hi all
can somebody tell me how to clean a old white bird mount thats been in the shed for 2 years and also is the any dangers in pulling apart a very old bird mount ...etc old preservatives
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There are several articles in the archives about cleaning birds. One of the best was by John Bellucci some years back, but they all tend to be band aids on severed limb.
As far as any dangers posed by tearing apart old bird mounts, I'd have to ask "WHY?" Certainly not for salvageable supplies I'd hope. It's better to just trash them. Years ago, we used arsenic soap to protect bird mounts. Arsenic is a heavy metal and either injesting it or absorbing it is rather a stretch, but another glowing reason why you should just trash the old mount anyway.
If you are clever enough you can remount these old specimens, provided the skin is in good order. It will require mounting the wings, tail, body and head seperately, and is the sort of process best tackled by experience persons.
For the reasons given by George, you should also were gloves and filter masks. Once apart these old skins can be given a rewash and clean.