Looking for some input on freeze dried heads vs artifical heads on a turkey mount. I couldn't find anything in the search. What is your guy's opinion. Thanks for the input.
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this is probably going to get ugly, but I prefer an artificial head because it will NEVER change in time. Most people cannot paint an artificial head properly for realism. It's not in the painting, the secret is to stain properly before and after painting. That's what makes a good repo head, that and adding the feathers back into the head from the original. With a repo head, you never have to worry about shrinking, cracking, or bugs. Just my oppinion though, I'm sure there will be more.
A good freeze dried head, painted, is probably more insect proof than the legs and wings of a mounted turkey. Certainly just as good, and the realism is unequalled. You don't have to "transplant" anything and they're lighter so they require a less heavy wire. The real bill is always the give away and I've yet to see an artifical that would hide that fact. Feelsoreal has a new method of flexible wattles to give realism, so they're getting better. They just haven't gotten there yet. Lacquer paint bonds top the real heads superbly.
I agree with George on the real beak. But, I find it much easier to blend colors to achieve a more realisic head on artificial, as opposed to freeze dried. If you are as nitty as I am about not getting paint on hairs and head feathers, artificial is the way to go. When you have to paint around the hairs and feathers, it's impossible to blend all the colors you need to use evenly. However, 95% of the turkeys I do are with freeze dried heads. Give the customer the pros and cons of each, and let them decide. I know I'm going to regret disagreeing with George but, no matter how well you clean the head, and no matter how much base coat sealer you use, paint will flake off freeze dried heads (regardless of who does them). They are what they are, and that is . . .flexible. That means they are going to flake if bumped or scratched. Artificial heads aren't perfect, but you asked for opinions and here's another one. Good luck.
You won't get any grief disagreeing with me if that's your heartfelt opinion. If artificial heads were such a bad idea, they wouldn't still be making them. Funny part is, they make them from molds of freeze dried birds. LOL.
I prefer a well set up FD head. Takes time to clean the hairs/feathers, but if done well, its tough to beat. Like George said, if youre going to get bugs, legs, skin, feathers etc are going to attract them way before the head feeds 'em!
Actually, I mold my artificial heads from the real, raw head.
Freeze dried heads have too much shrinkage and not enough detail for the molds I wish to make.
-Kimberley
It is difficult to paint an artificial bill. In fact, I have still have not found an ideal turkey head color yet. My goal is to someday be able to pull an artificial head out of a mold with all the myriad of colors molded into it!
As to hair and feathers; only my first pull out of a mold has all of those. I'm still working on it.
-Kimberley
And I didn't mean to imply SHE used freeze dried heads, but others do. Those of you who've been in taxidermy awhile might recall those first pitiful reproductions we got of turkey heads. They were great at the time since it was the only alternative. Then I recall buying that first freeze dried head and just sitting and thinking how beautiful if was even without the paint. We've come a long way.
I prefer to make plaster molds and cast the heads with latex with the real beak in the mold. Removing paint from the hairs on a freeze-dried head is more difficult then gluing the hairs onto an artificial head. The down side to a latex head is that they shrink when they cure, but it is minimal and proportionate.
Thanks for all your inputs. Gives me alot to think about and try. I really appreciate it. Schmitty