In a recent issue of Taxidermy Today, under Joe and Mary Coombs' article on deer taxidermy, they mentioned using household ammonia and water mixed in accordance with the directions on the bottle while discussing preparation of the mannikin, specifically removing the mold release agent. Can anyone enlighten me on how this works or what purpose using it would serve? I've got stout ruffers, wire brushes, and the like, but I'm always in the market for a way to get those mannikins clean that's faster than what I'm doing now.
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Go to Sears and buy their $49.95 sand blaster. This is a syphon type.
Use children's play sand for a medium. This is graded sand. All purpose is not. Takes about 5 minutes so clean the mold release from
a mannikin. Don't hold the nozzle in one place too long.
Good luck
wear a face shield while sand blasting
Lance:
A fast method that I used for years is to attach your mannikin to your mounting stand, then wash it with detergent and water, dry it, then spray the entire mannikin (except for about a 4" wide strip down the back where you sew) with an adhesive like Super 77 by 3M or KWIKSTIK 611. Allow the adhesive to dry, apply hidepaste, then mount as usual. I never had a problem with a hide or skin not adhering or drumming using this method.
to answer your question the Ammonia will remove the wax that is used as a mold release... people strip floor wax with Ammonia so why not mold release wax ? sounds like a good idea as long as you have good ventilation :)
The UV rays break down the outside layer and in turn preps the forms for you. I learned this one from Bill Yox a long time ago. No Bill I'm not saying you are old.
This is how I do it.
1.Buy 1-3 tubes of DAP latex Caulk adhesive at Home Depot or your
local Hardware store.
2. Dremel the mannikin as you would normally do( Mouth,Tearduct &
Nose.
3. Empty Tube(s) of Latex caulk in a plastic Container and add just
a little water to get a creamy consistency (like Mayonaise).
4. Spread the caulk adhesive all over the Mannikin and let dry.
5. Mount as you normally do,Hide pastes will stick well. and it
Saves you Time and Caulk normally costs about $1.00 per tube.
Good Luck
Pete Tebar/Tebar Taxidermy