Tanning Fish Skin

[dazza]

Hi All,
Has anyone tanned fish skin. I have seen tanned barra skin on wallets etc.
would like to tan a red emperor skin. Is it possible?
Am I wasting my time?
Cheers
Dazza

[Brett_Finger]

Dazza,
mate it would be possiable i should think.
Tea-tree and mangrouve bark is a good tanning base,just boil the fresh bark in a pot of water until you can squeese no more clour out the wet bark,allow to cool and this is your tanning bath.

that's all i can help you with ;D, i'm not sure re/time left in bath. :-[

get the skin as clean a you can of flesh before going into the tan as well as scaleing the skin.

hope this helps in some way mate.sorry i could not be more help.
hookin,Brett :)

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Leedrieters, used to be based on the Gold Coast, do a small kit. Includes the tanning solution and preserving oil. I've done snake skins with it. Fish are similar. The scales have to come off.

Try your local gun shop.

[NQCairns]

Hi, I have tanned one fish before just to see if I could do it and it turned out alright for a first attempt. It was a thumper Silver Perch (very thick skin)from before they were regulated by fisheries. What I did was clean up the skin by scraping the blade sidways so most of the flesh was gone then put a layer of salt on a board then tacked the skin stretched out to the board than rubbed moised salt into the flesh side which was facing up, then put it in the sun for a couple of weeks. The skin was very stiff when free from the board so I got some oil (forget which now) and worked it into the skin untill soft. The skin lasted for 10years until I last saw it, guess it is still kicking around somewhere. Dont know how appropriate this method is for making what you want but i guess it would work http://www.ausfish.com.au/chat/images/smilies/cwm16.gif. Cheers NQCairns

[Volvo]

:)Having tanned many a skin in me younger days from roo, Fox, Goat, neighbours cat ::) and coupla others ive yet ta do a fish skin though do know it can be done and does come out very nice... Especially Coral Trout bein a little thicker.
leeddrighters or whatever the name is is i think a copper based solution and can have long term affects wherever ya dump the residue or at least it used ta be so check out prior ta using.
I used ta make and acid bath of water , smidgeon Acid and equal salt to weight of skin... Submers skin and turn over coupla times a day making sure no air is trapped within skin(otherwise goes off sumthin shockin).
After four , five days remove skin and near dry.. tack skin with fur or good side down and stretch as ya do so :).
Presume you'de have ta be extra carefull with fish skin ???.
Now make a paste of kero and carb soda.. Alum is best and paste over skin :). Every day for some time gently break the skin in by rubbing with something slightly rough(this is what breaks the skin in and gets it nice, soft n pliable :)).
Experimentin here with diff skins is a must ta get the right amount of breakin in required .
Used ta wash skins with petrol n sand ta get all the gooey stuff outa within the hair n make it nice n shiny.
may just haveta try a coupla Trout skins as ya got me wandering ???.
The above method does no damage though wear eye protection when muckin about with the skin whilst in the pickle(Acid) bath ey.
Cheers