I am going to mount a badger in a couple of weeks and i want to tumble it but i have no tumbler. I mounted a raccoon earlier this year and the fur came out dingy looking, i figured because i didn't tumble it. Can i fill a pillow case half full of corn cob grit and put my badger in it and shake it up for ten to fifteen minutes. I want the fur to come out as best as possible. Or should i take this pillow case with fur and grit in it, place in a garbage bag and throw it in our dryer at home on fluff mode with no heat. Which method would be better, by hand or stick pillowcase in dryer. Would this resault be similar to normal tumbling?
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I would just shake it in a pillowcase or garbage bag. I would leave the dryer out of it. I would add some borax to the Corncob grit. It will help dry the hair better.
Matt; Dont use a dryer unless you convert it FIRST into a tumbler! It should be noted that after it has been converted,it wont be good for anything else. Plug up any and all hole in the dryer,some saw dut leaked out of my old one and it always concerned me..after all saw dust can explode. My first one lasted 12+ years...(without a single incident).. it sounds like your not far into taxidermy. I would take James advice until the need for a tumbler becomes a regular shop tool. Sending it out is of course is always very good option.
If you have a mount that turns out dingy like your coon,spray it down with windex,wipe with a towel,then blow it out with compressed air and or a hair dryer.It helps to work it with a fur brush to seperate the hairs and under fur while blow drying.It'll look like brand new.Just a little oil and gunk in the hair.Nice way to handle the problem till you can justify owning a tumbler.Some mounts need this treatment even if they had been tumbled.Try it.