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wire in tail ?

Discussion in 'Lifesize Mammals' started by boarhunter67, Nov 3, 2013.

  1. Nov 3, 2013 #1
    boarhunter67

    boarhunter67 Well-Known Member

    4,898
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    Bakersfield
    What do you do when you are using a super thin wire and still can't get it to slide all the way in the tail? I was doing a fox and sewed the tail up, but the last 2-3", no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the thin wire up into the tail. It would keep poking out.
     
  3. Nov 4, 2013 #2
    Outwoods Taxidermy

    Outwoods Taxidermy Active Member

    4,112
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    Broken Britain
    Sounds like the end of the wire is to sharp of a point.
    Also you can tie a thinner piece of wire to the end of the wire.
     

  5. Nov 4, 2013 #3
    boarhunter67

    boarhunter67 Well-Known Member

    4,898
    47
    Bakersfield
    I tried rounding the end of the wire. The wire is the end of the tail wire that you buy for fox so it's pretty thin already. This is the first time I've experience this so I didn't have any wire thinner and don't know where I could find thinner wire since this was pretty thin already.
     
  6. Nov 5, 2013 #4
    Outwoods Taxidermy

    Outwoods Taxidermy Active Member

    4,112
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    Broken Britain
    Did you pull or split the fox tail, you could try one of the bird guys for smaller mm wire.
     
  7. Nov 5, 2013 #5
    Rick Carter

    Rick Carter Administrator

    2,378
    456
    Bogart, GA
    Zap-A-Gap
     
  8. Nov 5, 2013 #6
    boarhunter67

    boarhunter67 Well-Known Member

    4,898
    47
    Bakersfield
    I split the tail. Rick, I did end up using zap a gap. I took a 2-3" piece of wire and glued it to the other wire that poked through the end, then glued it to the outside of the tail. The fur covers it, but I wasn't happy with it because I'm worried that the little piece of wire I glued to the other wire will come off sometime in the future. Should I have stopped sewing the last little bit of tail and just glued it since it tapers down so small? This was a very small, juvenile kit fox I am doing for a museum so the tail was pretty small.
     
  9. Nov 15, 2013 #7
    Jim B

    Jim B Active Member

    2,118
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    I realize I'm late to the dance and this would be easiest before mounting but occasionally I use a mill file to taper the last inch or two of a tail wire.You could also use a stationary belt sander but this is easiest if the tail wire is off the manikin.Times where I had to splice a wire in,I wrapped that with electrical tape.There are times when it is best to yank out the existing wire and start with a smaller one.I try to keep a supply of wire on hand for many reasons.It comes in handy.I think for your project,the file would have been a good option.
     
  10. Nov 15, 2013 #8
    George

    George The older I get, the better I was.

    34,669
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    Magnolia, Delaware
    Just did one like this. I pulled the tail wire from the form and ran a 1 inch spade bit down into the form. The tail itself was 12 inches long. I cut a 16 inch piece of #16 wire, a 13 inch piece of #12 wire and a 10 inch piece of #10. I hot glued the base of all 3 wire and then I wrapped the bundle with the Teflon tape plumbers use. I seated the wrapped bundle into the form and poured 1/4 ounce of foam in. I held them until the foam solidified.
     
  11. Nov 15, 2013 #9
    Paul B

    Paul B Active Member

    2,465
    23
    I buy the tails from McKenzie, fit good, a little heavy on the butt end, just thin down, and sew up with wire/foam tail in, no problem and are just about the same size and shape as the real one, keep frozen and compare for size when your ready to mount.