For those of you who home tan your deer capes, how long does it take for you to do one deer head (from caping to finishing), asuming you dont have down time waiting for forms, and materials and not including time with customers. Thanks
Return to Beginners Category Menu
Will take about 3 weeks start to finish with good weather conditions for drying.
It will take me 2 1/2 3 hours to cape, turn and flesh a green hide off a skull. I then place the cape in Krowtann for three days or so. MAYBE another hour in prep time to get the hide ready to mount after coming out of tan. Mounted in about four hours and done. Thirty minutes - 1 hour on finishing three weeks later. So to answer your question, I have a total of 8 1/2 9 hours in one deer head in a total of about three weeks. My turn around time is about 4 -6 weeks. Hopes this helps, email if I can help you with anything.
Stephen Godfrey Taxidermy
I let the customer know up front that I do this part time, if he wants it done fast, I do it if I can. If they are in no big hurry, then neither am I. I don't want to burn every weekend up during the summer or when it is the fall hunting time. If I start thawing one on a Friday night, flesh and salt Saturday, pickle and tan in the auto tanner, rinse and shampoo on Sunday, oil over night and put it in the freezer early Monday morning. Go to work, and start back up on Friday night again, mount on Saturday. Tweak and adjust Sunday, finish paint 5 days latter. Now if I were a full timer, I would have to do things different.
if i krowtann but if i dp it i have about 1 hr in caping and then 6 more hrs (not counting tumbling time) till its mounted
Now thats fast terry! You must have been at this game for some time to mount a deer that fast and still "keep them looking real"!
5 minutes measuring things, 15 mins to cape, 5 minutes rough fleshing (on machine) 2 hours pressure tan (krowtan)*, 30 minutes draining *, 20 minutes shaving (on machine), 1 hour pressure tanner*, 40 minutes neutralizing, 10 minutes oiling & freezing, 10 minutes shampooing, 1 hour draining *, 40 minutes final fleshing, 30 minutes form prep, 90 minutes mounting, 30 minutes setting stuff, 45 minutes grooming, 30 minutes finishing.
Items with * are unmanned times (i.e. time in tanner or drip draining etc.)
So like Terry just a little over 6 hours.
12 hours total. But i also get 650 a head.i take my time and will guarentee the best head they can get.
1 hr take off head
1hr rough flesh and stop rot
krowtann 3 days
anothe coat stop rot
shave 1 hr or so
krow oil
mount 4 hrs or so
second day adjustments 1/2 to 1
finish 3 weeks later 2 hrs
total time invested in my heads will average between 9-12hrs, depending on circumstances, i try to keep customer time at a minimun while still being courteous, installing good earliners, setums , nic.
membranes, along with texturing your nose and doing quality finish work takes time, but goes a long way towards creating a finished product that has a lifelike appearance. i guarantee my workmanship in every mount i do, and charge accordingly, dont worry about time when your just starting out, concentrate on quality, efficiency will come with experience and repetition. i figure im at my top speed at this point, and to quicken the pace would only happen if i am willing to sacrafice quality, wich i am not good luck in your endeavor
Tell Mike to shin head, turn, and flesh 20 seconds. Tell David to tan hide 20 seconds (for 10 hides) tell Brian to prep forms. 30 seconds (Brian Is a bit slow)
Fit anthers and mount 2 Hours. Detail Deer 30 minuets.
Total Time I have invested 2 hours 31 minuets 10 seconds.