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Old 11-11-2007, 01:57 PM
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Question best skull bleaching method

i am sure i have read it in here, but anyways..what is the best way to bleach a skull for a european mount?
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Old 11-11-2007, 02:13 PM
jrs
 
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If you can get peroxide thats the best. Otherwise (follow carefully, the skull will be damaged if too much is used in the bleach step) fill bucket up with boiling hot water, put in a ton of dish soap, put skull in and let sit over night (antlers can go under, no worry this step), remove, rinse in hot water. Then fill bucket with boiling hot water only put about a 1/2 cup of bleach in per 10 litres of water, let sit overnight (don't let antlers touch bleach, they turn white, i generally put a chunk of cloth on the skull cap along the bases which will get wet with the bleach solution. Does a good job. Thats how i do them. The get really nice and white (don't judge by the one i've posted on here thats kind of grey (in tagging discussion now but has been on before), i shot that deer in the head and a lot of glue was used for the euro mount). Hope that helps. If you nervous about the bleach use less before more, too much eats away at the bone, more doesn't mean whiter (will be in short term than you notice white powder under it, in weeks you'll lose a ton of skull, they look terrible). I experimented with this a ton growing up, i've cleaned 100's of skulls and thats the fully revised method.
This is my brothers buck last year, i'm a big fan of skull mounts.



The one on the right is what happens if the garage fuse goes out when its half boiled and it freezer into an icecube. I did recolor the antlers after the photo was taken (if you have a accident and get some bleach on them not a big deal, pm me)


These are some i did when i was younger. Skipping dish soap can lead to the grey or yellow and the coyote on the right is one i soaked in way too much bleach. The big badger is one of the first ones i used this method on, those can be tough skulls to get nice and white.



jrs

Last edited by jrs; 11-11-2007 at 02:19 PM. Reason: Add more bleach warning!!
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Old 11-11-2007, 02:58 PM
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thank you very much, appreciate it.

Steve
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Old 11-11-2007, 06:31 PM
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High test proxide works much better than bleach.
Here are the steps I use for doing my bear skulls. We are doing the same thing to my Dad's Antelope. It should be done this week. I will post some pics in a few days.



CLEANING SKULLS & OTHER BONES

These instructions are for those of you that, for whatever reasons, want to clean your own bear or deer skull or any other bones. It may be for a school project, it may be because you want to save some money or it may be just for fun. For that last group, let me say it is NOT fun, it is smelly, hot and more work than you think. I no longer clean skulls myself, I send my skull cleaning jobs to a specialist.

NOTE :Potential record book skulls should NOT be cleaned by this method. They may be damaged or shrink. Record book skulls should be cleaned by professionals ONLY - using beetles or by maceration .

I have heard all the "old timer" ways to clean a skull - stake it on an ant hill, toss it on the garage roof, wedge it in the fork of a tree and so on. And given enough time, 5 years +, many of these methods will work to a degree. The fact is that ants will only eat the meat fresh, maggots only eat softened, spoiled meat and certain beetle larva will eventually clean up the dried tissue. But if you want a WHITE, clean skull in a reasonable amount of time, you need to either pay someone who knows what they are doing or follow these directions.
Let me add a disclaimer right here. These instructions are provided at your own risk, no promise is made or implied. If you are the type of person that refuses to read & follow instructions, if you lack common sense around fire, chemicals & sharp objects, if you are prone to sue somebody else for the stupid things you do, then leave this web page & pay someone to clean your skull. That being said, let's go.

Getting Started

If you have a fresh skull, begin by cleaning as much of the meat as possible from the skull. Remove the tongue & tissue from the lower jaw & separate it from the skull, clean out the brain cavity & remove the eyeballs. You are now ready to either freeze the skull or begin the cleaning process. If the skull was frozen intact, then thaw it, clean the meat & tissue as described above and begin. These instructions are intended for the cleaning of a bear skull. If you have an antlered or horned animal, I have tried to explain anything different you need to do First you will need:

A nice warm day with a breeze blowing towards a neighbor you dislike (the smell of boiling bones is not nice and I recommend you do it outside) You will also need:


A large metal pot big enough to completely submerge the skull
A heat source, i.e. a stove, outdoor grill or smoker (gas is easier to control), gas weed torch, etc.
Washing soda (sodium carbonate) available at most grocery stores - sold as a laundry detergent booster
Small wire brush
A pair of OLD barbecue tongs, gloves & a heavy apron
Small knife with a stiff blade
Small stiff wires (or ask your dentist for his used dental picks)
A work table, newspaper & soap & water
An air compressor is helpful

Place the pot on your heat source and crank it up to get the water boiling. Add a handful (1/2 cup) of washing soda for each gallon of water. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer (just barely bubbling) and put in the skull. For deer or other antlered skulls, keep the antlers out of the water. For horned animals (sheep, goats & antelope), submerge the entire skull. The horns MUST come off the cores and then the skull & horns cleaned separately. This is not easy on sheep
Allow the skull to boil for 5 minutes or so, use the tongs and lift the skull out of the water. If the meat has started to peel away from the bone, then use the knife to scrape & the wire brush & start cleaning. When you have removed all the meat that will come off easily, put it back in the water and allow it to boil some more. Repeat this process as needed. Use the wires & picks to clean out ALL the holes, veins & tissue in the nooks & crannies. Pay close attention to the lower jaw, the brain cavity & the nasal passages. It is important to remove all tissue from the skull or it will begin to smell. HOWEVER, in order to keep the skull from starting to fall apart, you want to boil it for the shortest time & at the lowest heat possible. Some teeth may become loose or come out. I recommend you remove the teeth, clean the base or root & and lay them out to dry in their proper order (or position in the mouth), much like a dental chart.
When you have removed all the tissue you can, leave the skull someplace outside where it is out of direct sun, like a garage or an old ice chest. You want the skull to stay moist and you want flies to be able to get to it. If you have missed any organic tissue, the flies will find it and in a day or so, maggots will begin feeding on what you missed. It may begin to smell, but this is OK - they will soften the remaining tissue in places you may not be able to reach. After a few days, boil the skull again in clean water with washing soda. This should remove any maggots and remaining tissue. Use the air compressor & a blow gun nozzle to flush out the brain cavity & the veins. Scrub the skull with soap & water and allow it to air dry.

Degreasing the Skull

You will need:

enough white gas (Coleman lantern fuel) to submerge the bones. Other solvents may also work such as - dry cleaning solvent, acetone or auto parts cleaning solvent.
Follow all manufactures precautions when using these products - most are highly flammable. Completely cover the bones (except the teeth) & allow them to soak overnight - 12 hours or so. Then remove them and let then air dry in the sun. Clean the teeth with the solvent one at a time using an old tooth brush. Place them on a clean paper towel in their proper order.
Submerge the horns on goats, etc. for 12 hours or so, then remove and allow to dry.
After a few days, or when the skull is thoroughly dry, glue the teeth back into position using a small amount of super glue on each tooth. Allow the glue to completely dry before beginning the bleaching process.
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. You can buy it as Clairoxide 40 at beauty supply houses.
Magnesium Carbonate about 1/2 lb. (Another Clairol product called Basic White may be used instead, but I have not used it.)
Dust respirator - to cover your nose & mouth
Rubber gloves - dishwashing type that covers your forearms
Eye protection - safety glasses

Again, put on your safety equipment, use your common sense and follow manufacturers safety precautions. In a plastic container, mix the about 1/2 cup of Hydrogen peroxide with the Mag. Carbonate until a thick paste is formed. Brush it all over the skull. I use a wire to hang the skull to dry. If you can, hang it in the sun. Place something under the bones to catch any drips. On antlered skulls - DO NOT get it on the rack.
When the skull has dried, put on your dust respirator, and brush the flakes off the skull. The powder can be saved & re-used. Rinse the remaining powder off under running water and place it in the sun to dry again. Now you can put on a finish if you want.

Finishing

Now is the time to attach horns back to the skull on goats, sheep & antelope. I cut off at least half of the core (the part that goes up into the horn), then wash both the inside of the horn & the core with acetone. Dry both parts. I like to use a 2- part liquid foam to secure the horns to the skull. You can purchase this at most hobby shops. Test fit the horn and when it is in the proper placement, drill a small hole thru the horn and core. Find a wire or small nail that will fit snuggly in the hole, then remove the core. Mix only enough foam to do one horn at a time. Pour it into the horn, quickly roll it around to coat the inside, then slide the horn onto the remaining core. Slip the wire thru the pre-drilled hole and allow the foam to finish expanding. When it has not quite fully hardened, cut off any excess foam and use acetone to clean any foam off the horn. Repeat for the other horn.
Another method that also works and is a little less expensive is Bondo Glass. This is Bondo brand body putty with fiberglass mixed in and is very strong with good adhesion. Follow the instructions above, except use a small putty knife or stick to coat the inside of the core with the bondo.
While it is not necessary to put any finish on the skull, it is recommended if it will be handled. Bone is porous and if handled enough, will absorb grease & oils from hands. I spray mine with a non yellowing clear satin finish like Krylon or Envirotex. You can get these at an art supply house and most paint or hardware stores. Floor wax is also used by some, but I have not tried it, so you're on your own if you want to use it.
THAT'S IT !! Your done. Now don't you wish you had just paid the money and had somebody else do it? (Want to check the price?) Because some of these materials are hard to find or only available in bulk, I have assembled a kit with enough materials to clean several skulls. Each kit contains instructions & enough washing soda, peroxide, & mag. carbonate to do 3 average (bear or deer size) skulls. You will need to provide all safety equipment, degreasing solvent and tools.
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Old 11-11-2007, 07:49 PM
Mintaka Mintaka is offline
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.

Last edited by Mintaka; 12-29-2008 at 04:56 AM.
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Old 11-11-2007, 08:21 PM
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Default Pre-Bleaching

A friend of mine got lazy with his bear skull, and took his time fleshing it. When he finally set aside a day to do it, he was called out to work. Now ordinarily, he would have taken it with him, but this time he was going stateside for work and didnt want customs taking it.

So with it stanking nasty, he took it to his Dad's place and buried it in the garden. So when I ( I mean he) gets home, what s the best way to salvage the skull before bleaching it?

Or does he need to put on a SCBA and dive in with a knife?


He appreciates any suggestions, and hates ridicule.

Last edited by Hoochie Papa; 11-11-2007 at 08:28 PM.
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Old 11-11-2007, 08:34 PM
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I tried that method once. Best is dig carefully like your extracting dinosaur bones or something. The ones i did (had similar thing happen, 3 badgers and 2 foxes though) fell appart really badly. All teeth missing, i left them in the yard as garden fixtures. What was left of the badger skulls was amazingly white, foxes were a sick green color. Good luck, hope it works out for you. If its still in one piece bleach it really well, could be some nasty bacteria propagating.
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Old 11-11-2007, 08:57 PM
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Rockymtnx Rockymtnx is offline
 
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jrs - Whats the middle skull in your picture? The one with the big eye sockets?
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Old 11-11-2007, 09:14 PM
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Bobcat, got a pair from a trapper about 5 years ago now. I wanted to get more but they are fairly hard to come by. Neat looking skulls. I got a bunch of small predator/animal skulls that way, still looking for a couple others. Its an ongoing collection.
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Old 11-11-2007, 09:59 PM
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80$ gets it done at my taxidermist. actually she does it for most of the taxidermists in edmonton. she uses bugs to eat all the flesh then bleaches it.
dont have her number on my phone but if you want it PM me.
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Old 11-12-2007, 08:32 AM
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jrs - that is indeed a very neat skull.
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Old 11-12-2007, 08:58 AM
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Thanx for the thread I'm going to do my first bear this way, when I arrow him next year!
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Old 05-15-2012, 10:02 AM
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I have found that maceration is the best method for cleaning any kind of skulls and bones. I have whitened a couple of my skulls, but i prefer to keep tham as natural looking as possible, i find it adds a bit of character to the skull. Anyway, as far as whitening, i have found that peroxide works really well, however, using peroxide or bleach can be severly damaging to the skull if left to soak too long. the best method is to sun bleach as it is alot less damaging. Skulls and bones are very porous and the bleach or peroxide seeps into the pores and can cause the bone to deteriorate and become chalky. The pictures below are the pieces i did myself. I have also preserved crow and raven feet with the calws intact and made ornaments from them. also in the pictures below.
IMG_20120515_085849.jpg Beaver

IMG_20120515_085937.jpg Martin

IMG_20120515_090135.jpg Wolf

IMG_20120515_090341.jpg Crow(smaller) and Raven(bigger)

IMG_20120515_090622.jpg Crow's feet(top) And Raven's foot(bottom)
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Old 05-19-2012, 04:06 PM
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What about a skull that has sat for over two years? The taxidermist said it cant be done they have to be done when they are still fresh.
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Old 04-25-2015, 03:08 PM
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Thanks A/O posters for all the info.
I had a rotting elk skull, and the beetle guy said they do best with fresh meat so.... I simmered it for 2+ hours, then pressure washed it (very messy, bits of rotten flesh everywhere) and then repeated the whole process.
I wore a full rain suit for the second pressure washing
I bought peroxide but didn't end up using it, as I didn't need it super white.
I think it turned out pretty good.
Just need to mount it now.
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

Thanks again.
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Old 04-25-2015, 07:08 PM
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A buddy and I have been doing some euro's recently and 2 things we have learned...
... Don't overboil your skull. After it has been put in boiling water for a few minutes all you need is hot water for future dunkings.
... If you add TSP to your water for the first boil and subsequent baths it comes out quite white and grease free.
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Old 04-25-2015, 08:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waterninja View Post
A buddy and I have been doing some euro's recently and 2 things we have learned...
... Don't overboil your skull. After it has been put in boiling water for a few minutes all you need is hot water for future dunkings.
... If you add TSP to your water for the first boil and subsequent baths it comes out quite white and grease free.
what's TSP?
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Old 04-25-2015, 10:38 PM
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TSP works super well for degreasing. It can be bought in the paint section of any hardware store. I just did a baby horse skull with it as well as a couple other exotic skulls and I swear by it now.
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:55 AM
waterninja waterninja is offline
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TSP is a heavy duty cleaner and de-greaser. It comes in liquid and powder form. I prefer using the powder. It can be found in paint section of Home Depot, near stuff like turpentine and varsol.
Quite honestly, after boiling my euro's in water with TSP I completly skip the bleaching part. I might get whiter skulls from bleaching but I like the way they look without bleaching. Saves me time and money.
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Old 04-27-2015, 03:05 PM
Johnny Huntnfish Johnny Huntnfish is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jacenbeers View Post
TSP works super well for degreasing. It can be bought in the paint section of any hardware store. I just did a baby horse skull with it as well as a couple other exotic skulls and I swear by it now.
How much TSP do you add?
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Old 04-28-2015, 09:57 AM
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The Flint&Fly Guy The Flint&Fly Guy is offline
 
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hey rocky, are those pictures almost here?!
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Old 04-28-2015, 10:04 AM
waterninja waterninja is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Huntnfish View Post
How much TSP do you add?
Quite honestly I have never really measured the amount of TSP I add to the water, but would rather have more then less.
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Old 04-28-2015, 11:45 AM
Diamondhitch Diamondhitch is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phased1 View Post
...the beetle guy said they do best with fresh meat...

Who is your beetle guy? I haven't been able to find one.
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Old 04-28-2015, 09:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Huntnfish View Post
How much TSP do you add?
I use the powder and just put a bunch into the container so that it is fairly concentrated. Maybe half a container for a deer skull.
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Old 04-28-2015, 09:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondhitch View Post
Who is your beetle guy? I haven't been able to find one.
I am starting a dermestid beetle colony and will clean skulls for free in Calgary in the fall so let me know if you need help.
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Old 05-31-2015, 04:50 PM
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I'm trying a bear skull for the first time... so far I boiled it once and scraped and cut a bunch of meat off but havnt found a hole to scrape out the brain cavity ...

right now I have it just sitying on a table in my shed until tomorrow

I'm guessing from what I've read, for the stage im at now..I should dunk it in warm water tomorrow and continue scraping meat/tissue off?

any advice would be great, I don't have a pressure washer or air compressor
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Old 05-31-2015, 07:11 PM
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Got a horse I'm doing right now. Wildy who never made it through the winter. Boiled the damn thing for a couple of hours, with poor results, the meat that was left was just too dried, so now it's residing in a big ant hill, my wife found beside the house. Curious to see how that works out, gonna give it four weeks.

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