can someone please help me find out what i'm doing wrong on my deer heads I can't ever get my necks on my deer forms to fit i get the EN correct but my neck shrinks a few inches especially on swollen necks I use krowtann I think that maybe I'm not thinning enough but i don't know how to tell ?
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Tan the cape, work it back out to size as much as you can, then buy the form to fit the cape. Remember, a 1 inch peg will not fit a 1 inch hole. The hole has to be bigger than 1 inch to accept the peg. Point is, buy the form a tad bitt smaller than the cape, and then sew it up with out any stress at all.
I also like to order the form after tanning, take your e/n measurement (and any other measurement you can). Then after you have tanned the cape, stretch the neck till the brisket starts to pull up. Take measurements below the ears and 3" down on the neck. order a form that is 1/4 to 1" less than the tanned cape measurement. YOU CAN order a form that is the same size as the tanned cape measurement, But it tends to be a bit too tight for my taste. Joe
I have not had that problem on the deerheads I have mounted.
Are you following the instructions? If you will follow those instructions from OZARK WOODS the skins are soft and supple!
Chris, When you say the neck shrinks "a few inches" this tells me the biggest problem is a shaving problem. Cape preperation is not a quick thing- spend plenty of time at the shaving stage and fine fleshing the cape and your results should improve. Careful measurements are important so that you don't end up trying to fit the cape on an over-sized form but you should not have a problem fitting the cape to a form the same size as the deer actually was provided the cape is well prepared. In truth, once the cape is well thinned it will be a bit larger in girth than it was on the deer though I don't advise going larger with the form. A simple test for thinness when it will not fit the form after you have stretched it is to just shave a little more in the neck area with your knife. If you can shave off skin without cutting through you have room to do additional thinning. Continue to thin and restretch- the fit gets better. Remember to stretch width wise. Once you have sewn the cape up taxi extra skin from the shoulder area forward and feed it around and down to ease up on the tightness in the skin for a nice easy fit. This is how you mount a cape onto a form as large as the deer was without getting a tight looking mount. Your problem is one known to all taxidermists. Once you get the thinning down and learn to position the skin for a comfortable fit you will not have this problem at all. Enjoy, Aaron H.
Thanks for the response you all were a big help!