When mounting a deer, some use hide paste(Sallie Dahmes) or Epo-Grip hide adhesive. What is the difference? Are they used the same way? How do you avoid getting all that gunk on your deer hair when putting the hide on the mannikin? It would seem that in that process it could get a bit messy.
Return to Beginners Category Menu
Robert, True hide paste is a water based adhesive which can "rehydrate" in humid conditions. If this happens the skin on a mount can move- especially if it was mounted using dry preservative. This means the eylids can change and over time the mount get funky looking. The epoxy type adhesives are superior in that they do not change with the weather. My own taxidermy improved vastly when I switched to a modern adhesive (there are several). I would highly recomend to anyone to use any adhesive pretty much on the market EXCEPT hide paste. As for getting it in the hair and cleaning it out when it does (and it will) just read the label for clean up instructions. Enjoy, Aaron H.
Water based hide adhesive does not rehydrate in humid conditions any more than elmers glue becomes liquid, acrylic paints become liquid and fall off a vertical painting, library paste downs fall off, licked postage stamps fall off, etc.
Shifting of dry preserved hides has more to do with the swelling and shrinking of the untanned hide and the pressures that that hide puts on paste holding it to the manikan. Traditional mannikan paste is just better at adhesion - similar to superglue or epoxy glue is better than Elmers or white paste.
Sallies paste is a good dextrine based glue, one we have all used for years in large life sized mounts that require slow set times, etc. Its the old standbye most of us still rely on it yet. Other water based adhesives, such as the new one from Epo-Grip, is just formulated to really adhere to a number of specific taxidermy applications, and it dries as water transfers out through the drying skin. I love the stuff. Epoxies are a bit different. They react and cure, sometimes in minutes, others in set times up to 8 hours, depending on the need. They will hold details, but are based on filling a void between the skin and what its being adhered to. Many folks prefer the epoxies. None of them rehydrate and become glue again, though. As for getting it in the hair, you gotta use your noggin. Paint the glue where you need it, then slide the cape on. Then go back and lift the cape away and apply glue to areas closer to the edge. plain old common sense will suit you well here. Good luck.