I am mounting my third deer. I have tried a few different things than I did on the first two. Where I ran into problems is when I tried putting the skin on the form. I started with a short y cut and ended up making it a really long y so I could go ahead and mount the rack on the form before I put the skin on. I salted the hide until hard. I fleshed the hide and pickled it with safety acid, flesh again and put back into pickle and so on. Put the tan on and did some trimming etc. to get the cape ready to mount. I start putting the cape on the form and everything is good until I get about 4 inches down the neck. When I measured this deer I measured the neck on the carcas right after I skinned it, 22 1/2". So to be on the safe side I ordered a 21" form. Once I get to pulling the two sides of the incision together to sew back up, I have a huge gap. I'm talking 5-6 inches. I pulled and tugged, there is no way they are coming together. Did the cape shrink that much? If so, is there a way to get it to stretch back out? On the last two, I did a short y and right before putting the skin on the form I stretched it back out by putting an intertube inside it and inflating. Well obviously I cant do that with this one since I split it all the way to the end. So is there a good way to get the cape to stretch back out to the original size using the incision that was made. Sorry for such a long post for such a short question. Thanks for any help.
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Sounds like way to many steps involved for me,that you are doing.I simply measure all my capes on the neck when possible and draw the tape tight to account for the hair. ,But thats another story. Ithen will remove the cape from skul. turn, eye's,lips,nose,ears, remove all red meat, then either Dry preserve with Bess maid dp. or i use sodium sulfate salt, and roll the hide up and bag overnight in fridge. then wash in cold water. tumble for 15 minues and use ben mears spray tan. spraying the hide . and rolling it up skin side in for 10 minutes unroll and slip my arms up inside the neck and pry apart in the neck area. slip hide onto form after it is prepped and boom there is plenty of stretch to fit say you have a 16inch neck when you measured .with the spray tan you could actually go 17 1/2 18 possibly which is alot. ... just some simple methods that wont take you as long . But to each there own personal prefferance is always a big thing inthis business. There shouldnt be any reason why you should be having those kind of problems unless yor not measureing propperly.The archives can help if that is a problem you may be faceing. or drop me a line Ray
Mannikin manufacturers sometimes think everyone wants a pumped up form ala Arnold Schwartzenager. My first suspision is just that. It's accurate at the base of the neck, but from there on it's not right. Keep in mind too that there is a gathering of skin at the back of the neck, especially on the upright forms, so you might try pushing the skin upward toward the head a bit and sew. I usually take about five stitches then gather them in. Other than that all I can suggest is pull baby pull, or write this one off to experience and get a new form that's more realistic.
Try a mix of 2 tablespoons baking soda to a large cup of water, brush this on the flesh side and see if it relaxes a bit.
Also what did you tan with? Did you over tan and loose the stretch?
If the baking soda dont work, try fleshing the cape again then repaet baking soda, if still to tight.
HOT WATER 130 is fine and a small cap of Downey Fabric softener, about 10-15 minutes the cape should relax. Watch it carefully!
until the cape is on with a Y incision. You also might try cutting the back half of the skull plate on the mannikin off then re-applying it with bondo after the skin is on. With a brush on tan you need to thin the cape well to get stretch and make sure it is re-hydrated good if it was dried after tanning.
I put a trash bag over the form before applying the hide. This works great. You can ever stretch the hide this way and the bag slipps right out the top.
when you say you fleshed it, did you shave it down thin? Because if you did not, the pickle will plump the hide and shrink it considerably. shave it thin rehydrate well let sweat in bag, then stretch with your hands, and if your measurments were correct it should go right on the form.
Even though you cut the cape all the way down, you can still sew it back up until it's the same as the "Short Y", then use your innertube trick. This will only get you back to your "Honest" neck size and will not make up for any miss-measuring, and as Troy says - the cape must be thinned properly. Good Luck and don't give up.