I looked in the archives, and everything is about a old mount. I got a deer back from the tannery the other day, I rehydrated it, let sit in the refrig over night in a plastic bag.
The next day, I mounted it. I noticed then that the nose pad we cracking and flaking off a bit. Now that it is dry, whats the best way to repair the crackes and missing nose pads?
If I use ModPoge (spelling) to cover the nose, and the paint will the cracks show through? Or should I coat the nose with something expoxy sculpt, or just plan critter clay?
What would you do?
Rob
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Just rebuild the areas with sculpt all blending then take modge podge and recreate the bumps then after the bumps dry apply a thin coat to belnd the bumps will look fine.
That damage to the nose pad began before it ever saw the taxidermy shop. The nose pad is the first to dry and decompose. Many deerhead mounts have cracked noses after some years because preservation didn't start soon enough after death. Letting the unskinned head hang around for days before getting it into the shop causes this type of problem. If the grain of this deer's nose pad has faults the repairs as described above do work for one to ten years. If you want a lifetime mount it is best to buy a cast nose from a supplier and replace it. When a nosepad cracks it is real bad publicity for the taxidermist and the profession.
You can use epoxy sculpt, feather out to the edge of the nose pad. Get your self one of those dandy nose rollers, works like a charm you won't be dissapointed.
To use that nose pad tool that larry jones or his son was listing on here and ebay. You would then take a small amount of apoxie sculpt feathering out the edges and press their mold over it for a better nose then the roller thing. I have one just for such use. His email is ljcamaro or something click on the search and type lj it should give their email. if not I have it and will look it up if you email me. Its a mold from a realy good deer nose pad and the trick is to use very little apoxie. I did one that half of the pad slipped off of alittle over a year ago and you can't tell it was ever repaired. I don't think I would use it every nose but it sure made the repair quick and easy.
Its Lt1camaro93 If you type that into the search it should give their contact I think his sons name is ben or brian. I would also pick the flakes off so you get a good bonding surface.