I'm into taxidermy as a hobby only. It gives me a chance to pass the winter months, and it gives me a chance to enjoy the hunting season in a different manor. I've mounted close to forty deer and six bear and numerous small game and would like to take my mounting to the next level.I've been noticing on several beautiful mounts the eye lid detail was perfect. My question is how do you get that detail in the eye lid and get it to stay? I thin my eye lids paper thin and attempt this detail but in the dring phase it seems to dissapear. I'm using buckeye hyde paste and very happy with the results except in this area.Also can anyone recommond a video that would show this detail being performed along with other finishing technics?
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I have a finishing and mounting video you may be interested in. You can go to my web site and look at some of my work. It's at sentinelpresentations.com/taxidermy.
Its an easy fix. Change your glue or be sure to get the glue/hide paste up around the eye.
You need to make sure you have slack skin, too. My bet is the skins thicker than you think.
Also use Epo-Grip 2 part hide paste, it will give you about 4-6 hours working time depending on temp, the cooler the better give you more time.
Nothing is going to change the grip of Epo-Grip 2 PART.
Make sure you have removed the slick skin on the form.
For starters, I had a TON of trouble learning the eye area and just had to accept this simple yet obvious fact: It's what seperates bad from good and REALLY seperates from good from GREAT. The eyes are 98 percent of the mount in my opinion.
So here's some tips I learned to help me and I must admit after three years I LEARN FROM EVERY SINGLE MOUNT STILL. My point is you must be very, very, very patient and detail-oriented to get the results you want. If you can't be, quit now. Not being harsh just trying to make newcomers understand that this is art not rough carpentry. Close isn't good enough very often.
Ok, enough lecture.
First, I no longer tuck eye skin. I will eventually try it again but I found it very difficult for my untrained hands to split the eyelid and thin well enough to reduce shrinking. So I use the "lay" method where you thin very well around the entire eye. That really helped.
Next BIG help was Epo-Grip hide paste. I use that around the eye area and waterbased Epo on the rest. It's more cost-effective for me and easier to work with because again, newcomers get more paste in the hair than veterans and it cleans up easier for me.
Next BIG improvement. My purchase of a "flip-book" of reference photos. Use them EVERY time and recreate what you see.
Finally, the next BIG step was understanding that my initial detailing of the eye lid is not nearly as important as the work done over the next 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours. After 4 hours, the paste will be very well "tacked" only then can you expect your details to stay in place "reasonably well." The clay is still soft and will hold. Adjust again at 10 hours, again at 16 or so, etc. Until you don't have to adjust any more. Usually a day or so. See that's where the patience comes in.
Hope this helped. Stick with it and you'll be fine.