I am wondering if everyone removes the feet off the bird like I see in the Breakthrough and Taxidermy Today issue. It looks like the way to go. I haven't been brave enough to give that a try yet. But I will on the next duck I mount. Just wondering is all. No I haven't looked this one up yet in the archives LOL. I will as soon as I have time. Jack F
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I remove em. It makes the process so much smoother for me. I know lots of guys that will not remove them. Its just an individual preference.
how do you know how to position them for the pose that your gonna do? i would imagine that you inject them while they are off and paint. what are the pro's and con's of doing that?
i started taking them off and was amazed at how much time i took off of the mounting and finishing process. You just need to decide on your position and base before you inject them. It is especially easy for flying birds. If you are using artificial heads also your bird is pretty well finished as soon as yor done mounting it.
If someone gets time would they e-mail me and show me the easy way to do this. I have done it and have always wanted to try but not real sure how to.
Thanks Buster.
If someone gets time would they e-mail me and show me the easy way to do this. I have not done it and have always wanted to try but not real sure how to.
Thanks Buster.
This procedure takes time , effort and materials, but you will get a decent looking webbed foot when done.
1- Disconnect tibia at knee ( between drumstick and thigh).
2- Skin drumstick almost to heel.
3- Remove meat and tendons from tibia bone.
4- With #11 scalpal cut leg skin from tarsus(instep of foot)at
heel.
5- Gently pull out tarsus with tibia attached.
6- Clean marrow from tibia with wire.
7- Work back heel skin and remove heel tendon. Tibia and tarsus
stay attached.
8- With small drill bit, drill into tarsus bone. Go in
between heel and tarsus bone. Just need to get
at marrow.
9- Cut small vertical slit at high end of the foot pad.
10- With curved needle nose plier pull out the tarsus tenons.
11- Soak foot in jar of coleman gas for at least 30 min.
12- Pad dry foot clean with paper towel.
13- Soak foot in jar of pine sol or dawn until foot is well
hydrated and flexible.
14- Dry foot and inject with glycerine/preserve it 50/50 mix.
Let soak in for 10 minutes or more. Time needed for foot
to toughen(not harden).
Use a 10 ml syringe with an 18 gauge, 1 inch long blunt
needle. (McMaster Carr # 7516a676).
Poke hole with a sharp upolstery pin first. Then stick
blunt needle in.(You don,t want to inject yourself).
Inject from tip of each toe, at the heel and through the
slit.
15- When ready insert correct wire depending on mount postion.
16- Pack the heel area with Apoxie Sculpt. Seal the wire and
joint in.(Wire length to be approriate for mount).
17- Pack Apoxie sculpt into slit area around foot pad and toe
joints.
18- Sew up slit with 4lb Fireline.
19- Allow Apoxie sculpt to set.(Will take 2 hours or more).
20- Go over foot and seal any holes (except injection pin)with
zapagap glue. Get around the apoxie sculpt edges.
21- Test a mix of Masters Blend to time and benchmark the set up
times.
22- With timer ready, mix a batch of masters blend for injecting.
23- Watching timer, fill the syringe and be ready to inject.
24- At 30 seconds before set up, inject mix through pin hole.
Allow syringe pressure to pump up foot area and hold.
When mix kicks back syringe out slowly with mix almost
kicked at exit.
You will need multiple syringe set ups to do the different
areas of the foot. Needles are done but syringe gets
cleaned and used again.
25- When injected foot has firmed (1 hour or more), position
foot as desired. Contour as per mount requirements and
card pin as you you like. Remove excess masters blend.
26- Place foot in freezer for 6 days or so.(Open to air)
Take out of freezer, let sit for a day or more.
27- Fill in any void areas (if any)with apoxie sculpt and
texture.
28- Seal, prime and paint.
29- To put mount together.
a- Wrap the tibia thinly.
b- You can slit the leg hole open wider to accomodate the
tibia insertion.
c- After put together,leg skin is glued to tibia at heel.
d- Wires should be sized to make for easy bending/glue in.
e- Drumstick is added to before sewing breast.
The end.
Just cut them at the feather line and pull the bone thru, you may have to trim the knee joint down to fit through, when reinstalling I just glue the leg skin back on to the bone/wire.
I like doing it cause I don't like taping off a dried bird and handling it that much to paint it's feet, plus i have more control over the feet positioning when I inject them by themselves, less mess, I don't see any real advantages not to.
This has been very good info once again. I will be giving this a try the very next duck I mount. Thanks Jack F
Dear Lord it must take you a long time to mount a duck. I hope you charge plenty.
Why remove a foot,,,well you can take a foot off to replace it if the birds foot is damaged,but why remove it?,just to mount it.if you pre-inject a foot on a standing bird and you put it on someting other than a flat surface you,ll cuss the day you did it. plus a bird has to be fine tuned after it,s on its base.if you have to tilt or move to get correct balance on a bird and its foot is "frozen" in one stance....this will also make you wish you never heard of this method.