I am new to taxidermy and I just skinned out my first duck. I have been reading the book bird Taxidermy by Arthur R. Tetley and the next step is to remove the fat. I tried using his method by using a spoon and borax but I made several holes and it is taking forever. is there a faster and better way to get all the fat off. I went to WASCO and looked at some solvent can I just use that or do I also have to scrape the fat off.
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I used to use a scissors to break the shiny membrane covering the fat, then gently using a spoon to scrape the fat away( in the diection of the grain of the feathers only,head to tail!) I still use this method on pen raised waterfowl ( because they are super fat),Mandarins, and some Wood Ducks ( because both species are very thin skinned). Remember, take your time, and it will come in time, with some practice! Removing the fat fom a duck is one of the most important steps in mounting one correctly!
I have since gone to using a soft wire wheel ( advertised in most taxidermy catalogs). It is efficent, and really cleans the fat off off the skin great.