what the best injection that i could use on injecting bird feet?
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Formaldehyde injected into the feet will plump them up slightly and preserve their shape within a minute or two. I would recommend using full strength (37%) and be sure to wear a face shield to keep this chemical from splashing into your eyes. The feet will gradually shrink back down to their correct proportions after a week or two. They can then be airbrushed to their lifelike colors.
The problem with injecting urethane mixes into feet is that those polymerization reactions are extremely moisture sensitve and you never get a complete cure within something like a bird foot. It takes a while, but after a year or two you will probably have oils, both natural and artificial, leaking from the feet. The shape will not be retained in the long run.
A better alternative, in my opinion, is to use artificial feet such as those produced by Mohr Taxidermy Specialites. They have super detail and will never change in form, although you can heat and bend them within small limits before attaching them to the bird. They are made of the same material as his jawsets and are very durable. Those artificial feet accept paints well and are easy to attach to the bird. Unfortunately they are limited to several species of ducks and not other birds such as turkeys and pheasants.
I don't know if Dale has had bad experiences with urethanes, but I have mounts that I have done with urethanes that are 4 yrs old that I used urethanes in and have had no problems. I like to shoot the feet up w/ Masters Blend, then drop them in a cup of acetone until the urethane sets. If its a standing foot, you'll have to make sure that you don't let the ankle joint lock up. You can go ahead and airbrush once the MB is set up, but I usually wait a week.
Sure is a lot of hype about artifical feet and heads.
Im sure to get blasted for this but I have done hundreds of mounts (ducks)both flying and standing over the years.
I just don't see the big deal about a little shrinkage on the back of a ducks foot or real duck bills.
my customers never complane and are not charged an extra $50 for rubber feet and bills
It is your business, you can mount specimens any way you wish. My personal preference is to use artificial heads and to inject the feet with MB and pre-paint them before mounting. Its what works for me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a bird mount that has the real head and feet...so long as they are well done.
Tim, if you are going to use formaledyde as your injection fluid you MUST mix it 50:50 with glycerin. Injecting straight formalin as Dale suggested will give you a shrunken, shriveled up piece of scab that will be almost impossible to paint correctly.
In my opinion, formalin and glycerin gives the best results for beginners as well as experts because there is no "work time", the feet don't set up hard which allows for minor adjustments and cleanup is simple. If you want even BETTER results with formaldehyde and glycerin try putting your entire bird in the freezer for five days after injecting. No shrinkage whatsoever! Be careful when using ANY injection method though---I'm sure Masters Blend burns like hell if you get it in your eyes and I KNOW formalin does.
Good luck!
Paul Czarnecki
www.tristatetaxidermy.com