Hi everybody, I have a short hair whitetail, shot the 3rd of september that I am preping today I am wondering if anybody has any tips for sewing a cape w/ this short of hair. It has a long incision so theres plenty of sewing to do, I figure there must be a way to hide it really good because I have seen many african mounts that dont show at all unless you look for it.
Also I have a Badger air brush that I have never had anything but problems w/, I dont think there is anything actually wrong w/ the brush itself but probably the way I am using it. I plugs up constantly I try adjusting it differently, thinning paint,Using different paints, different air pressures. This is the only brush that I have I have managed to get by for the last few years but if I dont figure it out soon I am going to have to invest in a different one. I know now that Passche is the industry standard what modle of their brush is the most versatile, and do you suggest single or double action.
Thank you
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First thing, you should always short incision an early season deer like that. So, first, I would sew it back together from the inside and make it a short incision cape. When you sew from the inside, you will be able to keep the hair out of the stitches and hide the seam pretty good. Then mount it like a short incision cape. If you are careful with your sewing and take small stiches and keep the hair out of there, it should look good.
No help with the air brush. I have a Pashe and still have some of the problems you describe.
I highly recommend the Passche VL-5 with a #3 tip, double action. If kept clean very little clogging will occur with proper air pressures.
I would also recomend sewing up the hide to the base of the ears before mounting. I've dont' this before and it does hide the seam much better. I even do it when the short incision is not short enough for my taste, on a boughten cape. If the form is a tight fit, place a little super glue at the top of the seam to keep the thread from poping when you prestreach it.
archives on short-haired deer. YOu will find this has had a lot of posts before. One thing to do is dremel a channel in the form and fill it with critter clay for the short incision you leave to sew from the outside,(you may even want to do this for the entire seam). As you sew it up, add hide paste under the part already sewn as you go,(so the hide paste isn't in your way as you sew)and also have some hide paste available on both sides of the seam. When you finish sewing, push the hide paste up under the seam, taxi the hide where you want it, and push the seam down in the hidepaste and clay. Also, trim the edges of the seam nice and neat so that the hair comes together better,(you can bevel the edge slightly so the hair is to the outside) and use a small stitch, 1/8" or 1/4". I use a case stitch, or rolling stitch where you come up from the skin on one side and go down through the hair side on the other and keep the holes side by side,( check with the experts in the archives about the stitch to use. I am sure if you check the archives you will find a lot more on this. I also agree with stitching up from the skin side,(inside out) first to shorten up the seam before mounting.
If you have the new Van Dykes look at page 274. There is a diagram of the hidden stitch used for short,facial,and african hair. As far as an airbrush goes I'd stick to learning the the single action Paasche H. Great airbrush! Just my two cents. Good Luck- Jeff F.
Your problems are most likely the paint, but you didn't say if you are using water based or laquer. Are you using RETARDER? Thinner usually isn't enough, you need retarder too.
If you are using water-based paint thin it down a little with windex, trust me I paint all the spots on a rainbow, brook, or brwon all day long with a single action pasche, incidently I have a double action too but don't use it much. Here's the trick to it put a little paint in your piant cup, for every 5 drops of paint put a drop of windex. This is important don't put to much windex or your spots will run on you play with it and you'll get it. If you are using lacquer base paint apply lacquer thinner in the same manner. Good luck.
Do what Mike Dunbar said and when you want to flatten the seam into the critter clay use a small roller, similar to what they use for linolium. It is a hand-held tool from your hardware store, that has a 1 inch diameter X 2 inch wide roller at the end. This works excellent for evening out your seam.
I use it on seams in winter hair deer capes also, but I usually don't clay those seams. If you apply good and even pressure, it flattens the skin perfectly and leave the hair in great shape to groom over your seam.