Where can I find more information about skin rabbit?”
Rabbit-skin glue is a sizing that also acts as an adhesive. It is essentially refined rabbit collagen, and was originally used as an ingredient in traditional gesso. In traditional oil painting as practiced by the Renaissance painter, skin glue was used to coat the canvas. This is necessary because the linseed oil that forms the base of most oil paint contains an acid, linolenic acid, that will over time destroy the canvas fibers. Rabbit skin glue can be bought in powder form or in larger chunks. Preparation involves using the correct proportion of water to glue to achieve the correct consistency and strength. It should be heated to just short of the boiling point. Too much heat results in a product with reduced adhesive qualities. Manufacturers of rabbit, and cow & horse hide glue recommend dissolving at 60-63C (140-145F).
First, trap, shoot or otherwise kill your rabbit. Lay the rabbit on its back on a flat surface and pinch the skin at the loose part in lower belly. Cut a small hole in the skin with a sharp knife, being careful not to puncture the stomach lining. Pull apart the skin and tear all the way around the rabbit. If you haven’t the strength, then cut right around. (If you’ve paunched the rabbit in the field, simply extend the opening you’ve already made.) Using the loosened edges, grasp the halves of the skin firmly in the centre of the belly and pull the skin very hard both ways until the front and back legs are free of the skin. (It’s a bit like pulling off a very tight rubber glove.) Cut off the head and snap the lower part of all four legs to remove the feet. Next, cut through the groin to remove the intestine and anus, then cut a ‘V’ into the flesh where tails joins to remove the tail. Taking care not to cut the intestines, cut the stomach lining and remove the guts. Check the liver and o
