As I normaly tan the skins Im working with I have not used DP.
Yesterday I mounted a pair of green wing teal intending to use dp on the skins, prior to mounting I washed the skins to get the blood out and allowed them to drip dry for a while but they were still wet when I mounted them.
As they began to dry I noticed the feathers were stiff and applying pressure to the mount with a finger I detected that the wet dp was soaking out in a pasty consistancy and as it dried the feathers were stiff.
The birds are mounted but the feathers are now stiff and difficult to work with. I am wondering how to clean the feathers so that they will be soft and supple, more life like again. I am sure there is some simple way of cleaning this out of the feathers.
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The bird gets tumbled until the feathers are dry but the skin is still tacky. I even mist water on the skin if they're a little too dry and THEN I DP the skin. The paste you're seeing is a combination of borax, talc, and alum all dissolved into the water leeching out into the feathers. You need to rewash the skin in Dawn, rinse, and tumble all over again.
Well my 2 cents is to not tan,,just wash well,and dry.this may help you...p.s. whats DP?
dp=dry preservative
sometimes i think someone just makes up these rediculous stories.
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