I am about to go nuts with mounting turkeys, ill be as short with this as possible and would appreciate any feedback you may have on this subject. I have been mounting turkeys for the past 3 0r 4 years and i believe it takes just as long now as it did my first one. There has got to be some short cuts here that i do not know about. I can start skinning a bird say at 8:00 a.m. and mabey, just maybe have the bird onto the form by 10:00 p.m. and have to spend atleast half the next dy finishing up. Is everyone like this or just me. I was thinking about ordering some new tapes on mounting but do not know if this will help or not. I do the soaping drying and then fuel method of preparing a bird. If anyone has an opinion please let it fly now ive only got a few hairs left in my head to pull out. Many thanks to all of you for your time.
Jimmy
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attend seminars and conventions? Turkeys are becoming a bigger part of taxidermy every year and more and more conventions are featuring turkeys as seminar subjects. To answer your question....No, it should NOT be taking you that long to put a turkey together (unless you're getting $1500 a bird). However, everyone has their own speed and some individuals are able to work faster than others. It might surprise you to know that one of the best turkey taxidermists in the country, who does nearly 300 birds a year, takes just as long as you do to put one together. A lot of it, Jimmy, is the method one uses. Some methods are quicker than others....not necessarily better, but quicker. Try attending some state conventions and sit in on a turkey seminar. Breakthrough Magazine is currently running a feature on turkeys. Get different methods of mounting and try them all until you find one that suits your style and then do it. The more you do it the more proficient you will get. Doing two or three turkeys a year will not give you the speed of someone who does 100. Speed only counts if you're Jeff Gordon. Its the end result that matters. Feel free to drop me an email if you're still having trouble. Good Luck!
try using the buckeye (now McKenzie ) forms.. it a 3 part mounting form.. first u but feet on with a treaded rod.. then u can paint them before mounting,,cut tail of bird & bondo it then but in on after turkey mounted.... these forms come with a set scerw in the wing joint so u not need all that wire sticking out every were.. been using thes forms for 4 yrs now it cut my time in half.. can put the bird together in about 4-5 hrs.. that is after i got it all washed & tumbled ,head painted & every thing ready to go.. if u got our can get issue 47 spring "97' Breakthrough it take u trew it step by step.
try them out c if it helps.. be gladt to help if u need it.
I like turkey mounts a lot after they are finished. Prior to that, I "have words with them", if you know what I mean. For me. each turkey is a two-day project. One day for prep work (skin, de-fat, wash, paint head, prepare form) and one day for assembly and base work. I just can't do them any faster. (except dead mounts are a LITTLE quicker - 1 1/2 days)
Nancy M.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP ON THIS. ITS NICE TO KNOW IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM!
Don't feel bad- I too have the same time thingmadoodle problem with turkeys. The forms from Buckeye are great-I've used them for 3 or 4 years,but the last ones I ordered did Not have the little apparatus installed so you could fasten the wings-don't know if that was just a fluke or if they are no longer making them that way-this was just in January of this year.The wings for me are the U Know What of doing turkeys......Just to put in my 2 cents.