Firstly, many thanks to Aaron Honeycutt for his advice on working with really big horns. After a month on the roof in black plastic bags the horns did come off the cores. I wasn't strong enough to wrestle them off alone but some tapping with a rubber mallet and some coordinated twisting did pop them off. I was surprised at the size of the cores and I really don't want to cut them and will try drilling a few holes in them so the insides can drain. ... BUT now .. I have a large wolf and a wolverine skull that I tried boiling with some soda. They cleaned up great and bleached out nicely with peroxide. They sat for about a week in a solution of Dawn and water. Before they were completely dry I noticed grease still in the bone. Mostly on the back of the lower jaw of the wolf and a few spots on the wolverine. I have now put them back into a stronger solution of Dawn. 1/2 cup to 3 gals of water. Is there a way to get this grease out by another method or will it be permanent? Did boiling the skulls lock the grease into the bone somehow?
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.... I did look at the archives. I'd like to avoid using acetone or white gas as this project is being done in the house. I also don't currently have a large container of either glass or metal that would be gas/acetone proof and sealable to keep the solvent from evaporating. I also used the heavy duty peroxide and basic white. Overall the skulls are excellent. Many thanks in advance for any new ideas. Otherwise I'll just deal with the spots.
Sea Wolf, Thanks for the kind words. Well, this post has been here a few days and no answer....I think it's because it's a tough problem and most of us don't quite know the answer. I have the same problem, especially with the real oily skulls like hogs. I use long term soaks and wash with hot water and soap every 4 or 5 days. I use a soft wire brush and after 2 or 3 scrubbings the skull is real clean but may still have some oil hiding in there. If you ever break up a skull you can see why it's so hard to get it all. Deep in the sinus area inside the bone on deer types as well as other large critters there is a deposit of cartilage type material- very oily. I'm working on an African waterbuck now, very tough to clean it all. I wish I knew the best answer for this problem but short of drilling little holes into the bone I think it is a long term situation. One thing that I've not tried is a soapy salt water soak- might help to pull out a little more?-enjoy, Aaron H.