ok , I thought this would be the easiest thing to do, (want to bet?) I have the horns screwed to the form, and the first time I used fish fill smooth to fill in around the horns and that all cracked, I got that out to start over, this time I used critter clay, and that is cracking right where the form and the clay come together. (great,, I'm not happy,) what do I do or use to get this right ,
frustrated Judy
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This is how I do it.
1st...I screw the horns to the form.
2nd....I cut out a square of material that I will be using.
3rd.. Put material on the horns and make a small cut just below
the inside of both antler burrs.
4th... measure the diameter of the bases with a caliper and cut your holes
in the material.
5th...NOW use clay to fill skull plate in and put your material
over and staple.
Glue nice rope around it and your done
Good luck and if you have any questions you can e-mail me.
Jim
Judy, if you want an easy way to start out and learn, get a horn/antler mounting kit. Van Dykes (and I'm sure other suppliers) have them for under $20.
Judy, if you want an easy way to start out and learn, get a horn/antler mounting kit. Van Dykes (and I'm sure other suppliers) have them for under $20.
thank you, I was going to spray that felt on the horn base, but forget it, I'm going to do it the way you mentioned. that sounds much easier,and something I understand, then I don't have to be so critical if the clay cracks or not.
Judy
try poly fiila, thats what it is called in CANADA it might have a different name down there. it is dry wall putty.
Usually, the clay will crack somewhat. To hold it together, I clay it up real well, smooth it out the way I want it. After about twelve hours, I overcoat the clay with a watered down solution of latex caulk. It runs into the cracks and evenly covers the clay, then cures to a rubber consistency. Measure the closest distance between the two burrs, and cut two holes the size of a quarter with that same distance between the innermost edges, then make a straight cut backwards to the top edge of the circular piece of cover material. Cover the form with adhesive (I use caulk because epoxy will discolor leather covers), position the cover and staple at top and bottom. Begin to work the "hole" around the burr, trimming it to size and shape with a sharp scalpel as you go. Once this is done, staple all around the periphery on the back, then overlap the leather behind each burr and make one deep insicion to make meeting edges, just like joining linoleum. Hot glue these edges down to hide the seam. I drill a 5/16 inch hole behind each burr beneath the burrline. Fill that hole with hot glue and insert the end of your colored rope. Hotglue the rope around the bottom edge of the burr and stick the other end (cut to length) into the hole after putting a little new glue in there. Around the back of the form, I use the same colored rope, but use the kind that has a 1-inch flat strip attached along its entire length. Staple that in place, hiding the ends together behind one burr. Attach to the panel and you're good to go. Cost of materials - about 10 bucks. Time - about thirty minutes. Customer price- $85. You've managed to turn a profit off a marginal rack that the customer won't go the whole nine yards on as far as doing a shoulder mount.
Stack them up so you can do four or five in a morning and you've got enough to make good money for a half day's work.
I use bondo to cover the skull plate and to shape. When set smooth out the high spots and fill in low areas w/Apoxie-sculpt. I use an oval piece of panneling on the back of the skull plate which is held by the bondo. I cover the smooth bondo/apoxie surface with buckskin which I staple to the back board. Then attatch the whole thing to a panel. Bondo is a quick solid base that won't crack- much better than clay. Enjoy, Aaron H.
Take a old tabacco can and cut out 3 guarter in. piece of plywood screw antlers to this then reinforce with screws nails staples etc. build up with a mixture of poly filler saw dust and smooth out with a table knife and slick down with water you can use your fingers also.Let dry for a day then cover with a stretchable material and staple to the back of your plywood.Screw this to your panel then hot glue some yellow rope braid around burrs and base.wha-la your done..!