Wolf Skull Needs Further Degreasing

Are you heating it
At what temperature

 

Did you ad Dow too
Im doing a grizzly skull myself too that’s has been boiled
I’m only using 2.5% ammonia at 112F
Is being only 2 days and I can see the grease floating to the top

 

Awesome thanks
I’m thinking 3 weeks for my bear
I’m using the dow method right now but I’ll be switching to the ammonia
Faster turnaround on degreas

 

The wolf is really super greasy so don't be in a rush. You are looking at weeks of sitting to get this clean, not days. Don't worry about the lower jaw coming apart. It should because all the material in the joint has been removed. Very easy fix with Elmer's Glue and a rubber band. As you are not using straight ammonia and it is a weaker percentage, keep it heated for the duration. Don't worry about changing it but just make sure it stays submerged. Just let it sit for at least three weeks before even poking at it to check. Save all your loose teeth to replace later. You can set the teeth and glue everything in place at once and that way, all the teeth fit together properly.

 

Heating it *might* help but it will also increase the fumes. Might have to put a blanket or something over the container so you aren't smelling ammonia. Just don't seal it tight. Leave a gap for it to keep air pressure equal. I use acetone to dissolve the paraloid as the skulls dry faster. I do notice that the dried Elmer's turns white when the acetone hits it but it dries clear again. I have not yet tried dissolving it in alcohol so I'm not sure what the glue does in alcohol exposure. Alcohol is a lot cheaper and safer to use than acetone. I just use it because of the faster dry time. The glue is not compromised in any way as your exposure time in the bucket is mere seconds. Just make sure that the glue is fully dried and cured before coating it. All you need to do is dunk the whole skull into the dissolved resin and let it drip dry.

 

Only to make it easy to keep the air pressure equal in and out. The lid should be on it but just leave one part of the lid not snapped on tight. Should not be smelling any fumes doing that. In case of any gas buildup, the lid will not be popping off and releasing a quantity of gas or worse, the bucket splitting if there are any weak areas in the plastic.

 

That is really bizarre. Someone must have been feeding it donuts or something. Give it another week and make sure your temp is at least 115 degrees. Use another temp probe to make sure and check in different areas. The water in the container possibly isn't as warm as you think it is. Try stirring the water to mix it all evenly and check the temp. If it is cold, you could try turning the heat up or even buying a small, cheap water pump for one of those indoor decorator fountains. I bought one at a yard sale for a dollar and pulled it apart to get the pump inside. You might be able to get a suction cup at a craft store, secure the pump to it and stick it to the bottom of the container. The object is to keep the water moving around so the temp is the same everywhere. If you want to spend the money on it, you might want to try a soak for a few weeks in straight acetone. That won't get all of it out but it also seems to do something to the grease remaining so, when you put it back in the ammonia/detergent mix the rest of it comes out. This thing is being a bugger. Going to look really nice with the grease out though. This is a great example of what grease does when cooked into the bone too. Sometimes, being all about quick and fast doesn't end up with the best result.

 

Acetone is expensive and you may want to wait. I'd try the Dawn water again for a bit but tweak the temp up to 120. Normally, you wouldn't really need this high but the grease was cooked and the higher temp may work better.

 

Is it totally dry in those photos?

I'm worried that the non-greasy bone might be getting damaged.

If it really is greasy (i.e., dry and still looking like that), then I recommend two approaches: 1) If you are in a hurry (e.g., if this is a customer's piece) then you can put a few drill holes in strategic places and put back in ammonia or dawn. If this were my skull, I'd do 2) dry it (slowly so it doesn't crack), glue the teeth with elmers, put it on my shelf for a year or two or more and then degrease later. That will let more of the grease come to the surface and it will be easier to clean down the road.