broken leg

Submitted by Kirk on 10/1/04 at 3:01 PM. ( ) 192.234.159.5

Novice "taxidermist" needs help. I have a hen shoveler that I'm going to try mounting. She has a broken leg and was looking for ideas on how to fix. Thanks, Kirk

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That's why they make popsicle sticks

This response submitted by George on 10/1/04 at 3:03 PM. ( georoof@aol.com ) 205.188.117.11

Split a stick and push it up into one hollow end and then cut the other off to fit. Push them together, wire, and tape with electrical tape.


or dowel or wire etc

This response submitted by OJ on 10/1/04 at 4:43 PM. ( ) 64.108.146.33

Insert anything in the hollow bone with a touch of hot glue or superglue. make sure that your repaired bone matches the other in length. Now, if your bone is broken at the joint and you dont have two pieces to insert into- then it is tougher. But not much. Wire that leg like normal. just tape a piece to the wire to approximate the bone. If the bare portion is broken, set it when u wire and patch w/ epoxy.


or dowel or wire etc

This response submitted by OJ on 10/1/04 at 4:43 PM. ( ) 64.108.146.33

Insert anything in the hollow bone with a touch of hot glue or superglue. make sure that your repaired bone matches the other in length. Now, if your bone is broken at the joint and you dont have two pieces to insert into- then it is tougher. But not much. Wire that leg like normal. just tape a piece to the wire to approximate the bone. If the bare portion is broken, set it when u wire and patch w/ epoxy.


Where is the break

This response submitted by clewis on 10/1/04 at 5:47 PM. ( clewis@bossig.com ) 66.45.222.161

Not knowing where the leg is broken makes answering the question a guess. If the break is in the "long bone" George's idea works well. If the break is in the joint, it does not. If the break is between the knee and the top of the foot the challenge is also different. For joint breaks, as long as there is a filiment of tendon to hold it together, I support the break with a wire up through the foot and out the "knee" and tape. IF the break is just above the "knee joint" I drill a small hole through the remaining bone and put the wire through the hole and bend it up to the same length as the unbroken side then tape and wrap. If the break is between the "knee" and the top of the foot, I tri and remove briken chards of bone then ruin a wire up from the foot as mentioned above, then repair the hole. No one way is necessarily better than another.


broken leg update

This response submitted by kirk on 10/2/04 at 8:43 AM. ( ) 24.252.8.87

Thanks for the answers. The break is in the exposed part between the foot and the "knee". As for the epoxy to use, I would guess something like apoxy sculpt or I suppose any two part epoxy would work? Again, thanks for your help.
Kirk


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