Cartilage Removal on Euro mounts

[Krieg Hetzen]

Anyone have tips to removing the nose cartilage for a European mount on a moose? All the videos I’ve seen have to do with deer and elk which seems infinitely easier than my moose right now. I’ve simmered the skull for several hours in oxyclean and then dish soap to get most of the flesh and sinew off. I currently have it soaking in dish soap to take care of some of the discoloration and keep the skull hydrated as I have some brain matter/membrane to get out (had to get some forceps to reach far enough in there) and the remaining nose cartilage. All I can think of is using pliers and a flathead screwdriver to pull and scrape the cartilage/remaining tissue off of the bone while being careful around the delicate parts.

Here’s a picture of the discoloration (I believe the peroxide should help with most of that but I’ll make sure to scrape it clear prior) and the cartilage I’m unsure how to tackle

 

[Cant hit em]

I stick a long sharp knife up there after boiling and run it around. Anything not solid or attached well gets cut out on deer , pig and the elk i just did.

 

[Stid2677]

Pressure washer, start waaaay back and use very carefully. The delicate nasal bones are about all that can be damaged, some just blow them out.

 

[jspradley]

Are you using a pressure washer? It makes DIY euros 100x easier. I've never done a moose but it cleans up everything else I've euroed super easy

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

I'm using a 2800psi pressure washer. It wont hardly do a thing to the ridge of cartilage that runs up the middle. Was awesome for the rest of the skull though. I'll give it another shot tomorrow, maybe the extended soap after the few hours spent simmering loosened it up enough to blast it out.

 

[Jardo]

Pressure washer. 2200 psi electric unit is what I use on deer, elk and sheep.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[FLAK]

Needle Nose Pliers after simmering for a few hours.
If your lucky the whole package pulls right out.

 

[Chugaglug]

arm and hammer super washing soda, this works better than oxyclean to break it down

 

[whoop]

No experience here, but I would reach out to @whitebonecreations on the gram.

 

[30338]

Macerate it off. No tools needed. Probably would take 7-10 days soaking in warm water with no soap or bacterial killing stuff added.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

I appreciate all the input. Certainly gives me some good options for next year. I managed to get everything off and now begins the bleaching process in the morning. Hopefully I’m wrapped up with everything and have it hung after the weekend.

 

[jspradley]

Be careful with boiling it too much, I boiled my first DIY deer skull to the point where it was barely held together... moose are probably a little more forgiving but something to keep in mind

 

[WJS23]

I boil for an hour get all the big stuff out then warm water for a wile and the rest will come off with the pressure washer. All that cool looking cartilage will stay and looks better

 

[Catchfish]

Krieg how I did you get end up getting it out. One side pulled out whole for me and it was great one side is sticking and I can’t get it out. I feel a pressure washer will destroy it. Also I can’t find the 40% peroxide around town what are you using to whiten.

 

[Stid2677]

Krieg how I did you get end up getting it out. One side pulled out whole for me and it was great one side is sticking and I can’t get it out. I feel a pressure washer will destroy it. Also I can’t find the 40% peroxide around town what are you using to whiten.

Check the beauty supply stores,, 40% is used in the hair bleaching process.

 

[Catchfish]

I don’t think we have a beauty supply store anymore, the one I used to go to shut down and I can’t think of one in the Kenai, Soldotna area of alaska

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

I broke the cartilage on the nose out with pliers and screwdrivers. I have some needle nose pliers I used with some long skinny needle clamp I use for fishing to get the nose membranes out. Reach in as far as possible with the longest, skinniest thing you have, grab and pull. Nose of the nose stuff came out easily. Also the brain cavity was much easier to clean after the ear bones were broken out.

I’m currently using Volume 40 peroxide I bought from Sally’s Beauty in town. I mixed it with baking soda to form a paste and left it on for an hour and half. I thought it didn’t do much but when I looked at it this morning I realized how much it helped.

This is with that paste mixture on it. When I get home tonight I’ll update what it looks like cleaned.

And pre paste stuff.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

That’s with everything out. I tried to keep the small bones intact as much as I could. It’s also stuffed with a 2:1 mix of baking soda and peroxide.

Good luck with your skull and don’t boil too much like others have said. Mine spent many many days soaking in whatever the outside water temperatures are. I think next year I’ll get something large enough to fully cover the moose skull and somehow form a seal around the antlers so they stay dry. Then it’ll soak in soapy/baking soda water with a tank warmer for the week I’m at work. Then pressure wash it all away and I should be sitting pretty good.

 

[Chugaglug]

sweet skull. For whitening I'm a huge fan of hair lightening powder, I get the Salon Care Quick White tubs from amazon. Make a paste with regular hydrogen peroxide, cover everything you want white and wrap in a garbage bag overnight. Then I don't need to hunt down 40% and use way less product.

 

[wytx]

Big cooking tweezers and a set of curved picks, precision hooks and picks.