Re-attaching cut in half Elk forms tutorial

[bullwhacker]

I do it the same way, but I don't worry about lining up the holes on each side of the cut. I just make a bunch on each side and go from there. Looks really strong the way you do it.

[Yeager1]

Michael, Post a pic of you and the Lil' Mexican sitting on the elk form and I'll be sold. LOL

[michael p.]

Michael, Post a pic of you and the Lil' Mexican sitting on the elk form and I'll be sold. LOL

Give me till about 9:00P.M. tonight & you got it Perry!!

Well got 2 deer to mount this afternoon......TTYL tonight

[outwoods taxidermy]

look behind you'' the football is on tv.

[mooser]

Good idea but I feel it is an overkill also.  Puncture both sides of the form, Bondo, and screw.  10 min done.  IMO I feel the rod is a waste of time.  When the cape is mounted and dried, that is all the strenght you need.  So far I have not had any bondo seam break.  The have held any antler I have mounted so far.  I have done a few 370-380 bulls, no problem.  Michael P, it's good you did the tuturial, I just think the hole alignment and rods are a little over kill, that's all.  Time is money.

[shaneb]

"Michael, Post a pic of you and the Lil' Mexican sitting on the elk form and I'll be sold.  LOL"

Michael its too bad you dont have any of those bull nutt sacks left for Miranda to wear ontop that form. Then I would be sold too.

[mimes]

I kinda want to see Cutie Pie too......not you mike.....riding the mannikin....it would be pretty cool and show your method off.

[michael p.]

Good idea but I feel it is an overkill also.  Puncture both sides of the form, Bondo, and screw.  10 min done.  IMO I feel the rod is a waste of time.  When the cape is mounted and dried, that is all the strenght you need.  So far I have not had any bondo seam break.  The have held any antler I have mounted so far.  I have done a few 370-380 bulls, no problem.  Michael P, it's good you did the tuturial, I just think the hole alignment and rods are a little over kill, that's all.  Time is money.

I semi agree with you Mooser.....overkil  yeah a litte...maybe   ....but the security out weighs that for 5 extra minutes of time. I guess my fear is somebody hanging the elk on a 12-16 foot vaulted ceiling and if it fell due to their negligence it splitting the seam with out the extra support.

The way I feel is this, 5 minutes of extra time=$10, 2 rods=$5, the insurance & security of knowing it will never split under ANY circumstances-PRICELESS

"Michael, Post a pic of you and the Lil' Mexican sitting on the elk form and I'll be sold.  LOL"

Michael its too bad you dont have any of those bull nutt sacks left for Miranda to wear ontop that form. Then I would be sold too.

That could very well be arranged also

I know the lil'mexican reads this from work, so bay if you are get ready to model tonight......the Taxidermy community is counting on you!!! LMAO


BTW, anybody got any other ideas for the lil'mexican (ooooh this coud get good!! )

[George Roof]

For all of you Bondo fans, you know that epoxy would work WITHOUT all the drilling.  The reason you have to drill is to provide a "tooth" for the Bondo.  If you use a wisk broom and brush all the dust off both pieces, trowel a thin layer of epoxy on both sides of the form, place it together and index it with long screws, it will be much stronger than it was before it was ever cut.  No holes, no Bondo, no 2x4's, no threadstock.  The only time I use threadstock is when I order a lifesize form without rods so that I can alter it and then I imbed the threadstock OR I'm mounting the bighorned sheep of the world and I want to fortify that skinny neck.  Works great for that.

[CHT]

Like a mule kick in the Head    George makes a very good point!!
Geeeze   George your going to make me start hating the bondo fumes to  HA HA

[Frank from PAA]

Thank you MP for taking the time to share. I use Bondo and the hole method, but I do not match up the holes. Frank

[michael p.]

For all of you Bondo fans, you know that epoxy would work WITHOUT all the drilling.  The reason you have to drill is to provide a "tooth" for the Bondo.  If you use a wisk broom and brush all the dust off both pieces, trowel a thin layer of epoxy on both sides of the form, place it together and index it with long screws, it will be much stronger than it was before it was ever cut.  No holes, no Bondo, no 2x4's, no threadstock.  The only time I use threadstock is when I order a lifesize form without rods so that I can alter it and then I imbed the threadstock OR I'm mounting the bighorned sheep of the world and I want to fortify that skinny neck.  Works great for that.

My dad has/had told me that for years George but i'm very inpatient & bull headed

[coal39]

Michael it's great that you take the time to show by pictures how you do things. It's a big help for beginners and sometimes old farts to see how you do it. I also do it like that but without the rods. Keep up the good work

[bullwhacker]

I just use the claws on a hammer and knock the heck out of each side to make some holes for the bondo to bite in. I have used the rods and the 2x4 and foam method, but have always used bondo to hold the two halves together prior to doing either the foam or the rods.

I think the difference is the foam is now nearly $100 for the kit and the bondo is about $12 a gallon.

[George Roof]

Now Bullwhacker, it's been an intelligent conversation so far, so lets keep it that way.  Foam runs about $33 for a 2-quart kit while Bondo is $18 for a gallon.  With Bondo, a gallon is a gallon, but with foam 2 quarts end up being about a 3 foot cube of solid foam.  With a 2 quart kit (half a gallon), you have 64 raw fluid ounces.  With about 4 ounces of foam, you can fix the elk, but it's going to take you a good quart of the Bondo to do the same repair.  By using your cost analogy, you'll have to use $4.50 worth of Bondo (OR MORE).  With the foam, you'll use less than $1.50.  Additionally, you'll have "welded" the form together with the same material it's made of while creating a stronger brace inside with the 2x4 (and if you had to buy that, an 8 footer runs about $3 now, so with it cut in 4 pieces, that comes out to 75 cents for the lumber.  Total cost with foam= $2.25 or about half what you spent on Bondo).

Personally, I don't know how any taxidermy shop can exist without having foam on hand as well as Bondo.  I use both often, but I'm still "old school" in putting forms back together.  I know Bondo CAN work.  I just know that foam DOES WORK BETTER.