do you tan hides? Raw hide question

[InHisName]

I have 4 hides in the process of tanning,
one I just put into ashes and water to get the hair off. (can I add some lye to this? We have only pine/ western larch, no hard woods here)

I want to make rawhide dog chews with the hide in ashes- no chemicals. Can I just scrape, salt, dry- then cut up for the dogs?
http://www.ehow.com/how_6208255_make...dog-chews.html
found this, but wondering if anyone has done it.

[MullersLaneFarm]

Why not scrape the hair off instead of messing with the water & ashes.

You don't need to salt once the hair & flesh are scraped off.

[InHisName]

well, from what I have read and talked to people the lye in the ashes causes the hair to slip. Have not scraped hair off of a fresh hide- sounds like a job. (Icelandic sheep)

[GeneMO]

I have done the wood ash method, but it was Oak and hickory. Lots of work and a big mess. As for scrapping the hair off, that would leave part of the stub of the individual hairs in wouldn't it? Might cause the dogs irritation in their gums if for chew toys.

You could sure add some diluted lye. It would be a guess.

Been a long time since I tried it.

Good luck, Gene

[1shotwade]

The whole reason you put the hides in ashes and water is because that makes lye!I don't know how strong of lye you have made but I assume very weak. Since you already have them in the solution,I would take them out and put one on a fleshing beam and scrape the hair/fur off of a piece to see how easy it is removed. If it is still difficult to remove , I would rinse the hides and start another batch using about a pound of LIME,not lye,in 5 gal of water. It is a gentler solution and will take longer but with less risk.Try to stir the hides every 4 hours and check them on a fleshing beam when you can grab a hide by the fur and it "slips" meaning comes off. Either way you still have to scrape the hides.
once they are scraped they can be knotted into "bones" while wet and put up to dry into just what you buy at the store.

Wade