Completed first wrapped squirrel body

[bowmike]

 

Well i got the body wrapped. I kept it a little smaller than the measurments to allow for shrinkage. I took quilt batting and wrapped to match the measurements. Than i wrapped hemp rope over top of that for a smoother look. I may order a form as well to be on the safe side. But i had a lot of fun wrapping the body.







My question is That this squirrel was 9 1/2" x 12 1/2" the closest is 8 3/4 x 12 1/2. I really want to show how thick this guy was. Would you just keep the form or try and modify it. I really like the wrapped body because i can pose it anyway i want and get creative. I may preserve the skull and fill it in with clay as well instead of using the foam head i carved after i test fit it.

How do you keep the head in place?

Would you use borax or tan the hide?

What eyes do you like to use the best?

How should i go about unthawing the squirrel?

How long do i let it thaw?

I think i did pretty well for my first wrapped body and look forward to mounting the red squirrel that i had got the other day and wrapped a body for last night to test it out.

Wish me luck. And yes that is a keystone light in the back ground

[Redwolf]

My question is That this squirrel was 9 1/2" x 12 1/2" the closest is 8 3/4 x 12 1/2. I really want to show how thick this guy was. Would you just keep the form or try and modify it.  If I can't find an exact size, I order bigger and sand it down to where I need it.

How do you keep the head in place?  Wire it into place. For the real head, Clean, rebuild with clay and bondo the wire into place inside the skull. Put a loop in the part that goes into the skull so the bondo will hold it.

Would you use borax or tan the hide? Either method works great.

What eyes do you like to use the best? Black bubble eyes or VD bird eyes.

How should i go about unthawing the squirrel? Take it out and lay it on a table. lol

How long do i let it thaw? As long as it takes.  

[Redwolf]

BTW Good job on wrapping the body

[bowmike]

Thanks for the compliment on the wrapping. Its amazing that having your wife and her three friends and my mother in law can all be put aside with a keystone light (always smooth) and some taxidermy. I am very excited and think it will turn out great given i take my time and take you alls advice. Thanks for the input. You guys are a class act.

I was looking at my form and it tapers out towards the rear legs. When i clean my squirrels i never see any of this area. They are more stream line. Why do they make the forms like this? Is it to represent how the stomach stretches when in the climbing position?

I may not even use this body but i am thinking about getting wood wool to try as well. I bought a big thing of the batting and still have about half left for 7 bucks. The hemp rope was really easy to work with but i think i left it a little loose.

Thanks again. Anything you guys see i did wrong please comment. The only way to get better is accept criticizim.

When i order my eyes should i measure with the micrometer?

Thanks again.

Mike

[zifdenpants]

I'm guessing it tapers out to best be like a fat winter squirrel. They get taken at that seasonal cycle where their hair as the thickest and body is proportianally the largest. Makes for a good mount.

Where did you learn to wrap? Did you watch a DVD or just kind of suss it out on your own? I've got some supplies for wrapping and want to do that for my next mount.

[bowmike]

i just winged it basically. Looked up some you tube videoes. Got cheap supplies at walmart and went to town. I am a mechanical designer so transfering the measurments and catching that detail was easy. I really want to get the small mammal video by snowhare but funds are tight right now. Looking at his mounts he knows what he is doing. Just got a house, baby on the way. You all know how that gos.

 If you want i can pm you how i did it and the material list. All materials were less than 25 bucks and i am left with enought to do about 2 more. It wasnt too hard. I used all simple supplies i got at walmart to start out with. I did a little red squirrel body the same way. I am sure it is not the best way but for practice and cost it worked. I may try and mount him this weekend but dont want to ruin the best looking fox squirrel i ever shot.