silicone in turkeys help

Submitted by bob on 4/23/06 at 10:39 AM. ( RNTAXIDERMY@AOL.COM ) 205.188.117.67

i have been reading the archives for about an hour. silicone or caulk are used for turkeys. but nothing i read said anything about where to apply it, how thick to apply it and if it needs to be moved around inside the skin. would someone please clear this up for me. im going to do my first turkey and i want to do it right.

also i read both good and bad on both calk and silicone. which do you prefer and why.
thanks in advance
bob

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I use silicone.

This response submitted by BigsSwede on 4/23/06 at 11:10 AM. ( toivo.olsson@telia.com ) 81.236.229.116

It dries faster so I prefer it over latex caulk for big birds. But beware, do not get it on the feathers, sew up any holes in the skin. It should be used as a filler/hide paste, in the wing pockets and around the body and neck. Use a bit of plastic tubing to reach the hard to get areas. It makes for smoother, nicer transitions. The feather roots get locked in it and the skin stays in place without needles, pins and the like. It gives the bird a soft, full look. When doing small birds I use cheap ordinary caulk. On songbirds I fill the vings and shape them with my fingers - you do not need any pins at all! You donīt even have to sew the thin skin shut - you GLUE it together with the caulk. And when dried, these little guys get VERY stable! I learnd about the great method on this forum and from american taxi magazines - and my bird work really have improved! It is also faster and more fun! Read Breakthrough and Taxidermy Today. And good luck! BigSwede


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