A few days ago I skinned some rats. I salted them for about a day until they were stiff, and then I washed them in some soapy hot water. I had to wash them because they had blood stains and odors.
After I washed them, rubbed them with borax, and began to mount them, the fur just started to come out everywhere! Not just a little bit of hair slippage.. I mean, BIG time. The fur was just coming off in big chunks. Why do you think this was? Was it because washing made the skin weak? Or perhaps is it because a rat's skin is so thin?
I've mounted several rats before and never had a problem, but that was because I didn't wash the skins. However, I can't skip washing... the rat's that I've mounted before stink! lol
Amy
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well...the hot water was no good for obvious reasons.
What kind of soap did u use?
I bet it was'nt a taxidermy grade soap
with a low Ph?!
Your rats were raw, just salted, the hot water cooked the rat skins causing your problem. You should have pickled them at a pH of 2.0 or lower, this would have set the hair.
Next time since these are rats. Skin, flesh and wash in cold water first, towel dry, then Borax and mount. This is all that really needs to be done since the skins are so thin.
Use care when choosing a soap as the sopa can have a high pH and cause hair slippage.
at least it was rats and not some exotic! ffffeeeewwwww!
The dont stink because they're dirty,they stink because they're a raw,dead animal skin!(un-tanned)They will quit stinking in about a month,after the skin completly dries.Spray them with Fabreeze and DONT STICK YOUR NOSE WITHIN THREE FEET OF THEM! :)
do it cold water i what right!!!!!!!!