How I boil horns… euro mount..

[GCTerpfan]

When people say simmer does that mean light or occasional bubbling or no bubbling at all? If it's bubbling, that's boiling, so you're soaking at 212 degrees F. If it's a hard rolling boil, it's still soaking at 212 degrees F. Other than splashing on the rack, there's no difference.

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I have a bucket with an electric hot water heater element and a thermostat. I simmer mine at about 185-195 deg.

 

[Plebe]

I have a bucket with an electric hot water heater element and a thermostat. I simmer mine at about 185-195 deg.

This is proper kit.

I'd only suggest maceration ideally between 80-90degrees F. As the water gets warmer (above 100F) it can kill or alter the bacteria that you want to decompose the flesh.

 

[GCTerpfan]

This is proper kit

She ain’t pretty but she was cheap and works.

DIY Buck Boiler

Here are some pics of my homemade buck boiler for making European mounts. I originally got this idea from a DIY section of another hunting website (now forgotten) but have made some changes to the orginal that make a big difference. My first version used a plastic trash can and wired the...

saddlehunter.com

 

[Plebe]

She ain’t pretty but she was cheap and works.

DIY Buck Boiler

Here are some pics of my homemade buck boiler for making European mounts. I originally got this idea from a DIY section of another hunting website (now forgotten) but have made some changes to the orginal that make a big difference. My first version used a plastic trash can and wired the...

saddlehunter.com

That's fancy engineering.

A fish tank aquarium heater is another option, if set up right.

 

[Blacksmith]

I’m no professional, but the past few years I started doing euro mounts and I have a pile of them, it’s cheap, easy, they don’t take up a ton of room, and if done right.. impressive, as I sit here today watching my pot boil I thought I would share my method, I’m sure there’s many methods, but this is what works for me.
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I wrap the lower section with tin foil, and cover all of that with cheap black electrical tape from Harbor Freight, that’s the first thing I do.
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Next up, I get all the brains out, a total pain in the ass but it must be done, I use a piece of wire with a small bend at the end, a coat hanger works too, just keep at it, there’s more than you think up in there, holding the rack upside down and letting gravity help as you twist and pull is the best, it sucks but it makes the rest of my process much easier. Pull all the eyes and junk behind them out, the more material you remove before the boiling process starts makes life easier, I get rid of the lower jaw as well, I’m sure it can be saved, I just prefer it off, and on this deer all this work is redundant because it’s getting mounted eventually, my taxidermist has a long wait so I’m boiling it for the time being while I wait for him, as per his advice.
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I use the burner off a turkey deep fryer and a cheap dedicated pot just for this, bring the water to a boil, not crazy just enough… add some Dawn dish soap, a generous amount of those Oxi Clean crystals, lower the rack into the water, I also use some scrap lumber to help prop the rack up off the pot, probably unnecessary but I do it, sometimes.
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I never get the water screaming hot, just let it simmer and be patient, I keep checking it until the cartilage and meat seems to be starting to fall off, I would guess it takes a couple hours. Once it looks ready I begin the my least favorite part, pressure washing, I hate it, your absolutely covered with **** once done, but I get excellent results, so I do it, I go to a friends garage with a real pressure washer, but any will work, my little pressure washer is put away for the winter. After pressure washing it should look about like this.
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Next it’s time to get back at it with some pliers, a knife, anything you think would work to get the more stubborn pieces of stuff off.
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After that it’s ready for cream. I use a cheap plastic dish pan from Walmart, I carefully pour that stuff all over the skull.. making sure to avoid the horns obviously, in the brain cavity, up the nose, you should have a nice puddle of cream in the pan once done, set the rack right in it. After the rack is wedged in there good and stable, I use a cheap paint brush from Harbor Freight and spread the puddle of drippings in the pan back over the skull, making sure not to miss any less obvious spots.
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I usually let it sit like this for a couple of days, every so often I take the brush and drip some more cream all over the skull, making sure everything has a nice thick layer of that stuff. Once it’s ready I just rinse it all off with a garden hose and that’s it, finished. I would guess I spent 5 hours on this project today, I’m don’t love doing it, but the results are usually very good and to me it’s worth it!

I've done mine that way for yrs. I do think if you hang it in the sun while the 30 volume is on it , it helps turn it white. Walnut stain on a rag also darkens the rack for a richer look.

 

[Micneador]

I've done mine that way for yrs. I do think if you hang it in the sun while the 30 volume is on it , it helps turn it white.View attachment 77299

I need to remember that on my next one. A wingbone call hung on a skull. I've made close to a dozen wingbone calls over the years.

 

[Blacksmith]

I've been cutting these out w/the plasma cutter and like them better than a board.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I have a bucket with an electric hot water heater element and a thermostat. I simmer mine at about 185-195 deg.

Nice.

My solution to hot-but-not-boiling is a goodwill crock pot on low. Just big enough for a head.

I don't have a pressure washer, so I skin, remove lower jaw, remove eyes, and remove brains. I use a piece of wire bent and chucked in a drill to make McFlurry out of them.

Then I simmer with a little oxyclean and spray with a hose. One more simmer with clean water and oxyclean, and she's done. I don't bother to whiten them, I'm lazy and dig the bone look.

 

[GCTerpfan]

and spray with a hose

I’m jealous of you guys down south talking about using water. I’m usually doing them after season which means freezing temps. I have a pressure washer but ain’t getting it out in February. An air hose helps get the brains out and doesn’t cause my pants legs to freeze solid.

 

[Nutterbuster]

I’m jealous of you guys down south talking about using water. I’m usually doing them after season which means freezing temps. I have a pressure washer but ain’t getting it out in February. An air hose helps get the brains out and doesn’t cause my pants legs to freeze solid.

Ever think maybe about that being a sign to not live there?

I really want a good pressure washer at some point. It wouldn't make the process "better" or really even "quicker" but it'd make it easier.

 

[raisins]

I do something similar but I simmer until the meat starts to get soft, power wash, put it back in and let what was still stuck soften, then power wash.....repeat until it is clean

This seems to save at least me a little time by having the hot water directly on the stuff that isn't soft yet

I used borax once, maybe I put too much in but it softened the cartilage until a few bones fell off that I had to glue back on later

I just use a squirt of dawn dish detergent now

 

[krub6b]

She ain’t pretty but she was cheap and works.

DIY Buck Boiler

Here are some pics of my homemade buck boiler for making European mounts. I originally got this idea from a DIY section of another hunting website (now forgotten) but have made some changes to the orginal that make a big difference. My first version used a plastic trash can and wired the...

saddlehunter.com

I use the bottom of a 55 gallon barrel with a water heater element in it, works great. No need for a thermostat on it either, wide open with plywood on top still won't reach a boil

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[Blacksmith]

Ever think maybe about that being a sign to not live there?

I really want a good pressure washer at some point. It wouldn't make the process "better" or really even "quicker" but it'd make it easier.

I don't bother w/the brain until after the cooking, pressure washer takes it all out. I like to wash it while it's still hot. Do you use that drill apparatus in the wife's kitchen???

 

[woodsdog2]

I’m reading some subtle differences in preparation with everyone. So what’s the consensus? Boil it with everything on it first? Then start removing hide, eyes, brain, etc. after the first boil? Or removing as much as you can at first then boiling?

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I've done around 30 skulls.
Skin it, I remove eyeballs but it's not mandatory to do it before the boil.
Fill a 3 gallon bucket 3/4 full of water, dawn, borax and bring to a rolling boil on the kitchen stove. Contrary to what some say, boiling a fresh skull does NOT stink. It's no different than boiling turkey bones to make soup stock. My wife is fussy about her kitchen and she has no issues with me boiling skulls.

Carefully place the skull in and monitor the boil for a little while...the colder skull will absorb heat and deminish the boil temporarily but the boil comes back. At that point, I turn down the heat to the point where the water is moving but not a hard roll. If it boils too hard, the impurities will "foam-up" and possibly boil over and make a mess on the stove so it's important to find that perfect temperature...not too hot, but the water is still visibly moving. I occasionally add a few more cups of water as it evaporates.

I like to toss in the jaw and use it as a monitoring device. If the teeth start getting loose then the skull is most likely done cooking.

Power wash it inside and out but be a little more gentle with the fragile parts.

I prefer a more natural color to skulls. The stark white looks artificial to me so I dont bleach or peroxide them.

I can do a skull in about 4 hours from skinning to powerwashing. Done.
It isn't as difficult as some guys make it.

 

[woodsdog2]

I've done around 30 skulls.
Skin it, I remove eyeballs but it's not mandatory to do it before the boil.
Fill a 3 gallon bucket 3/4 full of water, dawn, borax and bring to a rolling boil on the kitchen stove. Contrary to what some say, boiling a fresh skull does NOT stink. It's no different than boiling turkey bones to make soup stock. My wife is fussy about her kitchen and she has no issues with me boiling skulls.

Carefully place the skull in and monitor the boil for a little while...the colder skull will absorb heat and deminish the boil temporarily but the boil comes back. At that point, I turn down the heat to the point where the water is moving but not a hard roll. If it boils too hard, the impurities will "foam-up" and possibly boil over and make a mess on the stove so it's important to find that perfect temperature...not too hot, but the water is still visibly moving. I occasionally add a few more cups of water as it evaporates.

I like to toss in the jaw and use it as a monitoring device. If the teeth start getting loose then the skull is most likely done cooking.

Power wash it inside and out but be a little more gentle with the fragile parts.

I prefer a more natural color to skulls. The stark white looks artificial to me so I dont bleach or peroxide them.

I can do a skull in about 4 hours from skinning to powerwashing. Done.
It isn't as difficult as some guys make it.

Cool, can I see some of your unbleached skulls? I saw a post recently of your OH buck on the kitchen stove. Nice!

 

[GCTerpfan]

I’m reading some subtle differences in preparation with everyone. So what’s the consensus? Boil it with everything on it first? Then start removing hide, eyes, brain, etc. after the first boil? Or removing as much as you can at first then boiling?

I’ve done somewhere between 20 to 30 skulls. I remove hide, lower jaw, and usually cut out the eyeballs. I simmer in my bucket posted above with Dawn and borax for about two hours. The majority of the meat comes off the first scraping. I use the air hose to blow out the brains and sinus cavities into an old bucket. That step can be a little messy, but not near as messy as a pressure washer. I then simmer two more times for about an hour usually, and finish scraping everything out. I’ll cover in 40 volume peroxide and let’s sit overnight. Freshly killed skulls seem to come clean a little easier than ones that have been frozen.

I’ve done two with velvet that are still holding strong after three years but that might be another thread.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

Cool, can I see some of your unbleached skulls? I saw a post recently of your OH buck on the kitchen stove. Nice!

I have some pics but I need to resize them in order to post. I will post a little later.

 

[Blacksmith]

I've always used soda ash in my water from my taxidermy supply but this yr I used Oxi Clean and it worked just as well and easier to get.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I've always used soda ash in my water from my taxidermy supply but this yr I used Oxi Clean and it worked just as well and easier to get.

Arm and Hammer makes something called Super Washing Soda. It's sodium bicarbonate. Is that the same thing as soda ash?
Super Washing Soda was recommended by the taxidermist that taught me how to do euros.