need help fleshing face and feet of mink really small should i split feet all the way to toes , should i split tail i have removed all bones , do ears need spliting all the way real tiny? any help greatly appreciated.
matt
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Hi Matt,
Yes split the tail. It's best to turn the feet all the way to the
toenails. It's possible to inject them with a liquid preservative but
the foot and toe pads will shrink as they dry. If you split all of the
toes you will have a lot of sewing to do on very small parts. You can
split the foot pad to help make it easier to turn the toes.
The face should also be done. I used a scalpel with a #11 blade (X-Acto and
their #11 blade will work also) along with a pair of forceps to grab
eyelids, lips and ear/nose cartilage. Turn ears - use a popsickle stick
tapered down to loosen the cartilage. I'm getting ready to mount
a mink this weekend and have done several squirrels and muskrats since
the beginning of the year so I know what a job it is to do small parts
but the end results are worth it. Time and practice will make it a
lot easier. Even if you don't see much fat on your mink be sure you
degrease the skin.
Good luck
Glenn