I just bought a 20inch whitetail cape for $20 and it was frozen. I thawed it out and started fleshing it when I ran into a few really hard spots. How do I soften these spots up? I am in the process of salting it right now.
Also I have 4 tapes and all them use speed septums but when I look at our deer mounts it is just a closed nostrel but I havent found how to do that anywhere. Do you just tuck the skin in the nostrel and smooth ith with some clay and paint it?
Return to Beginners Category Menu
I hope you don't want to fill the nose in completely! Just push the skin inside the nose and glue it to the inside of the nose on the form, you should have about 1/2 inch of skin to tuck in so it looks like actual nasal passages. You have to paint them afterwards but don't do what I think you are wanting to do. If you want to use a speed septum just hollow the nose out a little in the middle on both nostrils, push your septum in and then carefully take out any chunks of foam still in the way. Hope that helps.
You have to be kidding. If not you care nothing 'bout quality do ya! closed nose, go back to the 70's and get you some better stuff to smoke.
Sorry for the confusion I didnt mean closed nostrel. I meant when you dont use a speed septum and just the nostril holes in the form. I messed up on my cape around the nose and dont have any skin to tuck how do i make it work?
I always cut the nose off about 2" back on the form then dremel it out from the backside to get the full nasal depth and contour. If I take too much out there is always apoxie sculpt to fix it. If using the speed septums I dremel the middle, between the nostrils, right out of the way. Then install the septums. I re-attach the nose to the form with a thin application of Bondo making sure my lipslot stays open.
As for working with no inner nostril skin, simply pin the skin in the proper place on the form with fine pins(use a good paste here) and when dry remove the pins and feather the transition with apoxie sculpt or any other two part filler.
Never Never Never fill the nose in it looks like crap just paint inside with black paint everyone I do taxidermy for likes them so if someone disses me then who cares it looks good if you want septums order them from Van Dykes taxidermy you can also order the tool to put them in