I read some post's on woodcocks, I am just wondering to wash or not, will the tumbler tear the skin with the weight of wet feathers?
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You won't have a bird left when your done
don't try and mimmick the pros because they
have there proven system.You can dry clean a bird eh?
powdered borax or clean up a few bloody or soiled feathers
after it has been mounted.people that wash usually do it for turkeys eh they cut the wings off and wash em seperately then staple them back on the artifical foam forms I've seen it all done they use blow dryers to bring the feathers back and such
You always want to wash the bird. Not only to get as much of the oils off as possible, but to get the feathers clean so they look good and lay correctly. They always have dirt or even mud on them and you will want to get that off along with any residue left over from undressing and fleshing process. It's just like painting a car. The final paint job is only as good as the prep and primer job. Most of us don't like the undressing and fleshing part of the entire process, but it is so important for the final product quality.
The tumbler will not destroy the wet skin so long as the tumbler is set up correctly. You don't want it to be truning too fast. Around 14 rpm is good for all applications. Use a good corn cobb grit or fine hardwood. Make sure the tumbler is not too full. I have found that around 2/3rds full works best.
You don't have to use a tumbler. There are other options for you. You can use a cardboard box 2/3rds full with tumbleing agent and slowly roll it around. You can do the same with a garbage bag. This is also a good arm workout. ha ha! Then if you have all the time in the world, just use a hair drying for the entire process.
Good Luck
dry it between a couple towels and blow dry when ya get it on the form/Works fine all the time..........Gentle is better....A shop vac works also
Try hand tumbling in potato starch. Dave Luke wrote an article on mounting a collared dove last winter in Breakthrough Magazine and used this method.
Potato Starch only works well on Upland Game. If you use it on waterfowl you will have a less than desirable result
This is just me,,,but i think a woodcock is an upland bird... i am pretty sure its not in the waterfowl group.