July 22, 2011

Baiting
The large test strips were baited for the 4th day at 37 C. After 2 hours two of the large test strips were removed from the baiting solution and one was left in the solution to continue baiting. The removed test strips were placed in distilled water to soak.

Vegetable tanning-
Staghorn Sumac

Fragrant Sumac

Sumac solutions of different concentrations were made from each of the two sumac species solutions as follows:

15%: 30 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 170 mL of water.
20%: 40 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 160 mL of water.
25%: 50 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 150 mL of water.
30%: 60 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 140 mL of water.
50%: 100 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 100 mL of water.
100%: 200 mL of sumac tannin solution was combined with 0 mL of water.
The baited hide pieces were cut into 10 pieces approximately 2''x3". One piece was added to each different solution. These pieces will help to determine the proper concentration for tanning with these sumac species.

Vegetable Tanning- Oak bark
The remaining test strips in the oak bark solutions were left in the solution to continue tanning.

The test strip that had been tanned in the 100% oak bark solution was oiled with olive oil and left to dry.

July 21, 2011

Baiting
The pepsin solution was reheated to 37 C to continue to bait the large pieces of hide. The solution was stirred using the magnetic hot plate stirrer.

Vegetable Tanning
The test strips being tanned in different concentrations of oak bark solution were left to continue tanning.

July 20, 2011

Baiting
The pepsin solution with the test strips was heated to 37 C and stirred with a magnetic stirrer.

Alum Tanning
The piece of hide in the alum tanning solution was removed from the solution, rinsed, and left to dry. It is unclear whether the alum tanning process worked. The hide appears to be more opaque and slightly more dimensionally stable, however it does not appear to have leather-like qualities.

Vegetable Tanning
The piece of hide that was in the 100% oak bark tannin solution was removed from the solution, rinsed and left to dry. The pieces of hide in other concentrations were left in solution to continue tanning.

July 19, 2011

Baiting

The large pieces of hide were removed from the distilled water and placed in a baiting solution of 3000 mL of distilled water, 30 g of pepsin, and 30 mL of acetic acid. This solution was heated to 37 C.

Alum Tanning
The test strip was left in the alum tanning solution.

Vegetable Tanning- Oak Bark
The pieces of hide being vegetable tanned were left in solution to continue tanning.

July 18, 2011

Dehairing
The hair was removed from the large pieces of hide. These pieces were put in distilled water to remove NaOH from their surface.

Alum Tanning
The test strip in the alum tanning solution was left in solution to continue tanning.

Vegetable Tanning- Oak bark
The test strips in different concentrations of oak bark solution were left to continue tanning.

July 15, 2011

Alum Tanning
The half of the third test strip was left in the alum tanning solution

Vegetable Tanning
Oak
Oak bark tannin solutions were remade to provide more tannic acid for each test strip.
10%- 20 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 180 mL of distilled water.
15%- 30 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 170 mL of distilled water.
20%- 40 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 160 mL of distilled water.
25%- 50 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 150 mL of distilled water.
50%- 100 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 100 mL of distilled water.
100%- 200 mL of oak bark solution was mixed with 0 mL of distilled water.
The test strips were returned to their corresponding tannin solution.

Liming
The large test strips were moved from the distilled water to a solution of 3000 mL of distilled water and 30 g of NaOH

July 14, 2011

Soaking

Three large pieces of hide were cut for test strips and soaked in distilled water. They will be used for tanning with sumac leaves

Alum Tanning
No Change

Vegetable Tanning
No Change