John,
Reading through the archives. Back in '01 you posted a reply if which you stated that you use Epo-Grip hide adhesive, no sewing, just brads. The post made it sound like you do not sew the neck seam.
Do you still use this method? And are you using it for the neck seam?
What about eyes and lips? My first deer head mount pulled like crazy around the eyes and lips, but all I did was tuck the skin and then pin. Any suggestions are very much appreciated.
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I'm not John C, but I bet he was talking about bullet holes or other holes in the hide. I do the same on my deer. Just pull the hide together and brad. comb the hair in place and its hid.
When just playing around with some of my own deer, I have not sewn the head up I simply used brads, I have also air chiseled some of the antlers off for a simple antler burr to burrrrrr cut.
As I set the antlers I have set them in Bondo and done most of the skull tissue replacement with bondo, then ruffed it well to hold the Epo-Grip 2 part. Most of the deerheads I do sew.
For the problem around the deer eyes, the skin needs to be almost see through, I flesh the eye area while the cape is raw. Its so thin I can see my wooden fleshing beam through it.
The glands around the eyelid, look like little cylinders of fat must also be removed, not secret to removing them just time and your finger under them. KEEPS YOU FROM CUTTING TO HEAVY.
This is something you will need to learn. I tane the cape after most of the prep is done. Then only minor work will need to be done to mount. The nose will be almost black on the back side, all the little cross hatched tendons must be gone.
The face should be fleshed so thin that is relaxes and actually get bigger.
Same for the lips and chin and jaw area. and the area in and around the ear butts, up around the antler burrs, the forehead, tear ducts etc.
NO MORE THAN 1/16th inch thick.
By now you are asking why I have posted this, right?
Doing this will be the best thing you can do to eliminate the shrinkage that is your problem.
I also have taken to rinsing any tanning oils off the face with lacquer thinner, you can ruff those areas up with a wire wheel on a bench grinder, be carefull not to heat up the hide or burn through the skin.
I have also switched to sand blasting the forms, I can remove all of the slick skin off the form, in just a couple minutes, this give the E-G 2 part the best possible gripping surfaces.
Mix only enough E-G to do the ear butts, cheeks, eyes and forehead, plus your seam area.
Once you are happy with this, use T-pins t pin around the eyes, five pins is enough, then work out the areas I just mentioned.
Get it right because there is not any adjusting once you are done.
Do the nose and mouth with a new batch, (I wet the face down with denatured alcohol to lubricate my hands as I work in the details)
Final note do some test fitting before setting the antlers, I pin the skin ruffly in place, set the antler angles and measurments etc.
Then set the antler with bondo amd excelsior in the skull area, I mix bondo with sawdust to make a fast setting solid mixture for the skull muscles.
You may want to think about putting a roll of Apoxie Sculpt around each antler burr, then tuck the top of the burr skin into this roll, it will help lock the skin to the burr and also you will be forcing the E-G 2 part on up around the burr!
All of this will improve the quality of your deer mount and will help stop the pulling away you are getting.
Later when your speed has picked up, you may wish to think setting the deer eyes in Apoxie Sculpt, this will stop all shrinking away from the eyes, but you have to be fast and know what you want the mount to look like. REMEMBER IN FOUR HOURS THERE IS NOT ANY CORRECTING THE SET EPOXY!
Hope this helps.
John and Bojack. Thanks again for your input.
If not for guys like you alott of people would give up.
I will take your suggestions and try them on the next mount.
I very much appreciate your advice.