Hi
I just want to be sure that I'm not missing something. I just received some supplies (for my first deer mount ever). I guess I was assuming that the form would be ready to accept the glass eyes. I ordered a McKenzie form and the size eyes that it said to get (30mm). The eyes are bigger than the hole in the form. I know I can just use the dremel to make the hole slightly larger, but the eye sockets in the form do not seem to be deep enough. Do the sockets typically need to be made deeper? It just seems like the eyes will bulge out a lot or it will take a lot of clay to mold in the eyes properly. Maybe I'm just parnoid, but I wasn't thinking that a lot of clay would be needed around the eyes. Thank for helping a beginner.
Steve
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call mckienzie and ask for the taxidermist that sculpted the form
this way you get your answer's on the spot
and saves you time and you can talk to him/her one on one but most of your form's have a pre-set already in the form to assure proper placement
It is not entirely uncommon for the diameter of the opening to be too small. Open it a little with a round dremel bit. I wouldn't think McKenzie's depth would be drastically inaccurate. As you progress with your whitetail taxidermy, you will learn the + and - of each companies forms. Trust McKenzie this time around, then make adjustments as you feel neccessary. I have used McKenzie forms for years and they are pretty good. Now, various eyes with have different depths, "Epply true eyes" are a little deeper in my opinion.
I doubt if you could speak to Dennis Behn if you called McKenzie, but Mike Gillis or Phil Helms maybe able to help you if you call.
who did a seminar in Wausau last summer, the McKenzie manikins for the most part are designed for the Aspheric eye, not the white banded. To set the white banded you can use a 1 1/4" spade bit on a drill to widen the socket. This also works for rotating the eyes as you can take some away from the front or back. And if you take away too much, you can fill in with critter clay or apoxie sculpt. If you use the drill, try to maintain the vertical cant that is present. Good luck.
If you don't have one already, get a good video, like the McKenzie mounting process with Dennis Behn, he shows how to set eyes and how much clay to use. I have one and will be in Green Bay for the show on the 26th if you're interested.
Mike
Where can I find info about the WTA? Do they have a website? I would love to attend the show. Is it for members or general public?
Also, is it the same as the Whitetail classic or is that something else?
Thanks,
Steve
Is the website address. It is listed here under "Taxidermy Associations" if you go to the home page. Also Dave Blank is the president and he is listed under Woods and Waters Taxidermy in the "Taxidermists with Websites" section. The WTA competition is held with the Deer Classic at the Shopko Hall. But the WTA seminars are held at the stadium view bar. The competition mounts are open to the public after 4pm on Fri. but you have to pay to get in the Deer Classic. If you are a member of the WTA, you can attend all the seminars which are:
Friday: mounting a walking pheasant with Mike Orthober, WTA banquet and awards ceremony in the evening
Saturday: Judges seminars, Barry Smith -- Business
Jody Slusher---shoulder mount bl. bear Mike Ross---casting fish head and Charlie Fanta--- mounting large birds
Sunday--- WTA general meeting 10:30 and at 1:00 Whitetail reference with Mike Yeska, Brian Olson and Pat Wagner
Show closes at 5pm on Sunday
Memberships are $40/year and includes free admission to the Deer Classic and all the seminars. The events I listed above are to my best memory, check with Dave to get the official list, or check out the website, I think it's there. You won't believe how much you can learn by going to the seminars. And if you take a mount there and enter it in the open division, a judge will score it and give you a critique one on one. It is a great way to learn. Good luck.