Oh dear.. I'm starting to get in a panic. A real big panic.
I believe I did the wrong thing by trying to do the RIGHT thing. When skinning my vole, instead of just leaving the whole foot, I skinned down to the toes. I left the leg bones in, and tanned it with the feet/legs inside out. Well, now I went to turn them right side out so that I could put leg wires in, and I CAN'T. I have been sitting for a solid hour trying to turn those tiny feet right side out, and I simply can't. It's really tragic; I can't see ANY way to turn them, except for maybe an incision on the side of the foot, and I don't want to do that.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'd hate to throw away my NTA specimen simply because I can't turn the feet! ):
HELP!
Amy
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What about using a pen ot something small to stick inside and push the it right side out? To invert them...
Try using a latch rug - yarn/rug art tool thing! What ever you call it I haven't a clue. It's small diameter and has a blunt hooked end. Might work , who knows! I don't have any first hand "vole" knowledge!
Good luck! Don't give up!
Ed
I use my ear openers to stretch the skin before I try to turn the legs right side out on larger mammals(bobcat,ect)..you may be able to use hemostats or needle nose to get the same effect....it also helps to do this before ya tumble...it`s alot easier to turn them when they are wet with tanning oil..
....so it will "slick-un" it up some. Then just wash out the soap and dry. I have never worked on such a small critter before, so thats the best I can do.
Let us know how it "works out"....
Amy, Now when you're out of luck and it's a lost cause anyway fire up the compressor--seriously. Might work with real low pressure and add more slowly so you don't blow the foot across the floor.Maybe push a little, little air, more pushing? No I've never done it,--but I did blow the window out in my shop once. Hours of sweeping up glass and vacuming! Good luck, Aaron H