soft tanning qusetion

[DDRRedneck500]

ive been trying to soft tan squirrel hides for a few months now. ive been doing what was suggested in previous threads about first scraping the hide clean, then after ample time to dry, working it over a 2x4 and then a cinder block, and being pretty rough with it while doin so. and ive gotten a squirrel hide to pretty soft to the point where it is about just over half way between a regular, rigid tan, and a zonker soft tan. so its pretty flexible, but its (how to say it)...kind of got some backbone. (not literally). and so i had been working it for a few days, a couple hours at a time, and at this point, i cant seem to get it any softer. its been a couple weeks since i started, and i stopped for about a week because i didnt have time, but is there any way i can still get it softer? or is it too late? also, i know im going to get some advise about just buying it, but im not going to mainly because i just personally enjoy doing it this way. ..and im kinda tight on cash...
but thanks for any and all advise.

[SteveP]

to be totally honest with you that sounds like about as soft as it's going to get, a little bit of oil might help (I've used baby oil before) but you're not really going to get it much softer without going to some type of pressure tanning which will cost the bucks... so to be honest you're most likely stuck. I have had some luck with pressure tanning but it takes a lot of time and cost a bit unless you do it in larger batches. My favorite is to just use the 2x4 and cinder block and keep at it until it gets close as the skin will soften a good deal when it gets good and wet.

Steve

[chucke3]

Would neatsfoot oil help? Ckuck

[namekagon]

Here's a softening recipe from a 1941 A. H. Harding publication.
'MIX'
Soft soap (not sure what is meant by this)....1 pint
Neatsfoot oil....1 pint
Alcohol....1/2 pint

so.... 1 part oil and soap to 1/2 parts alcohol for whatever amount.

Apply enough to wet the hide well...let stand for 24 hrs... remove any excess by scraping...continue the breaking process