How To Wrap Mammal Bodies?

At the top of this Lifesize Mammals Forum, is a "Wrapped Mounts Only".

Although it's missing some pictures, and there isn't a particular full step by step tutorial, the thread has a wealth of information.

https://www.taxidermy.net/threads/254755/

 

If a video would work for you instead. I have seen this one, it's pretty decent.

https://www.kastaway.com/store/store_product_detail.cfm?Product_ID=198&Category_ID=1

Really, it's not that difficult of a process, but it's difficult to make look good without practice.

Make tracings of the skinned carcass in the pose you want, take lots of measurements.

Take a wire, create a "backbone" . Mist down some excelsior with water, grab a bunch and wrap and form the main body with string, adding excelsior as you go.

For the legs, on squirrel sized animals, take a wire, shape the wire for the leg bones leaving length of wire on both ends for attachment, and wrap until it looks like a leg. On larger animals, you might want to create leg bones with wood dowels and attach together with holes drilled through the ends and tie together at the joints. Add a wire to these "leg bones" so you attach and bend them.

Carve a head out of foam or purchase a change out head.

Take a look at picture 1460 on the thread, that's what you want to achieve. https://www.taxidermy.net/threads/254755/page-73#post-2599438

I do like to wrap shrink wrap around the completed manikin to make the surface smooth for slipping the skin over the body.

If you have a public library near you, visit it. The older taxidermy books have lessons on wrapping bodies.

 

Kastaway has 4 wrapped body DVDs.

 

Here are the 5 DVDs available for wrapping bodies. https://www.kastaway.com/store/Store_Sub.cfm?Category_ID=1

 

Wrapping is an art and you can do amazing mounts with the technique once you get good at it. As Keith stated, go to your local library and look for the older taxidermy books. They all have decent pages on wrapping and what to do. One old book I have I seem to remember a good section on it. A Compact Step by Step Guide to Taxidermy by Frank Tose. The library may have it and you can find reprints of it online. I prefer original editions but they are hard to find.

DVDs made by someone else would also be good as you can watch what they do and shorten your trial and error phase.

 

First open mouth using the real skull and wrapped neck. Feral cat that was found as roadkill. Finish work to come as it dries.

 

Nice job on that cat. However, the inner mouth is way too red for me.

 

Yeah definitely gonna tone it down a bit.

 

This is the one time that the old Northwestern School of Taxidermy pamphlets might give you some assistance. You can find them on eBay for a few bucks

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1153721567...iRE61a/VFaC+ytqVeCRnQCt/AM|tkp:Bk9SR8zN5M_YYA