To start with, I'm no expert on this stuff...but I have been reading up on it, and practicing for the last few months to get the process down before I start doing my Antlered deer. I may also be doing some work for a local taxidermist, so getting the process right before working on other peoples trophy's was important. Anyways, what I'm going to do is provide a basic walk through of the process.
IGNORE THE DATES ON MY PICTURES>>I FORGOT TO RESET THE DATE TIME AFTER THE BATTERY CHANGE
First off, there are a few different ways to get the skull cleaned. The first is boiling. Its the easiest and quickest way to get the meat off, but it does cause some other problems. One is that while your trying to pick all that meat off, you can do a lot of damage to the real fragile bones in the nasal cavities, and loose some details in the finished skull. The plus side is that its quicker. The second way is called maceration, where you put the skull into a bucket or container of water and let it rot for a few weeks. The smell is VERY BAD, and I tried it once, but found out didnt care for the smell of this method. It does work however, IF you can tolerate the stench! The third method is to have your skull cleaned by dermestid beetles (or have your own colony..which I'll cover in another DIY later. The intent of this D I Y is to start the process AFTER using one of the above methods...so here's what you do:
Here is a hog skull fresh out of the beetle tank:
1. After its cleaned off by any of the methods mentioned above.....there will be a lot of grease still inside the skull, so to draw that out...Get an old cooler, or large rubbermaid container. I prefer the coolers with a screw style drain plug. The reason is because you will be draining the cooler every few days or once a week. I put a quick release valve on the output of the cooler, so when its time to drain it...it makes the job a bit easier. Then you need to get an aquarium heater. I purchased a 200 watt unit that is NOT the glass style. They tend to break and are a pain...so try to find a titanium one. They come with suction cups. so just stick that thing to the cooler or container and fill you container with water BEFORE you turn on the heater. If your using a glass one...try to get the temp of your water around 80 degrees so you dont crack the glass on the heater from colder water. The glass heaters also crack if you forget to unplug them when draining your water. These are reasons I like the titanium ones better. ANyway..moving on; Turn the temp up to max, and what your trying to do is maintain a water temp around 90-100 degrees. Now, add 1/4 cup of Dawn Dishwashing detergent and 1 cup of Ammonia for each 5 gallons of water in your container. After that..put your skull in and let it sit for a few days to a week.
Here is a picture of my degreasing cooler:
2. Change the water before it gets nasty (4-7 days), and let it sit for another week. Smaller skulls seem to degrease quicker. Deer skulls take a few weeks of soaking, and although I havent completed any yet, Hogs and Bears are the worst to degrease. Ive been told that for stubborn hogs and bears, you can use straight acetone to degrease them quicker. There are ways to speed up the degreasing process, and I'll cover that later.
3. After a few water changes and a few weeks or a month (I'm not exaggerating...its time consuming but its this process that allows the skull to be whitened, and not yellow...so do not shortcut this step) the water should be staying cleaner for longer periods of time. Thats how you know that most of the grease is out.
4. After degreasing...let the skull dry and take a look at it. Greasy areas will show up as yellowish dark spots. If you see more....back to the degrease tank. If your happy with it, move on to whitening.
5. Again..there are many ways to do this, and many different chemicals to use. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide is one. I use a much stronger chemical which is 27% hydrogen peroxide. If you choose to use this stuff....be VERY CAREFUL with it. It will blind you if it gets in your eyes, and it will burn skin badly. I wear rubber gloves and eye protection when handling this stuff. READ THE MSDS SHEET ALSO!
The brand I use is called Soft Swim C. Its readily available at pool chemical stores and here is a link to a picture of the stuff:
IGNORE THE DATES ON MY PICTURES>>I FORGOT TO RESET THE DATE TIME AFTER THE BATTERY CHANGE
First off, there are a few different ways to get the skull cleaned. The first is boiling. Its the easiest and quickest way to get the meat off, but it does cause some other problems. One is that while your trying to pick all that meat off, you can do a lot of damage to the real fragile bones in the nasal cavities, and loose some details in the finished skull. The plus side is that its quicker. The second way is called maceration, where you put the skull into a bucket or container of water and let it rot for a few weeks. The smell is VERY BAD, and I tried it once, but found out didnt care for the smell of this method. It does work however, IF you can tolerate the stench! The third method is to have your skull cleaned by dermestid beetles (or have your own colony..which I'll cover in another DIY later. The intent of this D I Y is to start the process AFTER using one of the above methods...so here's what you do:
Here is a hog skull fresh out of the beetle tank:
1. After its cleaned off by any of the methods mentioned above.....there will be a lot of grease still inside the skull, so to draw that out...Get an old cooler, or large rubbermaid container. I prefer the coolers with a screw style drain plug. The reason is because you will be draining the cooler every few days or once a week. I put a quick release valve on the output of the cooler, so when its time to drain it...it makes the job a bit easier. Then you need to get an aquarium heater. I purchased a 200 watt unit that is NOT the glass style. They tend to break and are a pain...so try to find a titanium one. They come with suction cups. so just stick that thing to the cooler or container and fill you container with water BEFORE you turn on the heater. If your using a glass one...try to get the temp of your water around 80 degrees so you dont crack the glass on the heater from colder water. The glass heaters also crack if you forget to unplug them when draining your water. These are reasons I like the titanium ones better. ANyway..moving on; Turn the temp up to max, and what your trying to do is maintain a water temp around 90-100 degrees. Now, add 1/4 cup of Dawn Dishwashing detergent and 1 cup of Ammonia for each 5 gallons of water in your container. After that..put your skull in and let it sit for a few days to a week.
Here is a picture of my degreasing cooler:
2. Change the water before it gets nasty (4-7 days), and let it sit for another week. Smaller skulls seem to degrease quicker. Deer skulls take a few weeks of soaking, and although I havent completed any yet, Hogs and Bears are the worst to degrease. Ive been told that for stubborn hogs and bears, you can use straight acetone to degrease them quicker. There are ways to speed up the degreasing process, and I'll cover that later.
3. After a few water changes and a few weeks or a month (I'm not exaggerating...its time consuming but its this process that allows the skull to be whitened, and not yellow...so do not shortcut this step) the water should be staying cleaner for longer periods of time. Thats how you know that most of the grease is out.
4. After degreasing...let the skull dry and take a look at it. Greasy areas will show up as yellowish dark spots. If you see more....back to the degrease tank. If your happy with it, move on to whitening.
5. Again..there are many ways to do this, and many different chemicals to use. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide is one. I use a much stronger chemical which is 27% hydrogen peroxide. If you choose to use this stuff....be VERY CAREFUL with it. It will blind you if it gets in your eyes, and it will burn skin badly. I wear rubber gloves and eye protection when handling this stuff. READ THE MSDS SHEET ALSO!
The brand I use is called Soft Swim C. Its readily available at pool chemical stores and here is a link to a picture of the stuff:
Comment