To turn an animal skin into leather, first you cure the skin by salting it and, then then you let it sit, salted, for 30 days. Then you have to soak the skin in water to remove the salt and any blood or dirt. Soaking takes from 2 hours to 7 days. Next the flesh is scraped off of the skin. Then the skin is put in an acid based solution for 1 to 8 days to loosen the hair on it. The hair and any remaining meat is scraped off. To tan the hide you soak it in Chestnut wood, Oak bark or Hemlock wood. To soften the leather after tanning it the pioneers used grease or wax.