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DIY european

Erniepower

Erniepower

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Oct 25, 2015
Messages
3,230
Location
Minneapolis MN
Well I had a couple small heads from this year and decided to try my own european. So far it's simmering in borax.

You guys got any tips?

I'm totally winging it here. I did buy some whitener from a salon.
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When you finish the borax bath, give it another simmer and rinse in clean water...
For the whitener I've only used hydrogen peroxide...I have no experience with other chems. Some claim a clear coat spray when done. I didn't , and my mounts have yellowed from time.
 
Well step one is done.... I may have boiled them too hot. The bones on the front of the nose fell out. I'll glue them back in place after everything is bleached and dry. So far so good....
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It’s like smoking. Low and slow. I bring them just to a boil and set an all day project. A little dish soap while boiling. I use a water bottle pipe cleaner to get the brain out. I haven’t bothered using peroxide since the first one I did.
 
redsquirrel said:
It’s like smoking. Low and slow. I bring them just to a boil and set an all day project. A little dish soap while boiling. I use a water bottle pipe cleaner to get the brain out. I haven’t bothered using peroxide since the first one I did.
Click to expand...
Yeah, lesson learned. Honestly, I figured this was a safe set of skulls to learn on. Worst case scenario I cut the antlers off and throw them in the box with all the other small bucks through the years.

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I did my 3 bucks from last year. As redsquirrel said low and slow. You want to simmer rather than "boil". But you can use super glue and repair bones and reinstall teeth. You also have to be careful with letting the antlers get in the water as it will whiten them a bit. I used a water hose and compressed air to clean my skulls. Cook, scrape, clean, and cook some more.

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Get a set of long skinny forceps to pull brains and junk out of nasal cavitis out. Also, set the skulls in front of some type of heater when you use the peroxide cream, it works better under heat, that's why they put people under blow dryers in the salon when bleaching hair with it.
 
They look great Ernie... I hydro dipped some I found while scouting and yours look much better (I forgot to heat the water so the paint got goopy).


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Gr33n Arrow said:
They look great Ernie... I hydro dipped some I found while scouting and yours look much better (I forgot to heat the water so the paint got goopy).


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Is that the key?!?!?!
I really struggled with that. My water was cold, and I figured the paint was setting because I was slow.



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Did my sons buck this year and a couple the year before. I simmer with dish soap for about 3 hours pull it clean what I can with forceps and repeat with clean water. Wish I had a pressure washer. The brains are a pain but it’s a fun day project. I do use the creme peroxide but I mix it with a powder brightener to make a slurry then paint it on and wrap it in Saran Wrap overnight. Rinse good in the morning and let dry.


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Here is the stuff I use
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Looks good guys. I did my 3 bucks from 2016 season last year. Used volume 50 for whitening. I over cooked them and ended up having to glue teeth back in with superglue but worked good overall. My biggest advice would be to take your time and simmer slow. It takes a little while but really not to hard to do.
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pilgrimhunter said:
Looks good guys. I did my 3 bucks from 2016 season last year. Used volume 50 for whitening. I over cooked them and ended up having to glue teeth back in with superglue but worked good overall. My biggest advice would be to take your time and simmer slow. It takes a little while but really not to hard to do.
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Click to expand...
Damn good season there!

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Great job guys.

I had several mounts and skins from my teenage years. I came home off of active duty and mom had cleaned out my room. I remember asking me Dad about it and he said we don’t need to show off what we harvested. It was all about food for him and my mom.
 
Erniepower said:
Is that the key?!?!?!
I really struggled with that. My water was cold, and I figured the paint was setting because I was slow.



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Click to expand...

Yeah, you need warmer water, around 80 degrees to keep the paint from clumping.


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Low boil in Arm and Hammer washing soda, Dawn, and water. Keep checking regularly and immediately stop if the teeth get loose. By that time it's ready for the power washer. Nothing cleans out the brains and other crevasses and ducts like a power washer.
I actually prefer skulls to be more ivory colored than snow white.
Some sort of bugs got in one and I was finding bone or ?? powder on the shelf where I displayed them...right below mounted deer heads. I panicked that bugs may migrate to the taxidermy so I gave the skulls a good bath of permethrin. Problem solved.
 
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