I work on a mink farm, and recently found an old mink skull/spine... dirty, but intact.
I've begun trying to clean it up, wanting to wire it together and mount it somehow, but there seem to be some skin and tissue still stuck on the bones... almost leathery and very hard to deal with.
Is boiling a good way to get these bones clean?
Thanks,
_D
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If you realy want to "boil" them. You should get some "Washing Soda". Add 1/4 cup to each gallon of watter and SIMMER them for 30 min. and no more. this is a good way to clean bones but can make them weak! Your best bet would be to use a process called "Maceration". Very easy and safe to use. simply fill a bucket with warm watter and add your bones. Leave them for about a week, then pour off most of the watter and refill with clean watter. After about another week the bones will be totaly clean. I hope this helps you out! Joe
why would you want to pour off the old water and start over? Maceration is nothing more than rotting. If you get rid of the old water with the bacteria already started in it, the process has to start all over again. Plus, I've never been able to macerate much of anything in two weeks unless it was already rotten. For dried leathery stuff, it's going to take at least a month in warm weather, much longer in cooler weather. Put them in a bucket, cover it and leave it for a minimum of three weeks, check the bones to see if the flesh is softening and rotting off, if not, throw it back and and leave it until it's done!
Email me if you have more questions.
Wolfie
When I think back (way back) in high school biology, I remember one of my teachers teaching us about the four stages of bacterial growth and death.
1: LAG PHASE, Growth is slow while the bacteria get use to there new home.
2: LOG PHASE, Once there use to there new home, they start to multiplying very fast. Doubling in number every few minutes.
3: STATIONARY PHASE, This is like having a full house. No more room or food for more bacteria.
4: DEATH PHASE, Toxic waste products build up, food is depleted and the bacteria begin to die.
I have found this takes less than a week from start to finish, unless you use a large amount of water and only a small amount of bones. I also said to pour off "most" of the water. not all of it. It helps to leave some of the original coloney, they are allready custom to the food source and "home". Joe