WING"TIPS" #11 Flying support wire

[wingman]

Hello, Ive had several people ask how to support a large flying bird off the wall, The last wingtips was on how to hide the wire ,this one is on how to wire a large bird, ie swan,large goose turkey etc. Although the same concept can be used on smaller sized birds WITH a few changes which I will post later. The desire is to have a large heavy flying mount well secured to some sort of base and to make it a SOLID ,3D effect hanging off the wall. I use foam bodies on large birds which makes this technique rather easy, This Canada was a 15 pound bird, incoming position so it certainally was on the larger side , a lot of swans I mount barely go 15 pounds. Heres the technique plain and simple. I start with a heavy gauge wire 4-6 gauge This particular rod was so stiff I could not bend it with just my hands nor cut it with a normal wire cutting dike so  I cut it with a bolt cutter to length, figured out where the point of attachment was on the bird to my prepared base and ran the sharpened wire through the feathers ''side'' into and through the foam body, made a ''loop'' carved out a channel in the foam , pushed the wire back into the channel and bondoed it in place. I put a thin layer of clay over the bondo. inserted the cotton batting in the appropriate places and sewed the bird up. Then all that was left was to drill a hole in the driftwood to run the wire through and secure the heavy wire/rod in place with drywall screws on each side of the rod. I attached a few pics of the procedure along with one showing the rear of the goose showing where the wire comes out of the bird into the driftwood. GOOD LUCK!

[wingman]

Another pic showing another piece and the wire secured with the drywall screws

[JonHarleTX]

I love me some Bondo...

Nice Canada as well...the pose is very appealling!

How many wires are you using per wing? 

Jon~

[blkdog09]

good tip on the drywall screws, thats what i use, but i will also bondo over the screws and wire!

[wingman]

Jon, Just one.

[JonHarleTX]

okie dokie.. just thought i saw some extra wires in the body .

Jon

[jerogers]

Along with Jon's question, what is the second wire on the side.  One for the wing and the other for?  Also, could you use the same wire and technique if you didn't have a piece of driftwood that protruded way out from the wall?  Could you span that distance with the same wire?  Hope I am making myself clean.  Thanks

[nate]

thanks Wingman, love this new thread you've started

[GSPmutt]

Two wires on each side - looks like, one wing, one leg.  Another tip for wiring large birds on foam bodies - pre drill your wire holes in the body.

[ludvik]

thx for the tips wingman

ludvik

[wingman]

There's one wire ''in'' the wing and then a smaller gauged wire runs along the underside of the wing to help hold the primaries and secondaries in place along with the carding, I suppose you could omit the driftwood and just have the wire support the bird It would make hanging and balance a pain in my opinion though

[mount_it_taxidermy]

very niceeee

[robertf]

i recently did an 18-19 lb. canada goose. i welded a flat metal plate 3/4x4 with holes in it to a 5/16
all thread rod. i inserted a 3/4" piece of plywood into the backof the goose  body with bondo. i afixed the
all thread to a piece of driftwood nutted on both sides and bent to the angle  i wanted. i mounted the goose, slit open the back and screwed the plate down and sewed it up. it was ready to hang and card out. and i held the weight great with no big wire bending. you do have to have your angle preset cause there won't be any changing.

[jeremy]

Thanks Wingman

[Wildthings]

There's one wire ''in'' the wing and then a smaller gauged wire runs along the underside of the wing to help hold the primaries and secondaries in place along with the carding, I suppose you could omit the driftwood and just have the wire support the bird It would make hanging and balance a pain in my opinion though

OK what about these 2 wires ??