boiling and cleaning skull help

Remps17

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
247
Can someone point me in the right direction on the best step by step method to do your own euro mounts? I have been putting this off from about 4 years now and the skulls keep piling up. I have pressure washed them all right after I have fleshed them but I keep putting it off. I just shot a bull moose so I think its time to do them.

I have never boiled, degreased and whitened a skull before so any help on this would be appreciated.

Cheers
 

amack26

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 27, 2016
Messages
257
Location
PHX, AZ
I have done a hand full of Mule Deer for myself and some friends. I am not a professional just a guy who had some extra time. I have found that the best way to do it is to get a galvanized tub from the hardware store (if you want to do more than one at a time). Ill fill the tub up enough where you can sit the skulls in and just barely have the base of the antlers in the water. Some racks are wide enough you can set them on the side others you may want to rig up a stick to help hold it on the side of the tub. Ill usually mix a few cups of dawn dish soap in with the water bring itup to a boil and set the skulls in for an hour, Pull the skulls out, pressure wash the cooked meat off with a wide stream from the pressure washer and repeat the process until you have all the tissue off and out of the brain cavity/ sinus cavity. You will want to change out the water every couple hours to keep things fresh.

Once you get it to the point that all the meat and tissue is off you will empty the tub and fill it with 1-2 gallons of 20 Volume Clear Developer from sally's beauty supply and fill the rest with water and bring to a boil. I'll usually only leave the skulls in for a half hour and then add more time depending on how white you want them.


To do the finishing touches its super easy. I'll put a coat of tacky glue over the skull to help seal it. The other thing to take not of is if you let the antlers soak in the water while boiling with the developer it will bleach the antlers. If you can get a stain pen from the hardware store in the oak stain color you can apply that and wipe it away with a paper towel to put some color back into the bases of the antler. I have gone through 10 skulls so far with no issues of them separating. The whole process should take 4-5 hours but its way cheaper than taking it to the taxidermist.

Here is the list of things you'll need to do the project

15 gallon galvanized tub
1-2 gallons of 20 Volume Clear Developer
1 Single or double burner stove
Pressure washer
Dish Soap
Tacky Glue or similar
Stain Pen

I am youtube certified though. the guys video that I watched was whitebone creations based in CA. the guy does a ton of euro mounts. His video is linked below. its a pretty universal process just add more time for the moose!


https://www.sallybeauty.com/hair/hair-color/developer/20-volume-clear-developer/SLNCAR61.html
 

30338

WKR
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
1,861
Maceration takes 7-10 days, but results in 100% of the bone structure remaining and very nice end product.


If you live someplace where you can allow the maceration process to work, I'd recommend that. That would be a place with a detached garage or barn or outbuilding.

If interested in maceration, shoot me a pm.
 
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