I've been using bondo ears and want to change over to earliners to get the thiner higher quality look, (just my opinion). I have just a few deer left for the year and would love to try it on these deer but I don't want to be buying capes cause I destroyed one set of ears. Just wondering on a scale of 1 to 10 on difficulty compared to the bondo method, or should I wait until I have some practice capes. Thankyou in advance. Jason B.
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I have read the McKenzie way of removing them.
I tore the ear to pieces. No joke, it was a mess
oh boy no looking good.
pickle your hide first it will help toughen up the ears and make the cartilage easier to get out. I let mine stay in pickle for 3 days take it out flesh remove the cartilage and return it back to the pickle for 24 hours. I hope this helps, EJ
I use krowtan to tan my deer. Does this put a total cabosh on this ear method.
Once the hide is tanned I dont really find it difficult at all maybe a 4 or 5 on yur scale. You just have to be careful if you have a hole or see one starting. If you dont feel comfortable doing it though wait for a practice cape and give it a shot once its tanned. Good luck, Kevin
I've found it less "destructive" to remove the cartilage after tanning such as Kevin does and one thing I found out was that when I remove the cartilage, I use my fingers, mainly my thumb and I keep my thumb nail on the cartilage side, I don't know why other than maybe from the direction of the pushing force of the cart. removal, but it seems that it does'nt rip the skin readily. Also as I remember George replying on here is that when you see you are starting to rip the skin is to make a slight cut on the cartilage where the rip is appearing. Keep trying, you'll like it.
You can do it after the pickle, or after the tan. The trick is to take your time and do not over exert with using too much mussel or set a speed record time to do it in. Do all the work with the fingers alone; do not use the wrist or arms for pulling or yanking. The more you do it, the better you will get but you have to make yourself go gently and forget the clock. Any one can do a nice ear if they take the time and do not rush it. Some guys demolish their first attempt and never get past that. You can fix almost every goof up on an ear. The bondo method is too easy to do as most short cuts are. Train yourself to go the extra distance to get the nicer ear. If you do not do the hard stuff to get better results, the competition will.
I believe in better living through chemistry. Check this article out. You should not not have any incompatability problems with what you are doing.
www.hidetanning.net/STOP-ROTfreezer.html
Jason, let me ask you a question: Do you REALLY think we are any better than you are in how we do taxidermy work? The "McKenzie way" is nothing new and was the way we did it 50 years ago. Like defatting a duck, you can't be a bull in a China shop. It's slow and tedious work, but you'll soon get the feel of it. Just like swimming, you never EVER learn by sitting on the beach. Jump in, get wet, and then you'll see how easy it is.
George your right. I put my pants on just like everyone else every day. I'll pull up my boot straps and go for it. I did a serch and I'm going to use the epo quick set adhesive and some nice ear liners and hopefully never look back at the bondo days.
Thanks fellas and Gods speed.
find it eaiser to remove them when i turn the ears. i salt as i go and it seems eaiser then after the tan.
There isnt an earliner out there that will get as thin as ear magic (if you do it properly), then you dont have worry about taking the cartlidge out.
If you ever use Liquid Fast Set and liners cut from soda cans, THEY'll be the thinnest you can ever get.
George I have never tried that method.
Jason i suggest u start growing your finernails out before you attempt to remove. try taking it off in two pieces also works for me