RE: tanning a hide
DISREGARD THE RABBIT TANNING , IT IS NOT THE SAME AS A DEER HIDE WHICH IS THICKER.
You must first salt it at least twice in a 24 hr period, then let it dry hard, then you rehydrate it in salt water and a bactericide, then you wash in soapy water, let it drip all the excess water by hanging it.
then prepare your tanning solution, such as Aluminum sulfate and put it in a plastic bucket, with at least 4 Lbs of salt per gallon of water and 2 lbs of aluminum sulfate per gallon of water, make enough solution to immerse the skin and enough so that skin soaks it without minimizing the solution level usually 5 gallons is good for 1 skin.
test the solution with a pH meter or PH paper, it should be around #3 if not #3 r less then you add more aluminum sulfate 2 is the desired Ph. then you leave the skin 2 or 3 days, after the skin has turned white through and through , test by making a small cut in one side at the thickness part, (of course before all this you need to flesh the skin and thin it before you salt and after salting.) If you see any blue in the skin when you make the cut it is not tanned.
then after it is tanned you have to wash and rinse with soapy water again, then as it dries it will become like chewing gum , you need to tumble in sawdust and pull and stretch until it it is not gummy anymore , then you can start the oiling.
It is not worth all that work to me, so I just send it out to tan.