Though requested, last week's didn't fare that well, so unless things fire up a bit, this may be the last one.
1. When tanning a hide conventionally, at what pH is considered optimum for the tan to "take)?
2. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut?
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why?
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ?
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali?
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect?
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this?
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this?
9. You are making a "dirt) habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others?
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem?
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1. When tanning a hide conventionally, at what pH is considered optimum for the tan to "take)? For most tanning a pH of 4 is best.
2. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut? I call it "Snake Snot"
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why? I turn them as far as I can. Inject the rest with injection fluid. I tear too many trying to turn them all the way. I like to use apoxi sculpt around the base and up as far as I can get it to have a good stiff ear.
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ? Most often I cast the head in two sections of plaster, then use a two part foam to make the cast. I then remove the area where the teeth would be and fill it in with clay. Then I add the real teeth to my cast head.
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali? Though I don't remember the exact name of it, I belive it is potential Hydrogen and it has to do with the amount of hydrogen atoms or ions in a fluid. A pH of 7 is considered acidic nor alkali.
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect? Sorry, never done a duck.
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this? Not a bird expert by any means but I would try to prevent it by injecting the toes with injection fluid or a thin two part epoxy and pinning the toes down.
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this? IMHO it is having the wrong size form or cape. Often the capes neck is over stretched. This will cause the cape to fall short on the form, kinda like a tee shirt, if you stretch it wider it gets shorter. Also by not using enough glue to "slick" the form up will cause the brisket to be too small(see above)
9. You are making a "dirt) habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others? I use a mix of elmers glue and oven dried dirt to form a paste. Then I sift oven dried dirt, stones, bits of grass and or leaves over the top of the paste. Just seems to be a simple, good looking dirt that holds up well.
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem? I'm not that old but, I belive it was because the the forms didn't allow you to tuck the crease in. The forms were rock hard made of plaster or paper. Newer forms are made of foam and it allows you to tuck the crease in place.
That was fun!
Here goes...
1. When tanning a hide conventionally, at what pH is considered optimum for the tan to "take)?
4
2. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut?
Sponge
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why?
I don't do a lot of rabbits but when I have I split the ears and mounted with fiberglass. A translucent quick set epoxy would work better I think. I have heard of folks injecting them.
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ?
I trim them down...too much tooth there to try and install into a form. I trim them down with a small cutting tool to slightly more than what was exposed on the live animal.
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali?
Hah! This one was answered by Bruce Rittel recently...as I understand it is French...Pouvoir Hydrogene or Power of Hydrogen.
It is neutral PH7 when it is considered neither acidic or alkali.
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect?
I personally use a small amount of caulk under the skin of the crest and back of the neck. Then it's a matter of grooming grooming grooming.
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this?
I haven't had this problem often so I can only assume that what I am doing is working. I try to always inject the feet, and pin the toes to the base, but I think its equally important that the bird is balanced and well secured to its base.
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this?
It could be one of several things...If the neck is over stretched, it will reduce somewhat the length of a cape. Chances are also pretty good that the cape or armpit in the brisket area is cut too short. Sometimes it is just a matter of proper alignment of the skin.
9. You are making a dirt habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others?
I use white glue (Elmers) and usually mix it with the first layer of very dry potting soil for a base...Ill spread it out where its going and then while still wet Ill go over it with whatever type of dry dirt or soil Im using and let it dry. White glue is cheap...readily available and stands alone. Ive used other materials but it always came back to that.
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem?
Ooooh...good one! Im stumped but Im pretty sure it has to do with the forms...I haven't seen a urethane form currently on the market that doesnt have it sculpted in...of course the foam will give when you tuck so I am pretty sure it's a lot easier that it used to be! I will say that a lot of folks still have problems with it because of inadequate thinning, inproper form preparation and substandard hide paste.
s'all in the archives. LOL!
If you dont have an answer...look it up. It can only help us all...it just too bad that more folks dont play.
1. 4
2. we call it a "gobble box" and it's very nasty LOL
3. inject and card
4. Only done a few, tried different things. On squirrels and rabbits, I've used the real ones and on beaver I've used artificial.
5. power of hydrogen, 7
6. caulk and groom
7. inject and pin
8. failure to stack hide, or wrong neck size
9. elmer's glue and dirt, quick, easy, and inexpensive
10. not present on older forms
1.-I believe a pH of 4 is best
2.-I've only done one turkey and I remember it being a slimy, nasty mess; no idea what the technical term is
3.-I've tried splitting them, too many tears. I will inject in future just to try it.
4.-I use fake ones on beaver, the only rodents I've done
5.-power of hydrogen-- 7 is nuetral
6.-I would think caulk and constant grooming
7.-I used toe nails on the last one; I think injecting and then pinning till dried is probably best
8.-I know I always pulled the hide BACK and stretched it tight on the first few deer I did; there was no "taxi-ing" done on my part! The brisket ended up wherever I pulled it. The way I'm reading this question is: if the brisket area is too SMALL, aren't you pulling the cape back on the bottom too far? Wouldn't stretching the cape on too large a form pull the brisket up too far making it look too BIG? Discussion, please! LOL
9.-I used to pour elmers glue on the base and dump dirt on and waited till it dried; now I mix the dirt and glue together and then put it on the base. I will also use urethane foam to make rocks or small hills. This seems simplest for me.
10.-tear ducts are sculpted into modern forms; I'm guessing that the old handmade forms were much more difficult to get detail into.
1. When tanning a hide conventionally, at what pH is considered optimum for the tan to "take)? pH between 4.0 and 5.0
2. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut? gobble box
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why? I inject them, because on mammals of the lagomorpha order I use dry preservatives where as most other mammals I tan, but rabbits and hares are so thin-skinned, I just powder and inject.
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ? I have artifical teeth that I casted from skulls through out the years. I just cut out a slot on the form and bondo in the fake ones. Mainly just the upper incisors though.
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali? ph is the pwer of hydrogen, pH is neutral at 7.0.
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect? Have a pad of soft clay on the top of the skull and just set the feathers in it and readjust them as necessary.
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this? Make sure that the leg wire is down the middle toe otherwise if it is to far back and anchored it has a tendency to lift the front of the foot up when it is anchored.
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this? The neck of the form is too big or the stitches are too tight pulling the hide up
9. You are making a "dirt) habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others? I use a foam base which I rough up and then put on thick coat of Elmer's glue on. I cover it with dirt and allow it to dry. I then give it several coats of clear coat to make it appear moist.
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem? The old form where made out of paper and you had to work around this, where as the foam forms made it much easier to handle this.
1. When tanning a hide conventionally, at what pH is considered optimum for the tan to "take)?
4.0
2. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut?
Globbing Stuff.. :-)
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why?
Split them as far as I can without tearing and then inject.
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ?
Pass
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali?
<Wikipedia.com>
Term was introduced by S.P.L. Sørensen in 1909, and means "pondus hydrogenii" in Latin. However, most other sources attribute the name to the French term pouvoir hydrogène. In English, pH can stand for "hydrogen power," "power of hydrogen," or "potential of hydrogen." All of these terms are technically correct.
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect?
i don't do ducks yet..
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this?
See # 6
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this?
LOL! I'm getting by butt kicked by this lately and if someone can answer this that'b be great!
9. You are making a "dirt) habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others?
Elmers on the base, sprickle dirt over, and lightly pack down for good adhesion. I did a forest floor base the same way, but I dipped each leaf, put them on the base, and let them dry that way
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem?
I'm a newcomer so I don't know about "old school" reasons yet, but I'd imagine, like others have stated, the rigidness of the form, which didn't give or allow for tucking unless it was considered during the form creation.
<About stopping the questions>
George, thanks for doing this. I really appreicate questions like these, it gets me stimulated to learn.
All I can say about stopping them is "Ask and they'll come!". Give it a couple more weeks before pulling the plug.
That is of course, if it's not something you want to do. In that case I'm going to have to ask you to submitt a doctors note to this thread excusing you from posting them anymore! We can't let you off the hook unless it's a medical condition that stops you! ;-)
Thanks again!
1. Four
2. gobble box, Is the gizzard also located around there?
3. how else you gonna keep them from curling up like tater chips, split em and get somethin in em, home made earliners or bondo at the least.
4. real teeth, porcupines got some bigguns, beavers too
5. 7 is neutral, ph is how acidic or base a liquid is
6. give em viagra, or use a little caulk under the skin, while constantly going against the feathers with a long needle.
7. insect pins into the base temporarily or a little crazy glue
8. define small, is the cape pulled to far back off the form or is the frame size of the deer off?
9. dried peat moss and buckeye hide paste tinted with a dark color, cover with some moss and other yard waste and your good to go
10. now you can tuck it, it's right there in front of the eye
1). ph 4-5
2).. What is the term used to describe the gobs of fatty tissue and blood vessels located in the breast area of a tom turkey in full strut? gross/gobble box
3. When mounting a rabbit or hare, do you split the ears or inject them? Why? I would say split. what a pain that would be. they look very thin to me.
4. When you mount a rodent, what do you do with the teeth? How ?
Have not had the pleasure yet
5. What does pH stand for and at what point is a solution considered neither acidic or alkali? power of hydrogen ph 7
6. When you mount a hooded merganser, how do you get the crest feathers to stay erect? (scare it lol )not done one
7. When mounting a bird, one of the biggest beginner mistakes is to have the bird looking as if it's snowshoeing (toes lifted off the base). How do you prevent this? i would say proper wire placement onto the base
8. Another common beginners mistake is to have the face and neck of a deer fit perfectly but the brisket area is too small? What's the most likely cause of this? i wondered the same thing?
9. You are making a "dirt) habitat for a rabbit. What materials do you use and why do you prefer them over others? glue and dirt
10. BONUS: The lachrymal gland was a cause of great concern to the old taxidermist. Why was it and what has the modern taxidermist done to eliminate that problem? one would think that the gland would not want to stay tucked due to it not having a tight fit ei;
no premade slot- gland comes out=ugly eye.