Need help on mounting small mammals,I've done a squirrel, and now I'm doing a groundhog and ran into the same problem.Putting the legs and feet into the mannikin. I feel like I'm struggling. The squirrel never finish, but it is sewen up and mounted on tree limb, but was not finish off.It is hanging there to remind me of my mistakes. But nowI'm doing a groundhog, and ran into the same problem,so I cut off the mannikin's legs to fit inside the hide. And then try to Bondo them to the mannikin. Didn't work, NEED HELP!
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Try making some relief cuts on the legs just above the pad. If you skinned it without those relief cuts, you may try that. Also, you might want to cut off the feet and rebuild with some clay. That should help. Why is your bondo not holding? Maybe you need to check the amount of hardener. Also, if you plan on using the same otter form, try strengthening the bond with some heavy wire. If you are unsure, many of our supply catalogs have write-ups on reattaching a cut form. It is the same concept, only a smaller scale. Hope this helps.
On the relief cuts you will need to take a 1/4 drill bit or fordem tool and grind out the pits, both arms and legs. Lets explain a bit here. Take a look at your body and now look at the skin that you have in your arm pits. Now take a look at the manikin, does it have an area for that skin to go? No they can't make a solid manikin with relief cuts in it. It's up to you to get to know the anatomy of any animal your doing and see how the skin lays on the body. See how the skin folds into the body when it bends in different positions. This way you will be able to make the necessary cuts in a manikin for the skin to fit nicely.
Hi chris, I just finished a woodchuck in sitting up position. What I do is file down the bottom of the feet on the form at ankle area. The front legs stopped at the wrist so no filing was needed. No relief cuts are necessary in legs, rebuild ankle, foot and toes with clay by sliding clay down leg and working into foot and toes. Poke a hole in toes with a pin to allow air to escape when pushing clay into toes. I use a long pointy paint brush handle to do this. I cut a dorsal incision and slipped hide on from front. Work clay to make a nice transition from form to feet and toes. As Frank said make relief cuts under legs for correct fit. Any problems feel free to emal me...Paul
I forgot, wire usually runs from arm to arm across the chest, same on lower legs on most small animal forms. If you cut them it really weakens them especially if you cut the arms off altogether. Bondo should hold,doing each arm seperately, holding 5 minutes plus until set. Sometimes its easier to get a new form and start over if it doesnt stay together.
Its part of the learning curve, none was a good taxidermist in the beginning. some of us still are not. Some only do one or two types of animals. Listen to the above advise and understand "YOU ARE ALREADY GETTING BETTER" it will take a while. Keep hitting the books and collecting reference materials along the way.