I went through the search, and read what has been discussed in the past. I watched the Sallie Dahmes Video from WASCO, and I am still confused on what to do - dry preservative or tan. The dry preservative looks faster, but is it the way to go? I want to produce a good mount, and if both are about the same quality, do you go with the faster results or what? Please someone help me with this.
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If this is your first mount and it's a whitetail or smaller animal (you didn't say what it is), then I'd probably say dp it. Then maybe on your next one try tanning it. Then see which YOU prefer. I say dp the first time because, to me, it has less variables to have to control for a beginner. If you want to tan it, I would use Saftee acid and either Rittels EZ 100 or Liqua tan. I'm sure someone else will also give you their opinion. Hope this helps. BP
I'm tired of the dp tanning thing already, I'm not coming back to this forum anymore. It's dead already...............
I have World Championship ribbons with both okay....
It's the taxidermist that makes the mount not the tanning or DP.
I've seen both tanning and DP used by hacks and pro's
If you know what your doing it doesn't matter. let's argue over car paint which is best enamel or laquer. both paint a beautiful car IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING...........SOMEBODY SHOOT ME PLEASE!
PLEASE GO TO THE ARCHIVES FIRST (lil orange button on the left)
I totally agree. That's why I said to use both then decide which HE prefers. It's just a matter of preference. BP
Are you pickling prior to the DP.
I am assuming you are to set the hair and for fleshing, (I also assume your are fleshing.)
Lt me know if I am wrong, I think I might try one with DP.
No pickle with dp. If you're gonna pickle you might as well go ahead and tan it.
Enough, since you did not leave a name, could you tell us what world championship ribbons you won in? Was it for birds or fish or was it a mammal. Just curious as to what category and when. Do you still have pics of the DP mount? Since you have world championship ribbons with both DP and tan it kind of limits who you are as there have only been a few multi world champions. Excuse me if I remain a little skeptical until you use your name.
Will DP work ... yes, but so would salt. Heck you can air dry (flint dry)a hide on a form with epoxy and it would probably work. Will it last as long as a tan... maybe but it would have to be under ideal conditions. I would love to see a DP mount last more then a couple years out west.
Dave Toms
You elect to compare painting a car to taxidermy, Okay then. tanning is like all the prep it takes before you paint. You omit a few steps to get it done faster, yeh it looks the same, but a year down the road the paint starts to bubble, peel, and come apart. the shine is still not there, and it looks like it needs a new paint job.
You do all the steps right, you have a paint job that lasts far longer. That is the differance, with doing Dp or tanning.
Sure, dp is faster, it looks the same, it will stay on the form the same, New glues will hold anything. It is just not the same. Tanning IS the way to go. truly, a good tanned mount will last several lifetimes. the mount will be handed down the family and will be enjoyed far longer than a DPed head will. End of story. I have seen DPed heads that have fell apart ten years down the road, and others last longer, but then there are the few that don't even make it one year.
I know this has been hashed over and over. You cannot even start to call the two methods "equal" as they are not even close. You have skipped steps to truley create a trophy, just to make a buck faster.
You are also doing it to cut the price and try and get more work.
Quality should be first for you customers. I always use the best manikins, eyes, linners, glue, and the best tan with the best oils. this makes the mounts the best. I get paid more for them and the customers know this and would pay more for the quality then the fact they could pick up a mount in twenty days that stinks like stale soap and meat. I also like the way the hair stays plastered to the surface of the skin on dp'ed mounts. I have alwasy marveled at the way they look so life like. All deer I see in the wild look this way, NOT!
Oh, and do not forget, do not groom the buck while it is drying either, as the hair will fall out. HUM I wonder why? maybe because the skin is deteriorating until it is dry. Oh well, you can always glue the furback in, LOL.
Enough, if you had read my question you would have noticed that I did go to the archives. I said that first thing before I asked the question. I have read and heard the discussions on both, I just want to do what is right and best for my customers.
I did not want to start any arguments here.
Thanks to all who answered.
I forgot to say that I am planning on trying both. I just thought before I wondered down the road blindly, I would ask others for guidance. You all in a way have gave me some. Thanks again and sorry for upsetting some.
I know I am beating A dead horse with my opinion but you are wrong in your biased opinion on dp. Tanning,beentrere and done that,both home and commercial.I switched to dp.35 years ago and have mounted hundreds of game heads plus many full body mounts with no problems at all.I have A client who I have done dozens of mounts for who had a fire in his residence who wanted the antlers removed and mounted qn a panel as his mounts were smoked stained and smelled of smoke. I turned a garden hose on them and washed them down with dawn detergent,removed the antlers and replaced them with some I have accumulated in the past. They were mounted 15 years ago and with some minor touch up around the eyes look as good as new. I have A full body mount of my own personal antelope done 25 years ago as well as my own mule deer and my wifes antelope head all over 20 years old still in perfect condition .My mounts do not and have never had a foul odor.The dp. method consistst of much more than caping out a head applying DP. and mounting IT is not A cheap get rich method. Also I have won quite A few awards at the state level with my game heads I am also the highest priced on all my work in my area and do not consider myself a cheap hack as soome have insinuated on this site
it is a shame to hear that so many taxidermists are assholes! especially when a beginner is just trying to start out, way to go on the guidance. My appologies John.
The man asked for opinions and got them, if it rubbed you wrong then maybe you should have been standing in front of the mirror when you were calling folks A**holes?
John, you got to understand there are many ways to skin a cat and folks will tell you what works best for them. Try both like you said and then see for yourself which you prefer. Remember to watch both as they age and evaluate for yourself. I know here out west, with feww high humid summer days that are followed by a week of severe hot, dry air, using DP is asking for touble. They tend to crack and split in short order. But hey that is my situation, so for me I would never use Dp or borax on a customers trophy.
DaveT
Just found this sight. Thanks for re-hashing preservation techniques. I know this can get boring to older submitters, but I'm new and don't seem to have the afore mentioned orange button. I was considering the dry preserve method, but also questioned what the results /differences would be. Thanks again.
I was givng my oppinon, and I AM A ASShole! LOL To answer some ofthe other guys postings. Also, I know there are a lot of guys dping and winning compititions and there mounts are lasting that long. Hey, I thought I said that already. what I am saying is that the mounts will not be around as long as tanned ones. Now I know there are other facters that will provide a longer lasting mount weather it is tanned or DPed. Haveing dermestid beetles attack the mount it will not matter the method.
I have a question for all those DP mounters? Say your customer has you mount a deer for him. IN a few years he sees a nice looking different mount, Say with a open mouth, or a different turn, or what ever. He brings it back to you and asks if you can change it? You say, I can get another cape, but I cannot change it as the cape is set. Now I have changes my clients mounts. They are all tanned and I can rehydrate the skins on them in less than thirty minutes. I can have the hole thing off and the manikin fixed and remount in less than a few hours. I make very good money at it. I also take and put the costomers new sets of antlers on the older mounts as well. I can do this where you cannot every think about it. If you soak a DP skin, the hair WILL slip. Now I know this is not a desierable thing to do, but You can keep making money and helping your customer even if they do not ever get a new trophy to mount.
Anyway, MY Oppinions are what they are. I have mounted both methods and know all the in's and out's of both. I have been doing this for 26 years and I have seen hundreds of mounts done by others in varing degrees of HACK as well.
I will not try and change YOUR methods, nor will I tell you your work is crap. I have not seen it, but I know that if you mount was sitting here on my wall next to a tanned cape, here in the west, your skin would POP right off the form. It would crack around the eyes, lips, and nose.
Anyway, I just finished remounting all my OLD mounts I did a long time agao when I just started. they still looked good, but there was stuff I wanted to change. I did them and they all look so much better. It is a option that you should not over look
I have dozens of mounts that I have done years ago. IN Colorado. When I worked at Timberline Taxidermy studio. They were done with DP and have been at my parents home in Dinosaur since the early 80's They have not shrunk, nor cracked nor popped. They look Just as good as the day they were done.
You expound the virtues of Tanning a Hide. Good for you. That makes you top Notch. But you still use a water based hide paste. A yummy treat for the insects. Because their is no way in hell you are going to get the hide off a manakin if you use epoxy glue. But your way must be superior cuz that is how you do it. Is it the materials that make you a good taxidermist? Myself My skill level is so High I can mount a deer using a rotten road kill, and chicken wire and make it look great, guess some Taxidermist are born. wile others are ordered from Catalogs
Steve I am not criticising your skill as A taxidermist I am just stating one method is not the only way to mount A game head. I have rehydrated dp. heads and remounted them without any problems also, apply A thick coat of hide past prior to mounting.in summer I hang my heads outside in the sun in 95 degree heat. In winter I Hang them in a drying room with A fan on them at 200 degrees . I have never had any problem with cracking or shrinking.Years ago I did have one hunter to bring A deer head back that he had hung by A wood burning heater and had literally cooked it .If it had been A leather jacket the results would have been the same.
John,
You listen son, and you listen good! I AM NOT AN ASSHOLE! And I know all there is to know about DP and the like. I am the most intellegent, most experienced, most artistic and most modest of all that have contacted you. John, DO NOT USE DP. You hear me? Stay away from the DP (unless of course you're talking about Dr. Pepper). Tan your hides John! Think about it... when you go to the beach do you rub dry preservative on your skin? Hell no! YOU TAN YOUR SKIN RIGHT? I rest my case John. Keep an ear to the ground and I will return John. Or just call out "PHANTOM!" and I will respond.
Phantom.. the ever present and all knowing