I am doing a full shoulder mount on a whitetail deer and the hide was cut a couple of inches too short. the hide fits the form well there is just not enough of it to cover the entire brisket, wrap around and attach to the back of the form. can i somehow cut off a few inches around the back of the form to shorten it up? if so, what about the plywood that is molded onto the back of the form, is there some way to re-attach that and have it be secure again?
any advise would be appreciated.
thanks
gary
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Gary,I haven't done it ,but I'm sure you could cut a couple inches offand the mount would look fine.As to reattaching the plywoodmaybe bondo or foam would hold it in place, of course you will have to trim the plywood to fit.Once the skin is fit and stapled around the back of the wood that would also secure the plywood.
Cut as much of the form off as you need to get the mount done. Then, remove the backboard from the piece that was cut off. Trim, if necessary. Bondo the back board into place on the form. Smooth out any uneven places with your choice of material...foam, apoxie sculpt, clay, etc.
John W...you beat me to it..
This is exactly the thing that made me want to give up taxidermy several years ago. Seems like every other customer brought me a cape that was too short. I cant remember how many forms I had to cut and shorten. But my wife at the time was scared to be around me.
.....You charge the customer for it. It's his screw up, not yours! Nothing gets their attention like a $75 form altering charge!
gary, Given your currant situation the above advise is good and certainly is done a lot. I have done the same but sometimes when it's just a little bit too short you can go with a neck size smaller and get good results. Also the choice of a mannikin that shows less briskit can make a world of difference- especially when one side is short and the other is ok (offset shoulders). Enjoy, Aaron H.
If it is long enough most of the way around, you could just cut part of the form and make it like a wall pedestal...
We always show the customer if the hide is too short or cut-up bad enough to need extra sewing or if the form will need to be altered. This is the visual reinforcement for the extra charges incurred.When you speak to him about it-if he wasn't the one to cape it-and an abottoir (processor) skinned it, then they(the processor) may be held responsible for the damages(extra sewing, altering form, replacement of cape, etc.).Honest and open communication with the customer about possible problems with their trophy mount can avoid a lot of problems, and possibly avoid the loss of the customer in the long run. Word-of mouth advertising is the either the best you can have ..or the worst thing that can happen to you. Good luck-Susan