I just finished my second full strut turkey. It looks great with one exception, it falls foward. I apparently used too light of wire. What can I do to keep the legs straight? It has been drying upside down for about 1 1/2 weeks.
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and rewiring, there isn't too much that can be done at this point. Although it may sound catastrophic, simply incising under both wings and down the leg to the heel so that you can remove the entire leg and rewire is about the only thing that you can do. Once splayed open, I would rehydrate the surrounding skin so that you could sew/staple it back together more easily.
What size wire did you use? On a standing bird, you need to go atleast with a minimum of 6 gu wire, I use 3/4 in steel rods which can be a total pain to bend, but it can be done.
It sounds worse than it acutally is, and the best thing to do would be just jump right in and start otherwise if you're like me, you'll sit around worrying about another way to do it when you could have had it done an hour ago.
Anyhows.. Good Luck.
Jon
Jon, I've seen your web-site and see that you are a talented bird taxidermist, but I was wondering if perhaps you meant to type 1/4 rods instead of 3/4. I use 9 ga wire on turkey legs with no problems and 1/4 rod is stronger but tougher to run up the leg. I can't imagine 3/4 rods. Just wondering.
perhaps this is cheating, but you may find it easier to jsut do a little habitat and run another support into the bird (limb or grass, etc)
good luck
With THIS bird, I am not sure WHAT you can do. MAYBEEE Make a base that has some kind of tree or something to anchor it to. That or remove the legs, Buy some new legs and wire with 6 ga wire and re-attach to the form with bondo and the like. (I think the McKenzie Web site might show you how to attach legs in this fashion, though you will retrofitting the legs.)
In the future use 6 ga wire. Thread the ends and secure it to the base with nuts. It wont go anywhere!
I would try inserting a wire on the bottom of the body and anchor it to the base to hold the bird. Make this look like a branch or cover it with grass or wrap a fern. Whatever your choices incorporate a habitat to make it look real.
I believe Jonathan meant a 3/16 rod or 1/4.
Yep ya'll are correct.. I meant 3/16 or 1/4..
That would be one heck of a turkey leg if I could fit a 3/4 in rod in it.. HAHAHAHAH.
Jon
Thanks for the great ideas. I think I have the problem fixed tho. I was able to drive 2 small nail in the knuckle and then placed the legs a bit farther apart. It seems to be doing the trick. I am however going to put a small tree in the habitat also just as a backup. Thanks again for the input. Terri