DEGREASING SOLUTION

[skinandbonesartistry]

A thread was started to share ideas for degreaser tanks but I would like to see what everyone is using for degreasers IN the tank. I know some of you have "special recipes". Are you willing to share them?

I have tried every Dawn on the market and I think the regular blue Dawn works about as well as anything. I am sure there are other mixtures that work better. Please share your ideas.

Anyone ever tired Pine Sol? I was thinking about trying that but am not sure what it will do the the bone.

[Toxic]

I have tried a bunch, but price and effectiveness always brings me back to dawn. I use the clear concentrated, I measure each bucket load to maintain a good level of degreasing and also to keep from using to much degreaser. I have moved away from any colored degreasers from fear of them tinting the skulls.

[Toxic]

Oh yea, Pine-Sol has an oil in it, not what you need in the skull

[txbowman]

I use concentrated blue dawn and water.  I just give each bucket a good squirt.  I quit using the clear dawn with "bleach alternative".  The bleach alternative is peroxide and it turns the antler bases white. 

[Toxic]

I use concentrated blue dawn and water.  I just give each bucket a good squirt.  I quit using the clear dawn with "bleach alternative".  The bleach alternative is peroxide and it turns the antler bases white. 

since when ?

[RD Martin]

BLUE Dawn....no issues in 10 years OR tinted skulls. I fill up 2 Fish & Wildlife Log Books of heads each year.

You would be surprised how much grease will come out of a skull in the first week with hot water only.

[txbowman]

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=278147.0

This is where I got the info.  I looked up the ingredients on their website and don't see peroxide on the list though.  In my experience it does lighten the antler bases.  

[RD Martin]

A tip on blue dawn....never squirt it directly on the skull. I use a hose cut-off instead of a spray nozzel on my hot water hose. I can get pressure immediately to rinse off a skull in case I accidently get the blue stuff on the bone and the cut-off is easier filling thanks than a hand held spray. less foam.

[RD Martin]

and I still use old h2o2 in my predator buckets the first few weeks or until all the teeth are out and logged in cups.

[Toxic]

all I use is the clear, never had it lighten a base

[txbowman]

Just stating from my experience.  I have never had the blue dawn tint a skull out of the hundreds I have done.  Many on here say they have.  When I switched to the blue dawn, I quit having lightened bases to touch up. 

[Toxic]

To each his own, never had any lightened out of the hundreds I have have done with the clear

[skinandbonesartistry]

for those of you that have blue tinted skulls rather than blaming the Dawn, I would check your water supply pH. I all of a sudden started getting blue tinted skulls and blamed the Dawn. I went to clear and it actually seemed worse. I started really thinking about this and checked my water pH. It was coming in at 5.3. that is super acidic. The entire water supply is PEX but it has brass fittings. the high pH water was disolving copper from the Brass and depositing it on the skulls. I never could get the blue out of a bison. it looks terrible. Anyone have a spare Bison without sheaths they want to sell? I need one.

We never had a problem with acid water until this year. We have had a LOT of rain and it caused the water to change to acidic. i fixed it though, I had to put a water neutralizer system. it was not problem, because my wife was alos having a hard time getting the blue out of the bathtubs and the neutralizer solved the problem.

[Beltonbanger]

I use one of those liquid chemical sprayers that fit on the end of a hose. I mix 50/50 soap and water in the hose sprayer and it mixes the degreaser as I fill my tank. Works for me.

[WolfGirl]

I've been using this red colored dawn and arm and hammer laundry detergent, seems to work pretty good. Both dawn and the detergent have enzymes that help break down the grease. Also the detergent makes the skulls smell better, which I like