defleshing and bleaching skulls

[shootermcgavin]

Can anybody give me any advice on how to go about removing all the flesh from a deer and coyote skull and also making them nice and bright white?

I heard using ant hills works well but I dont have any around in Calgary and I dont want to leave it out in the woods....

Thanks

[bingo1010]

boil em, scrape em, boil em, soak in hydrogen peroxide just long enough to turn white. glue the teeth back in

[Smoke-eater]

And make sure you boil them outside. They can smell pretty bad. Some tax. supply companies sell some pretty cheap skull cleaning kits that will whiten and have a clear coat that will make them look nice.

[Smoke-eater]

heres one from Cabelas. Ive found just using hydrogen peroxide gives them a dried out look.


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0009993224376a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=skull&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=skull&noImage=0

[Smoke-eater]

heres a post on bleaching


Bleaching

More properly called "Whitening" since no bleach is used. Using common household bleach will damage the bones & cause the them to flake. To get the bones really white, I use the following materials:


40% Hydrogen peroxide - This is NOT the 3% stuff you buy at the drug store. This is used by beauty shops to strip the color from your hair.

[shootermcgavin]

Do you order online from cabalas or do you drive down to the states and pick that stuff up

Anyone know of kits for sale in Calgary

Thanks for all the tips guys!

i will probably try the do it without kits...

After you de-flesh and whiten how would you guys mount onto a plaque

[raised by wolves]

The peroxide can at times be a pain to acquire and adds extra costs.

Try Oxy. Mix a spoonful in the pot while you are simmering and scraping. Once you have the flesh completely removed, mix up some more Oxy like a paste and rub it onto the skull. It really whitens and helps to draw out more of the oils and fats still in the bone.

I have been using this process for 3 years now and it works great. It did a really beautiful job on a trophy whitetail I took 2 years back.

[ex811]

shooter...go to AAA Taxidermy Supply House, Bay3,2235 30 Ave NE, 250-3313
Pick up some Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) and Hydrogen Peroxide (35%).
Add the Soda Ash while boling to loosen the meat. Use latex gloves while handling the Hydrogen Peroxide cause it will burn your skin.

Once you boil and scrape off the flesh I place the skull in a basin. I cover the skull with cotton (rolled, bought at any pharmacy) and wet it with the peroxide. The cotton will absorb the peroxide from the basin and keep the skull wet. Don't get the antlers wet. Excess flesh will be easy to remove after the cotton/peroxide has done it's job.

I generally let it sit for a few days before checking, repeat a few days.

Fun but messy. Msg me if you have any questions.

[7 REM MAG]

u have a pm

[matathonman]

shooter...go to AAA Taxidermy Supply House, Bay3,2235 30 Ave NE, 250-3313
Pick up some Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) and Hydrogen Peroxide (35%).
Add the Soda Ash while boling to loosen the meat. Use latex gloves while handling the Hydrogen Peroxide cause it will burn your skin.

Once you boil and scrape off the flesh I place the skull in a basin. I cover the skull with cotton (rolled, bought at any pharmacy) and wet it with the peroxide. The cotton will absorb the peroxide from the basin and keep the skull wet. Don't get the antlers wet. Excess flesh will be easy to remove after the cotton/peroxide has done it's job.

I generally let it sit for a few days before checking, repeat a few days.

Fun but messy. Msg me if you have any questions.

I've got a head that is mostly clean but not quite.This is from last years deer so the bit of meat that's on it is DRY and stuck.Will this method work still.I just boiled and scraped and picked but found the meat was pretty tough still.Took it to the car wash which worked pretty good but not quite good enough.Shoulda seen the double takes from the stall next to me.:lol:

[BUD]

boil em, scrape em, boil em, soak in hydrogen peroxide just long enough to turn white. glue the teeth back in


And save the stock for head soup , haaaaaa.

JB Taxidermy in lyalta sticks them in a glass bin full a beetles , come out clean as babies bum , not sure if he still does it or not , giveum a call , l dont think the price would break you either.

[Map Maker]

I've got a head that is mostly clean but not quite.This is from last years deer so the bit of meat that's on it is DRY and stuck.Will this method work still.I just boiled and scraped and picked but found the meat was pretty tough still.Took it to the car wash which worked pretty good but not quite good enough.Shoulda seen the double takes from the stall next to me.:lol:

I'm doing it the same Bassackwards way as you marathonman. The meat is so dry and freezerburnt, I have to use a dremel tool to grind it off.
I have spent about 8 hours just demeating the skull but nearing the end now. One trick i learned is to use steel wool after the meat is off. the bone looks and feels like ivory.
Im going to do some research on the whitening agents as it seems that can either make or break the project.

[Dark Wing]

Cabelas wont ship the European mounting kit to Canada, it might have to do with the peroxide provided. The secret with European mounts is to strip as much meat off the skull well it's fresh, then boil it.

[shootermcgavin]

Thanks for all the info guys.....

I am on the coast working and i have the deer and coyote skull back in calgary, for the most part they should have been frozen but i hear it has been warm the last few days... Does this affect the whitening and deflesing

they should not be dry and the coyote is 3 weeks old and the deer is from the fall... both stored outside.

Thanks again

Ryan

[Dark Wing]

Shootermcgavin, you may as well just boil the yote and deer. I let my whitetail sit for a month and it mummified a bit. Use electrosol tabs when boiling, when the meat softens cut as much off, I then dumped out the water and boiled it a again. Try not to boil it in greasy water it will stain the skull.

[wadeseward]

Hopefully I can post this here http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index
Just found it myself

[shootermcgavin]

Hello everyone...


I am currently trying to deflesh / whiten my coyote skull.... I cant seem to get absolutely every bit of cartilage off the skull. there is a very very small amount still on the skull in small holes ect.... How do you recommend I get all the stuff off and also is it necessary to remove absolutely every bit?

Thanks

[Map Maker]

Does anyone know where to get Borax?
I tried grocery stores but no luck.

[JohnB]

Does anyone know where to get Borax?
I tried grocery stores but no luck.


Safeway has 20 Mule borax.

[Map Maker]

Safeway has 20 Mule borax.

Thanks JohnB

[nicholal]

Hello everyone...


I am currently trying to deflesh / whiten my coyote skull.... I cant seem to get absolutely every bit of cartilage off the skull. there is a very very small amount still on the skull in small holes ect.... How do you recommend I get all the stuff off and also is it necessary to remove absolutely every bit?

Thanks

This is the part most people hate. YOU have to pick scrape cut all stuff off. Sometimes i use a peice of wire and pick away at it. The holes in the skull are most important. You can leave the skull in water over night or 2 this will keep the cartlige and stuff soft and easier to pick off.

But if you think it's good enough then whiten it in PEROXIDE ...NOT JAVEX BLEACH

Peroxide will attack the organic matter that is left behind that you missed. What it will do is make it lighter and also easier to pick off later if you desire. Hope this helps....and show us your skulls once there done.

PS if you dont DEGREASE your skulls they will get brownish yellow where the grease remains.

AL

[Map Maker]

Hello everyone...


I am currently trying to deflesh / whiten my coyote skull.... I cant seem to get absolutely every bit of cartilage off the skull. there is a very very small amount still on the skull in small holes ect.... How do you recommend I get all the stuff off and also is it necessary to remove absolutely every bit?

Thanks

Get some borax and add a bit of water to the borax to make it into a paste. Rinse off the skull and then apply the borax to completely cover the skull. Let it sit overnight. I did that and all the cartilidge is soft and pliable and is easy to pick off the bone. Suprised how much i missed.

Im now debating whether to sit it out in the sun or apply peroxide.

[shootermcgavin]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

I finished my coyote skull and thought I would post a pic for you guys to see.

I will try to do my WT when I get my next week off buy i think it may be a bit rotten by then!

at any rate this is it !

Thanks again for all the help!

[nicholal]

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

I finished my coyote skull and thought I would post a pic for you guys to see.

I will try to do my WT when I get my next week off buy i think it may be a bit rotten by then!

at any rate this is it !

Thanks again for all the help!

you did a fine job there. Did you degrease the skull as well? Take a photo of just the skull looking down on it. Go back and take another photo 6 months later. If you didn't degrease good enough you'll see brown spots "leaching back out into the bone".

you did a good job of getting all the cartlige out. Even looked in the ear and real clean way to go!!

AL

[LuckySeven]

I found if you get a big rubber maid bin...through in some sawdust and a couple bags of maggots , :sick: they work quite well for getting into all the places you can't see or reach. Cost is cheaper in the summer if you just leave it so the flies can get in and out. Then do your bleaching later !!
just keep it away from being down wind !!! Iv'e got a dozen or more skulls in the deep freeze waiting for summer !!!