Finishing the back of fish

[WadeC]

I know there are several ways taxidermists finish the back of a fish. I would be interested in how you do it. Thanks for the input.

Wade

[Sikk]

Well this is what I do, just my preference. I fill in the back seam witk epoxie sculpt, blend, add scale pattern if needed, install both eyes. I then paint the fish as a pedetsal but on the back side, less the detail work that I put on the show side, I want the illusion that it is is finished 360, but don't put in the extra time for the details.  paul

[John C]

Magic smooth and a can of paint. run a scale rollar down the seam and go on.. if you are going to get paid for finishing the back then do so. but I put my time n the front of the fish.

[Monty Artrip]

  Wow, Wade, you sure want to open a huge can of worms again!LOL! This is another one eye or two thing. Personally, I finish the seam and paint but with less detail as Sikk said. My logic is that everyone will look at the back when they get their fish home to see how it was done. A somewhat finished look gives a good impression and takes very little extra time.

[Newmarx]

I use a way that was "old school" but it still looks professional and nice.I have a pinking machine so I take some felt put it over the seam and up to the gill girdle bone then run it through the pinker,spray glue on the felt then position....TADAAAA!  ~Rich

[Perca]

 95% of the time I cut strips of paper towel to overlap the seam and brush them down with a liberal application of Modge Podge. When it's dry I airbrush on a darker version of the same color as the show side. If the pose is such that the tail is out from the wall enough to look behind the fish at all, I cover the rear half of the seam with Epo Grip Seam and Repair Putty and run a Mac-Z-scaler of the appropriate size over it and then paint the scale pattern with the same color as the showside.  It's a "bush league" method compared to what a lot of guys do, but it's good enough for who it's for...eh?  

OH....and I  just recently downsized to using ONE eye. 

[Brian W]

I just use a black sharpie and write on the back "you're looking at the wrong side".....

[GBRUCH]

Yeah Monty---a can o worms--lol.   All one sided fish with minor to slightly moderate curvature getapoxie sculpt over the seam blended neatly but with no texturing and a simple color to blend it all in--literally 20 seconds of spraying and we are all good.  

Good way to do it Brian---lol

[Monty Artrip]

  Brian that is too funny! Yes, Gary, that is pretty much what I do, minimal but finished.

[jemmick]

I do pretty much the same as some of you, except I use bondo and smooth it out w/ water/dawn mix using rubber gloves and when dry quickly and roughly paint the back slightly darker base colors . I spend most of my time on the front. and yes I do use 2 eyes.

[Jim Tucker]

Epo Grip Seam and Repair Putty

How does this product compare to Apoxie Sculpt and why choose it over the other??

Just asking because I have not used the Epo product and would like some insight.

[FishArt]

Epo Grip Seam and Repair Putty

How does this product compare to Apoxie Sculpt and why choose it over the other??

Just asking because I have not used the Epo product and would like some insight.

Jim, it's a different consistency. A little easier to mix. A little closer to a thick peanut butter vs. a clay like Apoxie Sculpt. The Epo-Grip dries quicker and that IMO is the main advantage (or disadvantage - depending on the application). If time is an issue I may use the Epo Grip product instead. But, because it dries faster you have a much smaller window for sculpting in details before it sets up too much. If you try it - do a small portion first to gauge set-up time. Assuming of course, you're using it to hide a seam on a replica. For the back seam on wall mounts I do the same as what Perca does. Quick, clean and cheap...

[Aaron Stehling]

We have had trouble with bondo and apoxy splitting over the years. If it has radical curve, we apoxie it, otherwise we do what Perca does, except we use muslin instead of paper towels.

[FishArt]

We have had trouble with bondo and apoxy splitting over the years. If it has radical curve, we apoxie it, otherwise we do what Perca does, except we use muslin instead of paper towels.

Yeah, I should mention that I don't use std. paper towels per se' (in fact, I don't think Perca does either). But, instead I use the heavy duty shop paper towels. The white ones, not the blue ones. But, they're probably 4-6 times thicker than your std. Bounty paper towels. Either way, once you paint the Elmer's glue on it makes for a nice, solid finish in back that is not prone to cracking. Elmer's glue flexes a bit...

[Pescado]

We have had trouble with bondo and apoxy splitting over the years.

 Smooth epox or magic smooth is not prone to cracking like the two mentioned here. I use it on all seams.

 PB