How do all of the good taxidermists make there feet look really puffed up like a real duck. I just injected my bufflehead drake feet with 50/50 formaldehayde and glycerin. When they were dry, they looked like they had extreme freezer burn. Can anyone give me good products or steps you take to make your feet look good.
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They simply cast them and reproduce them.
1- Separate foot from skin at feather line.
2- Wash /degrease foot.
3- Remove tendons.(cut slit at center pad and pull out. get
out wide tendon at heel)
4- Inject with preserve it and glycerine.
5- Insert wire
6- Tie femur to wire.
7- Pack open slit and heel areas with apoxie sculpt. Make an
extension up the leg bone to glue skin to later.
8- Allow apoxie sculpt to dry (seals foot)
9- Inject with masters blend. Use a 16 gauge blunt syringe
needle. Poke hole with pin first. Then inject from the
tip of all three digits and the main part. Wait until 30
seconds before blend kicks to inject main part and hold
needle in foot under syringe pressure until blend firms.
10- Allow to set up.
11- Position foot and pin to cardboard or scrap foam.
12- Place in freezer for 6 days.
A lot of work. But done well will get you a plump nice looking foot if you want to go to this extreme.
When your degreasing the bird in soap water, work the feet in the water and let soak for 10-15 mins,than inject feet with the luke warm soap water with a syringe by the time your ready to mount it they will be workable again. At this point inject with a bird foot perservitve and let set
I just spent 4 (FOUR) days molding and attempting to cast a set of feet for my WTC entry. Needless to say, it was a 100% flop, they ended up being more stubborn than I. SO... now I shall put everything on hold until my plumping material arrives... thank God I have spare feet!
Jon
I am lost at how to exactly cast a foot. Can someone please help?