mole, beaver.
2: 1 – badger.
2.5: 1 – bear.
3: 1 – muskrat, corsac.
4: 1 – wolf, wolverine, lynx (not counting the length of its hind legs), fox, arctic fox, raccoon dog, brown hare.
5: 1 – wolf, fox, marten, kidus, white hare.
6: 1 – otter, pine marten, dark ferret.
7: 1 – lynx (including the length of the hind legs), otter, mink, light ferret, solongoi, ermine, weasel.
8: 1 – mink, columns.
The names of animals repeated at different proportions indicate that different ratios are permissible when editing their skins. Dried skins are removed from the rules and other devices for drying and stored in a cool, dry or dry place, out of the reach of rats and mice, after wiping the mezra with a dry cloth from protruding drops of fat.
Based on materials from the book Encyclopedia of the Hunter.
Petrunin V.B., Nikashina E.B., Kupriyanov F.G., Nikerov Yu.N., Rymalov I.V..