Film Noir Buff Style Forum / English Oak bark tannery

Kingstonian · 2011-08-11 04:40:55

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-14442109

meister · 2011-08-11 06:16:15

thanks brilliant like the horween one.

The_Shooman · 2011-08-11 08:32:27

Thanks Kingstonian, a dirty old place and a dirty old job...below most of the igents afraid to get their precious hands dirty.

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-08-11 08:38:25

It is a dirty job, I haven't had to tan leather but I've had to distress it with some rather unfriendly chemicals. I questioned the safety of it at the time, but so often when you're given a job you just shut up and do it.

Film Noir Buff · 2011-08-11 10:01:45

It's a reminder of the true, squalid price of beauty.

dandysauage · 2011-08-11 15:22:35

What a dying business.

The_Shooman · 2011-08-11 22:18:13

fxh · 2011-08-12 00:30:35

When I was a kid on the farm I used to experiment with tanning calf and sheep and rabbit hides with Wattle bark.

I had read about it and used an old copper to boil up bark and soak skins.

It was just for fun and I never progressed much to doing it in a refined way.

There was a local tannery anyway and I used it to do a few very nice floor mats out of black and white freisian calf skins. Sadly they have disappeared like a lot of other now nostalgic stuff of mine. Its hard to see the future.

fxh · 2011-08-12 00:32:38

Here you go shooey - you should be able to do it. Wattle is everywhere.

Bark Tannin Solution

Shredded wattle bark
Enough soft or rainwater to cover

Finely shred the bark of any of the wattles (also oak, chestnut & others.), sufficient to fill a 25 litre tub. The bark needs to be shredded as fine as possible; putting it through a mulcher is quicker, although chopping it on a block with an axe does the job well enough. Boil the water and pour over the bark until completely covered, then stir occasionally while infusing for 2-3 weeks, and while the rest of the wet work is being done.

When the pelts are ready for tanning, strain enough of the tannin infusion through hessian into a clean tub, until it is about 3/4 full. To this quantity add 350 ml vinegar, or less depending on how long the pelts had already been drenched. For light pelts this strength should be sufficient to allow tanning to be completed within about two-three weeks.

http://www.gilhardwick.com/tanning_leather.php#SOME USEFUL TANNING SOLUTIONS

Last edited by fxh (2011-08-12 00:34:18)

Oo Bop Sh'bam · 2011-08-12 01:15:46

My old boss has a couple of leather working machines set up in his garage, and stains his own hides, in fact anyone interested in having a go can buy a length of pre-cut belt leather and then stain it yourself with some water based dyes. Chuck a buckle on it, and you've got your own custom belt. A good supplier of hides and stains is Tandy's in Northampton.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.co.uk/en-gbp/home/department/leather-dye/leather-dye.aspx

The_Shooman · 2011-08-12 01:19:56

Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-08-12 01:33:30)

K. A. Adams · 2011-08-12 19:23:06

And then there's Brain tanning: http://www.braintan.com/articles/history/history.html

4F Hepcat · 2011-08-14 01:48:05

If you ever travelled along the A41 from Birkenhead through the Kingsway tunnel into Liverpool, you would journey past the once mighty Cammel Laird shipyard and across the road from the dockside fabrication shops was the shipyard's own tannery: the stench was unbelievable. Something akin to Dante's vision of the Inferno in one's nostrils.

Even on a double decker bus, a good fifty metres away from the action the smell was all consuming. Not for the faint hearted, definitely a job not for the dainty and overly sensitive of nerves.

ajs · 2011-08-17 02:39:39

Thanks for posting the link. I've visited some tanneries in Morocco which are like a colourful version of hell. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they look similar to this one, though, since the process is basically the same everywhere. That said, the Moroccans seem to be quite willing to wade around in the tannin which I'm sure isn't that good for you...

Kingstonian · 2011-08-17 12:32:44

Kingstonian · 2011-08-17 13:39:28

World famous Morrocan leather:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AS6pAWR9n4

Count your blessings that you do not do this type of work.

ajs · 2011-08-17 16:40:01

meister · 2011-08-18 02:04:43

Last edited by meister (2011-08-18 02:09:14)

#1 2011-08-11 04:40:55

English Oak bark tannery

#2 2011-08-11 06:16:15

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#3 2011-08-11 08:32:27

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#4 2011-08-11 08:38:25

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#5 2011-08-11 10:01:45

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#6 2011-08-11 15:22:35

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#7 2011-08-11 22:18:13

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#8 2011-08-12 00:30:35

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#9 2011-08-12 00:32:38

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#10 2011-08-12 01:15:46

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#11 2011-08-12 01:19:56

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#12 2011-08-12 19:23:06

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#13 2011-08-14 01:48:05

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#14 2011-08-17 02:39:39

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#15 2011-08-17 12:32:44

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#16 2011-08-17 13:39:28

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#17 2011-08-17 16:40:01

Re: English Oak bark tannery

#18 2011-08-18 02:04:43

Re: English Oak bark tannery

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