Submitted by Jim Baichtal on 9/25/99. ( baichtal@thornebay.net ) 208.155.86.118
I was fortunate enough to shoot a nice 60" bull moose this year.
I would like to mount the bull in a european mount. I have boiled the meat from
the skull and have the following questions:
1: How do you soak a moose skull in hydrogen peroxide for a day
without buying 10 gallons of the stuff?
2: Does anyone have directions for mounting and attaching the skull
to a plaque or panel? These are quite heavy!
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This response submitted by mike on 9/25/99. ( ) 199.2.127.200
Jim-
Mix some high test peroxide(35 -40%) with magnesiun
carbonate powder to make a paste. Brush onto skull,
let dry, either brush or rinse off- can repeat if
needed.
This method requires very lttle peroxide and works
quite well on larger skulls. Peroxide is available
at a beauticians supply and the mag. carb. is at most
taxidermy suppliers, or chemical dealers.
USE GLOVES, EYE PROTECTION & DON"T INHALE FUMES OR
DUST WHILE MIXING
mike
This response submitted by Larry Cooper on 9/25/99. ( ) 152.163.188.163
I've had real good luck wrapping the skulls with gauze or strips of rags then placing it in something like a dishpan. Be careful not to wrap the rags up over the antler bases. Pour 40% hp over and keep the rags damp for atleast 24 hours maybe more. You can tip the dishpan so the excess runs to where you can reuse it with a small cup. This way you also use very little peroxide. They sell the peroxide in a paste also but personally I've not had any luck with it. Maybe the above post of making your own would work better as a paste than the store bought.
This response submitted by JL on 9/25/99. ( wmlures@xtdl.com ) 140.186.49.36
Will the skull be mounted to the panel with the lower jaw in place or just the upper half?If the upper half is all you are mounting take two pieces of 1/4" threaded rod long enough to connect the skull and go through the panel, and add two inches. Now drill two holes in the bottom of the cranial cavity 3/8" and space them as wide as possible. Bend the extra two inches of threaded rod almost to 90degrees and slip these into the brain cavity through the 3/8" holes.Hold them in place with masking tape or something that will not allow them to move. Plug the nasal cavity with paper towels from the back of the skull (spinal hole).Now thin some bondo with resin just enough for it to pour, and catalize it HOT.Now pour this into the skull to secure the (bolts) rods.Add as much as you need to secure the rods from moving. Now you can drill the panel appropriately and mount the skull. If using the lower jaw as well, secure the jaw with screws to the upper jaw at the zygomatic prominence.Cover the screw holes with sculpall and airbrush to match the color. Be certain to make the threaded rods long enough to pass through everything and still be long enough to get through the panel. Good luck..JL
This response submitted by Tim K. on 9/26/99. ( ) 152.163.189.67
I just finished an elk this very same way. I didn't quite make it into a paste though. I just mixed it (magnesium carbonate and 35% hydrogen peroxide) in a dixie cup at about 50/50 and used a paint brush to put it on with. Let it sit over night. Then take a stiff paint brush and "dust" the loose stuff off. This stuff realy works well and makes the skull white white. Non of this fake paint job looking stuff. It looks very natural. Good luck!
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