CASE SKINNING 101...

[GulfcoastWF]

Welcome to case skinning 101!  I have basically put a few pictures together to illustrate the technique.  I believe pictures are worth a thousand words and I dont feel like typing quite that many tonight. Still, this should be a nice, smooth tutorial for you. 

Im going to be honest in saying that I feel somewhat aprehensive about sharing this.... not because its some heavily guarded family secret because many already know this, but because it so different and used in a way that I have developed for my benifit as a career bird taxidermist and it may be a bit confusing.  Still, I believe practice makes perfect and like anything, this just takes a little practice.

I honestly believe that if you are a beginer, there are a number of pros to casing birds that can help you. Preening, the belly especially, is a snap, fleshing is soooo smooth and easy, and the fact that you have such a small hole to close will save lots of time. If you are wondering "how do I set my wing wires if its skinned this way?", check out my simple wing set for flyers tutorial http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,72916.0.html. for some birds, you pretty much have to set the wings differently.

Maybe IM missing something with this method and it could be improved, and sharing imput would be recieved respectfully. Even though Im still young, I know my birds are far from perfect and I have many many many things yet to learn about the amazing art of taxidermy. As far as birds go, Im  pretty much your run of the mill self taught taxidermist, so I know stepping out of the box will often yeald some pretty exciting results. Anyway, here it is. Have fun and dont be scared to try new ways of doing things.

cheers
LJ
gulfcoast waterfowl

[GulfcoastWF]

next is cutting the legs, hanging the bird on a gambrel to free up your hands which you will need to roll the skin down....

[GulfcoastWF]

finally, rolling the skin down over the wings and neck.... didnt post a pic of the neck but you know what to do from there.  there you go case skinning....

class dismissed!

LJ

[WC Wildlife Artistry]

Great tutorial on case skinning gulfcoast. I have not tried this method yet, but now that i have seen your tutorial, i will be trying it tomorrow. Thanks for the tutorial.

[tara4574]

great info!  thank you for posting and all your posts, very helpful.

I never would have thought about doing it that way.....

[uk taxidermist]

gulfcoast, thanks for the post. in nearly 20 years of taxidermy i've never attempted it but i will certainly be tryining it out now.
 verry informative,

[thestuffedbird]

I have skinned watefowl by making two incisions from the "armpit" to the hip on both sides of the bird.  The incisions when sewn up are hidden by the side pocket feathers.  The breast is intact for easy fleshing.  The wing/leg wires are easy to secure as the flanks of the form are accessible.  A little more sewing, but this is another option.   

[thestuffedbird]

By the way, thank you for these tutorials.  These are great techniques.  I used your feather curling method on a pheasant after it had dried, and it worked like a charm.  I just have to groom a few filaments back together.

Neil

[Chesapeake]

Thanks again Gulfcoast, your tutorials really are a great insight to thinking outside the box. I was skeptical about trying to case skin a bird but your pics make it look easy.  Im gonna try it.

[Ross Vogler]

Thanks for the tutorial. Very interesting.

[Peter Span]

Cool!

[taxos]

sweet!

[wingman]

Lj, Interesting!! Do you invert the radius/ulna area of the wing as I see they are not in the pic of the skins ready for wheeling? Thanks

[GulfcoastWF]

Lj, Interesting!! Do you invert the radius/ulna area of the wing as I see they are not in the pic of the skins ready for wheeling? Thanks

The answer is yes, Eugene.  I invert the entire wing.... well, as far down as I can anyway.  Other than going a different route in the skinning process, the end result is the same as the conventional ventral method of skinning.

As for all of the birds in that picture... the wings are not finished. My skinner likes to do them alll at the same time.  he does good so I dont questions his strange ways
 

I have tryed just about every way you can to skin a bird, and I have tryed that way too stuffedbird, down the wing side pocket.  I have even done it down the edge of the wing coverts fron the shoulder to the tail offcenter on the back.  casing is still my favorite!

LJ

[GulfcoastWF]

Also, one more VERY important thing....

you really have to be careful and aware thoughout the process that the skin is not super strong hard leather and it CAN TEAR.  You want to make sure that your hole is only big enough for the body to slide through, and pulling and twisting will tear the edges of your incision.  Just be careful.  May seem impossible at first but it does work and anyone can do it.  Take your time.  On my wood ducks, teal, mandarins and other small ducks, when I go to put the form in, it gets tight getting the bulky part of the manakin through the hole untill it is all the way inside the body cavity.  It really will fit just like a glove with ample room to taxi if done correctly. 

LJ