Newbie Trying To Degrease Skulls

Firstly, I would get the skull out of the tank and just put it in a 5 gallon bucket. You will need less water. Try using Dawn instead it is a detergent and not a soap. Use a fish tank heater in the bucket turned up all the way to provide heat. You need heat to allow the grease to move and react with the detergents. The yellow you are seeing now is internal grease deeper in the bone reacting with the soap but it isn't being drawn out of the bone itself. You can also try adding a couple of cups of straight ammonia to the detergent solution. Not sure about the blue color but most colors will be removed with peroxide.

 

The plain blue dawn at the grocery store...it won’t cause the skull to change color.

 

I had same thing happen a year after hanging one up. Back in the heated tank water with dissolved blue dawn in it for 2-3 water changes. Now its back to all white. Don't be afraid to submerge the antler bases as well, never caused me any issues.

 

Use the blue Dawn. Chances of you getting a tinted skull are slim to none. In many years, I have only had it happen twice and both were wolves. Color came out with peroxide.

 

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When using peroxide how do you do it? I heard there is a chance of fire using the stuff if not careful??

 

I don't think peroxide is flammable. I get a large aluminum baking tray, place skull in there and then foam brush 40 volume gel peroxide all over it. If warm, I like putting that out in the sun. Let it sit for a day, rinse well, let it dry. If it needs another coat, brush it on and leave it another 24 hours. That typically does it.

I've done 50 or more heads now and no issues at all. But first degrease really well.

 

Peroxide itself is not flammable but you can get into trouble if you are careless with the strong stuff. There is a lot of information on here if you even just search the archives for peroxide skulls or something similar. There is a reason that you shouldn't be using the "gel" type peroxide. The gel part of it is actually oil. If you did a great job degreasing it, slathering it with oil isn't a great thing to do. It's great for hair. Not so hot for clean bone. Better is to use the liquid 40 VOL and use the powder Basic White to make a paste like goop and spread it all over the skull. Wrap it with saran wrap to keep it from drying out too fast and put it in a really warm area or under a heat lamp. If under a lamp, keep rotating it so it doesn't get too hot. It will bright whiten without a second application. Rather than aluminum, I would be looking for plastic or glass or high end stainless. Cheap plastic trays can be found at Home Depot and other places.

 

Interesting, I'll search back for those threads. Never had an issue but if there is a better mousetrap I'll be happy to use it.

 

? Thank you!!

 

One thing I have noticed with this new "Search". There is a box that checks itself "Search This Forum Only". Uncheck that. There are other odd quirks too that you have to get used to.

 

Thank you sir. I am finding a wealth of info on this site.