Submitted by marty d on 5/30/99. ( mdo3059680@aol.com )
i am just starting taxidermy. can some one explain the process of turning the lips on a furbearer? what does this mean,and how do i go about it when i skin a fox, coon, bobcat etc. it sounds like you need to do something special before you flesh and dry the pelt.? thanks marty
Return to Beginners Category Menu
This response submitted by Joey on 5/30/99. ( heather@inu.net )
Marty,
You do need to turn the lips prior to or during fleshing the pelts.
This is no big deal! Just take your time, and be careful not to cut through the lip skin. I use a scapal. You need to split the inside lip skin. Carefully take your scapal blade and cut between the inside and outside lip skin. This allows for better penetration of tanning
solutions. I find that it is easier to split the lips of furbearers after the salting process. However, on heavier hides it is necessary to split the lips prior to salting.
Good Luck!
Joey
This response submitted by Travis on 6/1/99. ( )
If ya plan on doing an open mouth mounts ya should start your cut at the gumline....you can always trim the excess later if ya decide to go closed mouth...invert the lip and put your finger under the lip---start working the flesh back till ya get to the very inside edge of the lip...don`t be afraid to go real thin..to the point where ya can see the darkeness of the actual lip...use a slightly dull scapel blade....good luck
Return to Beginners Category Menu