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Old 03-19-2008, 05:39 AM
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Matt / PA
Giant Nontypical
 
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
Default RE: European Mounts

Mike,
The trick I found to boiling is to get a small bag of Soda Ash (I think that's what it's called?) from a taxidermy supply company. Your local taxidermist can point you in the right direction.

Sprinkle a palmful of that into the water first and mix it around. It disolves tissue and catilage and makes the stuff literally just fall off the bone. Careful though and don't throw it in right on top of your skull because it will eat through the bone. It also allows the nasal area to come out perfectly intact and clean. Just boiling leaves a bunch of gook inside. The brains will also just shake out.

When I'm done boiling and everything is good and cleaned off make sure you refit the flat nose bones and the girdle around the front before it dries. Fit them in place and rubber band them to dry or they will warp and never go back right.
You can glue them later.

Have a little tool kit to help you with any picking and scraping too.
Old dull hunting knife
shrimp fork
dental pick
old stiff toothbrush

When i'm done I hit the whole thing with some household cleaner like simple green or windex then rinse it off. Spray up into the skull cavity too.
Let it dry, it will stop stinking.

I don't get crazy with the whitening products because I don't like that bright white fake look. I wipe it down with a diluted bleach solution to finish and leave it looking clean but more natural. Just my personal preference.


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