While mounting old study skins into decorative display pieces,I needed a bird body that had the softness of excelsior yet with a harder sufrace to accept and hold pins more rigid than the excelsior did. By trial and error,I wrapped the tiny bird bodies from jewlers grade excelsior and coated them with Elmer's Urethane glue (not unlike Gorilla Glue)with a disposable hobby paint brush. In a few hours,the body resembled that of a minature cast and poured foam mannikin. It dried and bonded with the excelsior so well that I could actually just pin the pieces of torn and tattered skin parts directly to it. Some of the original bird's feet were so badly destroyed by careless storage that I replaced them with cast replicas or real bird feet substitutes. Data tags on some of these beautys were from the mid to late 1800's.
Just for the heck of it,I'm trying this out on some larger size wrapped bodies as well. I'm sure this was thought of and done before by some much more adaptable taxidermist than me but I have to tell you the truth,I never got so much fun out of doing birds like this in my life.
Return to Bird Taxidermy Category Menu
Sounds like you are having fun. That's good. It's always interesting trying new ideas. Good luck.
I like that idea! I usually wrap my bird bodies, and I too have wanted a harder surface for pins. I think I might try this idea, and if it works for me, I might try it on large goose bodies also. Thank you for telling us:o)
Becky
Since you folks do a lot of wrapping, can you tell me where to get the VERY fine jewelers tow? I used it at PIT and at Stefan Savides' place but the stuff I have bought (Research Mannikins) is trash! It is about the same grade as regular excelsior and full of strands of what looks like hay baling twine. I have been told that OLD mattresses had the ideal stuff but haven't been able to find any. Thanks.