Well, I surely need some training. I just completed mounting my first whitetail deer. I started at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, and went to bed after complete mounting at 4 a.m. Wednsday morning. Then I pulled the lips and nostrils out of the form, IU was not happy with the excess skin around the corner of the mouth. so I sawed off the end of the nose built a dam and mixed urethane foam to extend the nose to eye measuremnet. then reapplied glue to the form. and reinserted the lips and nose back into place. I place3d the ears in an upright position with one trurned slightly rearward and the other forward slighlty. Honestly I am proud of my first mount I did it all by myself. The only thing I am worried about is the rear corner of his eyes. I used a rinehart with preset eyes and the eye socket is so tight against the glass eye that I could not apply much pressure to tuck eye skin without breaking the thin foam. Once it is dry I will have some pictures on here or my website. www.waterworldtaxidermy.com. So keep an eye out for it in two weeks.
Return to Deer Taxidermy Category Menu
It's my understanding your supposed to cut a slot around the eyes and tuck the skin using those forms.
I always cut a little circular hole at the end of the gum line to kinda make it look more normal. Might I suggest test fitting your cape before you put the hide paste on. That way you can make neccassry adjustments as needed. I pin and glue these types of forms around the eyes. Also, Went to your website. Your work looks good. Hang in there. The fun has just begun!
TeddyS
But without seeing it, you broke a cardinal rule: Don't screw with the Eye to Nose measurement. Otherwise, your deer ends up with a mule nose. The skin will pack if you're using a good hide paste. Second, cut off the back corner of that lip skin as I described a few weeks back. There's excess skin there because no matter what you do, there's no "curve" to wrap it around. But cutting that back semicircle off, you allow both the lower and upper jaw skins to be tucked in tight and there's no excess to ever worry about.
lol, But I bet you got some hints from this fourum huh? Take a break and rest; when you come back things seem to go better "useualy". He isn't going anywhere.lol Good luck Chad,
after you do a few youll look back at each one and you WILL get better with each one
Chad, Complete in less than 20 hours! Way to go Chad. I well remember some of my "learning experiences" that went on all night long where it seemed I would be beaten by a dead animal. Some things that are very important to help avoid these marathon mounting sessions are to always test fit the skin and don't start with the adhesive until the skin fits easily on the form, problems with fitting the skin can most often be fixed by thinning the cape down very thin, always be sure the form is properly prepared-thin lip slot and the finish of the form well scratched to assure good adhesion, don't try to tuck in too much skin aroung eyes and mouth-about 3/8" is plenty of skin to tuck as long as the fit is comfortable and the adhesive is good. Good luck and don't forget to enjoy-Aaron H.