I was wondering if any one could tell where I could get information on finish work on african game I need help with the seam and I know that you have to rework them.
Thanks
Return to Gamehead Taxidermy Category Menu
African work to regular taxidermists is sort of like the language they came from:Swahili. Here's what I do and it probably isn't what the guys who do vast volumes of it do.
I bend a 6 gage wire in a slight curve and I lay it atop the seam. Then I take a hammer and beat that seam down into the form. Once the trench is formed, I take colored Apoxie Sculp (with impala, I use brown and yellow blended together to get it close to the color) and I lay a bead down in that trench. I feather it out as best I can to match the contour of the maniknin. Once that's done, I take a big pin and run the point along the edge of the Apoxie to pull out any longer hairs. Then I take a fine wire brush and texture the Apoxie to give it the appearance of hair. Next, I brush the real hair into the Apoxie, attempting to crossthatch it to give the appearance of it all forming naturally. When it dries, I air brush what I can out.
R.J. Symington will be a great one to give us the real skinny. He does some exceptional African stuff and, trust me, it's a SPECIAL ART to pull those things off.
Thanks for the help>>>>>>>
That l have seen were done as super-glued seams on hard urethane, or laminated paper forms.
No stitching.
l have done the same on lifesize abtelopes up to Bongo size, and 15years on they are still fine