Deer grooming

Back brush as mount is drying. You want to get the hair to stand up off the face as in a live deer, not all pushed down into overdone form detail. Once skin sets I brush down from brow to nose and on sides of face and with a smaller brass brisle brush lift hair around eyes, in ducts and around eyes. Also back brush chin area. As far as body goes I brush the hair from back to the front and front to back as it drying , it helps lift the hair so as not to have the flat tight muscle look. I do this daily for a week then when mount is completly dry.

 

To go along with what Paul B said is, I make sure the hair is fairly dry and the cape skin is moist and not dripping wet when I mount it.

 

I never card anything. Starting with a well fitting, well oiled and well shaved cape and a well prepped form as well as using a good hide paste like Pro-1 or Roman's 555 and 100% coverage, I haven't used carding on any game head I have done in many years. I have zero drumming anywhere.

 

Tanglewood when you oil your hide, does the oil prevent the hide paste from sticking to the hide?

 

Not at all. I was afraid it would when I first started tanning, however, after lots of research, my concerns were laid to rest. I wash the cape Kemal-4 before I mount it.

 

T

 

I also feel that it would not bond well with the oil on the hide. I use krotan and have kro oil to use. You wash the hide after you put oil on it?

 

I oil the cape, let it set over night, dry the hair and freeze. When I'm ready to mount it, I thaw it and wash it in Kemal-4, dry the hair and skin until the skin is just moist and mount it.

 

Thank you Tanglewood! I will give that a try!

 

Your welcome.
One thing that should help, is to know that all professional tanned skins, dry or wet tanned, have been oiled.
All soak tans require oiling and rub on tans contain oil and some you can add an oiling step. Krowtan has oil in it. So, just about every tan you have used, are using and will use has oil in it.