Maceration Step by Step ... Revisited

[Wolfwoman]

MNT - I can't really tell you the amount of time as each skull is different, and yes the aquarium heaters should work even outside, I've got a bin outside right now and it's twenty below and they're at least not frozen  

Bone Painter, not sure on that one! Maybe someone else will chime in? I sure do miss Wacbravo!!

[Michelle Nelson's Taxidermy]

what is the ideal temp to keep the water at?

Sorry I wasn't looking for an exact time for a deer skull.  Do you think 1 - 2 months?

Can you leave a skull in the water to long?  Will the bacteria and water temp start disolving the bone if left to long.

Sorry, never used this method befor and I am full of quesions.  Right now I don't have any skulls to practice with.  I have a deer skull and a bear skull that will go 18 1/8 B&C.

I know that I do not want to boil them!!!

Walmart should sell fish tank heaters shouldn't they?

[Wolfwoman]

I use about 85 degrees, and I've never had a skull dissolve or start to, even when left in water for over 6 months. 1-2 months should be good, you just have to play it by ear   Walmart has tank heaters, buy a submersible one, and preferably one that isn't glass, that way you don't have to worry about breakage.

[Michelle Nelson's Taxidermy]

I went out and bought a tank heater at Walmart.  Not sure if it is submersible or not.  I leave it about 1" out of the water.  I got it in a bucket of water right now because I have to adjust the thermastat manualy.  Gonna drop a deer skull in it tomarrow if I can get the temp of the bucket where I want it. 

[Wolfwoman]

Put it in now and let the water warm up with it in there, it won't hurt it. I dropped a frozen mtn lion skull in a cold bucket of water and put in the heater, it'll warm up

[Michelle Nelson's Taxidermy]

Well I put the heater in the water in a 5 gallon bucket last night and put it in our laundry room (which is NOT heated).  It snowed last night and froze the top of the puddles this morning.  I figgure it got to 28 - 32 degrees last night.  I had the dial set in the middle and it kept the water at 58 - 60 degrees.  Ohh yeah it is submersible(sp?)!

Going to set it a bit higher this evening and see how warm it keep the water.

[Wolfwoman]

Sounds good, keep posting your progress!

[Sea Wolf]

Wolfie, how come your carpet doesn't have dog hair all over it?

*Good boy Yukon. No sampling"

[Wolfwoman]

That's the back bedroom and we just use it for storage, the dogs hardly EVER go back there, Yukon was just interested in what I was carrying to the back room with me...

[DropTine taxidermy]

Hey Bonnie, could you go over the degreasing process in a little more detail?
thanks, Ken

[Wolfwoman]

Ken,

I put the skull in a bucket or bin with a heater at about 80 degrees, cover with water and about a cup of Dawn to 4-5 gallons of water. About once a week I will pour off or skim off the grease that's collected at the top and add more water. After I've changed out about 1/2 the water (3-4 skims or pour offs) I will add more Dawn to the water. I will continue to do this until at least a week goes by without any grease collecting at the top, usually the skull is done by then. I'll take it out and let it dry for a day and normally in day you can see if there's more grease, if yes, back it goes. If no, then we're done

Wolfie

[Michelle Nelson's Taxidermy]

I put the mule deer skull in the 5 gallon bucket tonight.  The temp has been staying at around 65 degrees.

[DropTine taxidermy]

thanks for the info.
on a different note, I'm working on getting ahold of some badgers.  can you make a hat out of wet tanned skins?
I've never dry tanned anything.
Ken

[Wolfwoman]

Michelle at 65 it will take a bit longer but that's ok too, it won't hurt it.

Ken, sent you a PM.

[candyman]

WW   thanks for the great post - I seen you put it on skullclub so I checked it out. Very informative step by step - thanks as I'm also gonna try a couple more elk. Ive done a few  in the past but without warm water - like you said it works but takes a while. I figured i would bump this one back in as its very informative  thanks again for your time putting this together !  Cory    Is the wolfman your husband ??