I am looking for ways of completing the back of a shoulder mount-leaving it as is just doesn't look finished. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Return to Gamehead Taxidermy Category Menu
I stain the back with walnut wood stain, then as you are stapling the skin, do it working the wrinkles out for a smooth edge all around.
Now take a new shape razor blade and trim the ragged edgesfor a smooth even cutnear the staples. Just be sure and space the staples evenly same distance from the edge. and the cut the even also.
Take a hammer and hit the wrinkles where the skin goes over the edge of the mannikin, retrim if needed as needed.
Cleanup and excess glue, you can make the back look very nice doing this.
And glue that to the back of the mannikin first before you put the cape on. Then just staple and trim the excess fur off. You can get cork in rolls at any hobby store, craft store, or office supply store.
Coyote
I trim the hair flush with the form then hot glue felt on the back. On forms with pre-set hangers, I trim around that and glue the felt edge down around the opening. Most taxidermists in my area do nothing.
......On what the customer sees when it hangs on his wall. And I tell my customer THAT! I have competators that like to knock my mounts because I don't mess with that stuff. I let them choose between a finished back on a deer head that they will never see or a correctly mounted deer with properly done eyes, nose and tearducts, that they will have to look at. The CHOICE is easy.
If you have a problem doing the proper things on a deer head right, maybe you should spend extra time on the back!
I agree strongly with old Fart.
Just so the back is clean of loose hair & skin WHY Waste extra money & time on the back.
What will happen is the customer will go home & think he has it hung on the L bracket but in reality is is just snagged it the crap on the back of the mount .
Then it falls off the wall & the cuctomer is pissed at you.
I have a stncil that I use with my company logo and name. I paint this in the center of the backboard or the mount plywood. This way whenever someone looks my info is there. Hey, it's free word of mouth advertising...
I have a pattern for every form I use. Nothing fancy, just cardboard. They are 3/4 inch smaller than the back of the form. I buy 1.4" plywood. one side good. And cut it to the pattern, after I mount the deer, I use 8 Galvanized drywall screws around the edge to secure it to the form. this also pinches the hide between the form, and plywood. And I feel it keeps the back from potential problems. Then I install the hanger, and a Mountin man Sticker. I do nothing to the wood. it looks clean, and professional.
1 4x8 sheet of plywood makes 16 backings, the cost is the wood is $11.00 = $0,69 cents each. It takes David about an hour to cut 16 of them. I pay him $7.50 per hour = $0.47 each for a total of $1.16 each mount. I think it is money well spent.