I know this is going to sound stupid to some people. Let me preface this by saying that I have done my research on the archives and still did not come up with a suitable answer so here goes. Why tan the hides before mounting. I have been taught by several friends who are very accomplished and professional taxidermist. None of them have ever said or showm me anything about tanning a hide before mounting. I was taught to flesh the hide, slit the eyelids, ears, and lips, bondo the ears etc. Then we preserve the hide with dry preservative and mount it. Is there something that I am missing? I have had no problems with that message, but I have no mounts that are older than 6 years. Noone has complained thus far about the work or the mount. Just curious to see if I can improve myself. Thanks for the help.
All I can say if it's working for you then use it. I did use DP at one time and then went to a tanned hide. All in all it's so much easeir to work with a tanned hide. But you should know this cause it's been covered more than once on what is the differences between a tanned hide and a DP one. I won't go on because you read it all and you should be able to come to a conclusion on the differences. One that is chemically tanned for life and one that is still a raw forever.
I am sure you have gotten answers that state do this or that, but really these are just ones opinions. What works for me may or may not work for you. I have tried instant perserve and close to 10 other ways to ready the skin before mounting. With this experience Iam then able to decide what I like and hence what I will use. I urge you to do the same, try some different ways and then you will most likely answer your own question. To sit here and rifle off about whats better and why to me is a waste of time. Everyone thats asks for help in mounting a deer head that I have told to try a tanned cape( since they were using powder)
has never come back to complain.... they wish they had tried one sooner!
Give your customer the choise .... DP or tanned?...... most of them would want it tanned, common sense?, misconseption?, still most of them would like tanned .....what if I decide to give you a present, you can choose between two mounts, same detail, same price, same size.....one is dp the other is tanned...what would you choose?
thank you
Jenno