Euro Mount

[stxhunter]

That may be true, but I have only heard to remove the water once a week, maybe so it wont get too full of tissue?? It would make more sense to leave all of the water in with all of the bacteria breaking down as much tissue as possible.

[Four2]

I've done a skull that had been sitting out for a month or so by boiling for about an hour or so then hitting it with a small power washer. I alternated boiling and the power washing till it was clean, took about 2-3 hours. Be careful with the power washer so you don't break off some of the small, thin bones in the nose and skull.

[ffparadavis]

Critter getter you are right. The first one I did by the sit in water method, I was told to put it in the water and to not disturb it. But it just got to dang nasty, so I changed out the water and it took twice as long to complete. The flesheating organisms that form in the nasty water help tremendously to keep the process on pace. But I have resorted to the boil and Power wash method myself. It is much Faster and doesn't stink as much.

[crittergitter]

come on being a paramedic you have to have a stronger stomach than that

[donpablo]

Bad thing about maceration though, is that if the horns sit in the water or are exposed to the sunlight (for months at a time) they can lose some color.

[Tex_Cattleman]

I am in the process of cleaning six heads by maceration. I keep them in large plastic storage containers with the lids on. I also put a 150 watt aquarium heater in each.

While it is advised to change the water out every week or so, you must be sure to keep a few gallons of the nasty stuff in the tub. Otherwise, you are starting all over again each time with the process of building up the bacteria levels.

Regarding soaking in acetone or coleman fuel, I do this on my skulls that are cleaned with the beetle method. It't the only thing I know of to knock out the horrible smell. I set them nose-down in a small bathroom-sized trashcan and fill with Coleman fuel. I let them sit for two full weeks.

[Great White Hunter]

When you boil you want to boil it for just a few minutes then peal off what will come off, boil it some more, strip it some more, etc. If you just keep it boiling for hours it will make the bone brittle and flake. When I use lantern fuel. I soak it for at least 2 days but never as long as 4 days to suck the grease out. Then I rinse it out with water and voila! Remember, if you lose any teeth to superglue them back in. I run a bead of super glue along the "gumline" anway. Then I put super blue on the tops surfaces of the top and bottom teeth then put the jaws together. It holds nicely.

[wes122984]

my buddy just sets the head in a fire ant bed for a few days

[Tx-Burt]

Almost finished with 2 of em 1 more coat of peroxide overnight should do it

[Green Arrow]

nice mounts

[kevin01]

Very nice, next time I get something I am going to have to try this, but I dont think my neighbors are going to like me anymore afterwards

[GreenArrow]

Hey... they have these flesh eating beatles, I bought some on e-bay about two years ago, they clean up the small to clean areas pretty well. I've done a few skull mounts. I skin the head clean, take out the eyeballs, and tear out the tongue, any fleshy areas and I boil it for a while. Then I paint the skull with indstrial strenght peroxide.

[GreenArrow]

use a small wire brush, you'll be surprised what that thing can do..

[Smart]

How does one obtain industrial strength peroxide?

[GreenArrow]

The peroxide can be ordered from Vandykes Taxidermy. Its not very costly. Also you can use a peroxide gel. You can find it at Sally's Beauty Store. The gel works pretty good because it sits and doesn't run. Just get the strongest gel.