European mounts
bra...@ix.netcom.com
Does anyone know where I can get instructions for boiling and
bleaching big game skulls?
--
Brad K.
vi...@sprynet.com
> bra...@ix.netcom.com writes:
> Does anyone know where I can get instructions for boiling and
> bleaching big game skulls?
Brad, what I do is put the head, lower jaw removed, into a big pot and
cover the base of the antlers with aluminum foil.Put a bit of baking
soda into the water, bring to a slow boil and boil slowly until the
flesh starts to loosen. This will be a couple of hours, do it outside,
unless you have a VERY understanding spouse and a cast iron stomache.
Now start to cut the flesh away taking care around the nose. It is lots
of work, especially if you don't boil long enough. Use a piece of wire
to remove the brains. After you have cleaned off as much as possible,
(meaning almost everything) you aquire some 35-50% hydrogen peroxide and
use a brush to apply to the skull. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!! 35-50%
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WILL EAT AWAY AT YOUR FLESH TOO, SO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IF IT GOT IN YOUR EYES!!! USE SAFETY EQUIPMENT, GLOVES AND
GOGGLES!! This will clean the skull from small pieces of flesh and will
bleach it white. It is lots of work, but the end result is nice. BTW,
the skull will stink for a while so let it air out before you bring it
into your living room.
good luck,
Kristian
jgrav...@aol.com
I think I can help you out on this one. Your going to need a large pot
and sal soda. simmer until all the meat and brains can be sluffed off.
( It helps speed the process if you cut most of the meat away, take out
the eyes and jumble up the brains, before you start cooking.) After the
skull is cleaned and dryed, get your self some 25% hydrogen peroxide to
soak your skull in till white. It also helps to heat the peroxide up
first.
g4...@aol.com
In article <19961108161...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
jgrav...@aol.com writes:
Or skin the head, get yourself a five gallon bucket and a gallon of
maggots.
Put bucket, head and maggots together for five days. They'll pick it
cleaner than you can.
After said five days, separate maggots and head, peroxide and mount head.
Take maggots and go fishing, pondering where to mount the head on the wall
whilst fishing.
Ben
Only don't suggest this method to the taxidermy man. He'll have a fit!
jgrav...@aol.com
In article <19961112202...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, g4...@aol.com
writes:
>Subject: Re: European mounts
>From: g4...@aol.com
>Date: Tue, 12 Nov 1996 20:19:44 GMT
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>Subject: Re: European mounts
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>
Hey, maggots are all fine and good, but you better not live too close to
other people. They won't apprieciate the smell or the thousands of flies
that hatch from that little fiasco. (Make sure your skull is tied down
good also. The neighbors won't be too happy when their dog drags it up in
the yard.)
Bob Duncan
Brad:
I believe Outdoor Life had an article on European mounts. Boiling
time was about four hours. They said to add salt and dish detergent
to the water and do not immerse the antlers. I did this on a
white-tailed deer skull and the results were very good. I use clorox
bleach to whiten the skull after it was clean, followed by lots of
rinsing. Again, avoid the antlers. Hope this helps! BOB
Joe and Kim Jasek
In article <19961108161...@ladder01.news.aol.com> jgrav...@aol.com
writes:
>Date: Mon, 11 Nov 1996 12:46:51 CST
>From: jgrav...@aol.com
>Subject: Re: European mounts
>I think I can help you out on this one. Your going to need a large pot
>and sal soda. simmer until all the meat and brains can be sluffed off.
>( It helps speed the process if you cut most of the meat away, take out
>the eyes and jumble up the brains, before you start cooking.) After the
>skull is cleaned and dryed, get your self some 25% hydrogen peroxide to
>soak your skull in till white. It also helps to heat the peroxide up
>first.
If you'll rub vasoline around the base of each antler, you won't turn your
antler bases white when soaking in peroxide. Vasoline can be removed after
soaking skull (24 hrs). Also rinse well and submerse skull in water with
baking soda to nuetralize peroxide, which can eat away all your bone if you're
not careful. Last step can be a sealer which will help preserve skull and
color. Lightly rub Liquid Gold funiture polish on antlers which will give them
a dull, natural luster. IMHO staining antlers gives them an artifical shine.
Good luck.
Joe Jasek
Cripple Creek Taxidermy
g4...@aol.com
In article <19961114183...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
jgrav...@aol.com writes:
>Hey, maggots are all fine and good, but you better not live too close to
>other people. They won't apprieciate the smell or the thousands of flies
>that hatch from that little fiasco.
That's *why* you go fishing afterwards! I thought that much was obvious
:-)
Ben Spencer
jgrav...@aol.com
In article <kdjasek.6...@vonl.com>, Joe and Kim Jasek
<kdj...@vonl.com> writes:
Good points, Joe. I forgot to mention those. How busy has your season
been this year? All the taxidermists around Ft. Worth are way down
from last year.
Joanna
DANIEL ROBERT HOLDSWORTH
:If you'll rub vasoline around the base of each antler, you won't turn your
:antler bases white when soaking in peroxide. Vasoline can be removed after
:soaking skull (24 hrs). Also rinse well and submerse skull in water with
:baking soda to nuetralize peroxide, which can eat away all your bone
:if you're
:not careful.
Err, actually the peroxide won't be affected in the slightest by baking soda.
Peroxide is H2O2, and decomposes to H2O. The bleaching is caused by the
oxygen released in the decomposition process. To get rid of peroxide, simply
dry the skull; the peroxide will evaporate just like water leaving no
residue.
What it WON'T do is dissolve bone. Bone is calcium phosphate, it'd take a
fairly strong acid to make much impression on that. (Admittedly the baking
soda would neutralize an acid, but peroxide is NOT an acid...)
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, it is by the beans of Java
that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a
warning, it is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
Dan Holdsworth, dr...@aber.ac.uk **SPAMMERS WILL BE FILTERED**