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Too Many Pin Feathers?

Discussion in 'Bird Taxidermy' started by Wally Gator, Mar 7, 2020.

  1. Mar 7, 2020 #1
    Wally Gator

    Wally Gator Well-Known Member

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    This mallard has more pins than any bird I have skinned so far. I usually pull them, but if I pull all of these she will be naked. What are the chances of making a decent dead mount of her? I will mount her anyway just for the experience and challenge of dealing with the pin feathers, but I want to know what you veterans and experts would do.
    Thanks for your input.
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Mar 8, 2020 #2
    Tanglewood Taxidermy

    Tanglewood Taxidermy Well-Known Member

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    Your answer is 8 posts below your post. The consensus seemed to be to reject it. I posted in that thread what I do with pin feathered birds. I have mounted worse that came out ok for my personal mounts that only I will see and are strategically placed so the best part is visible, however, they are not customer quality.

    Scroll down and see what was said.
     

  5. Mar 8, 2020 #3
    Wally Gator

    Wally Gator Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the input. I decided to mount her after church tonight, and I’m glad I did. I am quite pleased with the way she turned out. She belongs to a friend, and he told me to trash her if I wanted to....just couldn’t do it. I just posted pic in the Workbench thread.

    Blessings
     
  6. Mar 9, 2020 #4
    Tanglewood Taxidermy

    Tanglewood Taxidermy Well-Known Member

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    It turned out real nice!
     
  7. Mar 9, 2020 #5
    Wally Gator

    Wally Gator Well-Known Member

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    Thanks a lot. I had a little fun with my customer...he works with me, so I bagged up a handful of the feathers and gave it to him this morning and told him that was his duck. After telling him how many hours I spent trying to save that wretch, I showed him the pic. He is thrilled, so that’s all that matters. It is great to have friends willing to let me work on their birds with the understanding that things may go wrong. It is also great to have this forum, a place to ask for help and opinions.
    Thanks again to you and all the other contributors. Hopefully someday I will have some valuable input for another beginner.
    Blessings
     
    pir^2h and Wildthings like this.
  8. Mar 10, 2020 #6
    Tanglewood Taxidermy

    Tanglewood Taxidermy Well-Known Member

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    I can imagine the look on his face when you gave him that bag of feathers.

    There are some good pin feather threads in the archives IF you can find them, which, can be difficult.
     
    Wally Gator likes this.
  9. Mar 10, 2020 #7
    GotHonks

    GotHonks Well-Known Member

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    Northern CA
    Just mounted a Speck that was as full of pins as that mallard and it came out fairly nice .. But woulda been Great without the pins .. What I notice is that now that it's dry , if I track feathers on the breast .. The pins come right out so I guess once it's done leave it alone and call it good .... Normally a bird that bad I won't mount unless it's for a family member or close friend .... Good job on the Mallard ...
     
    Wally Gator likes this.
  10. Mar 10, 2020 #8
    Tanglewood Taxidermy

    Tanglewood Taxidermy Well-Known Member

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    I always made sure I had caulk covering every square inch of mannikin, neck. head etc. I also made sure that the skin was pressed into the caulk like a hide paste on a deer form. That held the pin feathers in place once it dried.
     
  11. Mar 12, 2020 #9
    Marvtaxidermy

    Marvtaxidermy Member

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    Just curious, did you wire wheel this or no?
     
  12. Mar 13, 2020 #10
    Wally Gator

    Wally Gator Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I did wheel it about 90% clean, then finished up with scissors as needed. The wheel was pulling some pins through the inside.