Dand
It is a lot of work
There are several ways to tan hides. For small animals this method, while labor intensive requires only things you usually have around the house.
After skinning stretch and tack the pelt on a board hair side down, and let it air dry. If it is going to be awhile before you can tan them salt the skin side well and keep in a cool place.
Begin tanning by softening the pelts by soaking in several changes of cool water; do not use a metal bucket, as it will react with the salt and or tanning solution. Soak them only long enough to soften them other wise you may lose the fur. After the pelt begins to soften lay it out on a board, begin working the hide by holding it taut and pulling the skin side over the edge of a board to break up any bits of skin and fat. You have to get rid of all that shinny tissue and fat. You do this by soaking and scraping until it is all off. I used an old draw scrapper, but an old fine tooth hacksaw blade would also work.
With the pelts almost soft put them warm water that has about an ounce of baking soda per gallon in it, you can also add a little dish soap to help with the grease, and stir them around. When they are soft take them out of the water and lay them on a board skin side up and begin working them with the backside of a knife, till it looks like a wet chamois. Then thoroughly rinse the pelt in clean warm water and squeeze out, DO NOT WRING, the water.
Now you are actually ready to tan. Mix equal parts wood alcohol and turpentine and place the pelt in it so it is completely covered and leave it for 7 to 10 days, you will need to stir or shake the every day because the turpentine and alcohol will separate. I used an old Igloo water cooler and rolled it around, but you could use a gallon jug depending on how many pelts you have.
After 7 to 10 days take out the pelts and wash them in dish soap, then thoroughly rinse and again SQUEEZE out the water and lay hair side down on a board. While the skin in partially dry you are ready for finishing. While still damp, NOT WET, mix 3 ounces sulfated neats foot oil; with 3 ounces warm water and 1 ounce of ammonia, this is enough to do quite a few rabbits or a couple of small deer. Spread this on the skin thoroughly, allow it soak in for about a half hour, and then reapply. Cover the pelt with a piece of saran wrap and leave overnight. The next day lay the skin over a pole or chair back hair side up and allow the fur to dry. When the fur is dry and the skin damp, stretch the skin, and nail the pelt skin side up to a board, nail it about every 5 or 6 inches and about a ½ inch from the edges, use small nails like #6s. Let it dry at room temperature until it is still a little damp. While the skin is still damp remove from the board and begin stretching it in all directions and work the skin side over a chair bake, or pole or stake, the more it is worked the softer it will be, if the skin begins to dry just dampen it. It has to be worked while damp and this can be repeated until it is as soft as you desire.
After the skin has been softened, and dried, give it a quick bath in white gas, Squeeze out the excess gas, and lay out the pelt until the skin is just damp and the fur dry, then tumble the fur in saw dust from a hard wood, or you can use corn meal. Then remove the sawdust by gently shaking, beating combing and brushing.
After all this you have a tanned rabbit skin, which is why tanning has always been considered one of the very worst jobs in the world. The prep work is very time consuming but it determines the quality of the finished product and the prep is about the same regardless of the tanning agents used. There are other methods but this one requires nothing special, just a lot of time and effort, good luck.
life is no joke but funny things happen
jon
