Bondo ears for beginers

[tazzymoto]

Here's my method for bondo ears, Ive been using this method for 14 years, and it works well for me i do all my mounts with bondo from antelope to whitetails, even African. To start make sure your ears are turned all the way to the edge, you'll know when you get there you'll have a few holes to sew. Make sure you clean with thinner or acetone to remove all the oil.

[tazzymoto]

Now i like to ruff up the cartilage. then clean again. scrub with paper towel. mix resin and bondo 50/50 for best results.

[tazzymoto]

Now catalize bondo resin mixture, stir well, Pull apart fiberglass mat. cut with scissors.

[tazzymoto]

mix well and seperate in two . make a pocket in the ear  and put half in each ear, make sure the mix gets all the way to the tip , this will help eliminate air pockets.

[tazzymoto]

hang the ears over the edge of the table. Work out the air and thin the ears, make sure you work on them until the bondo starts to kick. then you can thin the edge of the ears. keep working them, nad grooming with a brush.

[Jared Adams]

Very nice bondo work!! Great tutorial.Jared

[chongo]

Does the brushing of the hair help shape the ear?  Otherwise, why not wait to brush until after it has already hardened?

[Dougtman]

Jared, My question is resin?  What type do you use?  I bought bondo but thought it was just the two parts, bondo and hardener?  Thanks for the post very timely for this beginner!

[Jared Adams]

Dougtman, I use Epo-grip liqiud fast set. It's a two part epoxy that sets up in about 7-10 min. I need the extra time to make sure there's no drumming I use to use bondo, but I was never any good at it. As you can see Tazzymotto is very good at it. Nice crisp ear edges.

[J. Scanlan]

Dougtman, bondo also makes one with fiberglass strands in it, so you don't have to cut your own mat. Our Walmart sells it, works great.

[tazzymoto]

The brushing is very important to a good ear, it lets you see the hair patterns, it also helps smooth it out. The resin is usualy on the shelf next to the bondo. Take your time and do one ear at a time until you get good at it.

[Kenny]

Dougtman, thank you for taking the time to give help to beginners.  The pictures are great.  Are you talking about fiberglass resin?

[Kenny]

 ???OOPS!   My apologies to Tazzymoto.  I wasn't paying attention.

[George Roof]

I'm sorry, but I can't help but put a disclaimer on this method FOR BEGINNERS.  I absolutely think it should NEVER be your first choice on whitetails.  Earliners guarantee you some semblance of symmetry in the ears with little or no effort.

Tazz does a superb tutorial and I find nothing amiss in his methods.  He even produced an acceptable product, but I want all of you to look at the finished deer.  If you look very close, you'll see that the right ear (deer's) has a slight ripple along the bottom edge.  On the left ear, it's the top edge of the ear that's wavy with a slight "bump" on the top edge near the tip.  Remember now, Tazz has been doing this for 14 years and is still susceptible to having these maladies show up. Tazz isn't alone and I'm not picking on him.  It happens to me and to dozens of others when we use this method.  It happens to me more often than it does to others I'm sure and I've been doing taxidermy for 50 yeas. FOR BEGINNERS, the wisest thing you can do is to buy a quality earliner and learn how to install it.  Removing ear cartilage isn't brain surgery and too many of us do it for anyone to claim "I just can't do it".

[CAMOGUY]

NO OFFENSE GEORGE IT IS STILL EXCELENT WORK TO A CUSTOMER.  HE ISN'T TELLING THE BEGINNERS THIS IS THE WAY TO GO HE IS JUST GIVING HIS METHOD.