I would like to know tecnique for bondo ears and building ear butts. Can the cartilage be left in and such. thanks!
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I really like this technique.
Seperate the skin from the cartilage with ear openers. I use my thumb nail on the delicate areas to prevent ripping the edges. My fur drum is smaller so ears don't usually rip out when I put them in for drumming. I've heard that some folks don't open up the ears completely until later because drumming causes their ears to rip. So you may need to consider this.
I leave the cartilage in, and then turn the ear inside out and dunk them into some laquer thinner to clean the oil etc. off the skin. After this dries somewhat and evaporates off, I turn them right side out again.
I mix up a mixture of bondo and fiberglass, about half and half. Next add some hardener and mix. Then I add some fiberglass chop. Don't add the chop until things are well stirred up with the hardener.
Now the hard part....Getting all the goo into ear. I usually take a page out of a catalog. Place enough goop in the middle of this page to fill the ear. Roll up the page into a narrow cylinder. Insert an end into the ear, and squeeze it into the ear. I partially invert the ear to get it in there. This squeeze tube works slick, and avoids a lot of mess.
After you get enough in there....work it all over throughout the ear with your fingers. You don't want your ears too thick, so you can't leave too much in those places you want thin. I also wet the ear and wire brush all the hair into place. I usually put a paper towel into the ear butt to keep the bondo mix from running all over where it shouldn't be. I've heard some people poke a small hole into the ear tip to let the air out. Might be a good idea, but I usually don't do this. If any bondo gets on the hair clean it up with laquer thinner.
When things start to harden I'll invert the ear at the butt slightly, and cut out the fiberglass in the ear butt area. If you wait to long it's hard to cut it out of there. I usualy use a knife and pliers to remove it. If it's too hard and thick you can use a hack saw too, but don't saw through the ear itself.
I then mix up a thick batch of ear base and put the right amount in each ear. Don't overstuff them. Or you can use clay, but I like ear base better. It dries slower and may be harder after it dries. I do all this before putting the cape onto the form.
This is what I've been doing for several years. I'd like to hear other methods. I'm willing to change if I find something that will work better....Steve
Pat, Like all things taxidermy there are several correct ways. I use body filler (the cheapest I can find) add about 3feet of fishing line cut up short divided between the 2 equal portions of filler for strength. Leave the cartilage in. I "bondo" each ear but not the ear butts. When mounting I build the butts with clay. To enhance the attatchment of bondo to ear I blow dry the cartilage and skin inside the ear before applying the bondo. Read lots more on this subject in the "search". Enjoy, Aaron H.