i had a friend boil a whitetail skull for me. the skull flakes off pieces of bone fragments. did he boil it too long or add some type of chemical that reacted with the bone causing it to flake?
as we speak i am boiling a skull...actually i am simmering it, i cant get the water hot enough to boil so its simmering. how to i make sure i dont turn the skull flaky? thanks
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bleach, can cause that, i know when i first started i got the same thing. the trick to boilng is not to boil any longer than absoultly nessary.
If you are going to "cook" it, then simmering is the right way. Don't boil it. Boiling can make it brittle as it removes calcium from the bone.
Maceration or beetles are better in my opinion. BP
the flaking is caused by calcium being drawn out of the bone by the heat. The flakes are calcium deposits on the surface of the bone. You should never boil/simmer a skull because of that.
And it sounds a lot like salsoda was used to boil it with. This accelerates the process.
I dont know, we keep saying the same thing, the same warnings, yet it still is being done. I know, every time a guy comes back with "Ive been doing it that way for years with no trouble" its hard to defend. But, like walking across the road, its not all the times you MAKE it, its the one time you DONT. I hear guys boiling with bleach, boiling, cooking for long periods, etc. I just wouldnt. I still say, if you must boil, just boil the water, remove the heat source, then drop the skull in long enough to cook the meat a few minutes, the result is like a steamed effect, and most of the meat comes off. Cant beat those skull cleaning services!
And found a worm. I HAD boiled for years with no problem, but I learned late in life I was just lucky (more like unconscious). I ruined a bear skull and I saw an Argali sheep horn knurled like a turnip. Your advice is solid and I now know this from EXPERIENCE of having done it BOTH ways.
Ive boiled skulls for almost 20 years. Mostly whitetail and hogs. The only problems Ive had are when the animal is inmature and Ive seen a few of these come apart. I warn the customer of this in advance. Its very seldom that I get a chalky one, maybe Im just lucky. While sal soda helps remove the meat, its important not to use too much. I like the macceration as well, but the smell is a problem in my location.
That smell is a problem EVERYWHERE! Just kidding with you. To me, youre playing with a time bomb, but Im sure you feel confident or you wouldnt do it that way. Like George, I saw when it doesnt work, and Im just not comfortable with my chances. So for the sake of giving advice in here, I lean toward caution.
your cookin it too long. i don`t care if your just simmering or boiling. its cooking too long. i soak all my european mounts ina horse water trough for about a week. than i boil in a 55 gal. drum cut in a third and a double burner with sal soda in the water. i simmer for about 10 min. and its clean. don`t cook those skulls too long.
I have done a few european mounts, and I was wondering what substances are best for bleaching the skull after it is boiled.