I have no idea who taught you how to mount a turkey fan and I'm really wondering if you're a taxi or not with your handle, but taking everything off like your photos show where everything is loose is Baloney! I have done plenty of fans over the years just by cutting the entire tail base off so all the feathers are well attached. Then all you need to do is take a pen knife to get most of the remaining tissue off without going to the extreme you show in your photo and have a hand full of loose feathers! After that is done, all you need to do is pin the feathers out in the fan shape and keep putting enough borax on the base until it dries out and sets the feathers in place. I usually leave it out in the garage where it's protected for several weeks before it's ready for final mounting. Some people even use salt just like when you salt a deer hide to draw out all the moisture, but as was stated by the other member, borax is the best way to go. This fan was done just as I mentioned and was done in 2006. It's 30" wide and 20" high, by far the best one I've ever taken. With the nose my wife and most women have, I can definitely say that there is no smell or it would have never made it into the house, LOL!
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 06-09-2015 at 07:28 PM.