Link to Euro mount?

[Swamphunter]

I can't seem to find it by searching..someone had a very in depth description of a "how to" and I can't find it??

[artisticwhitetails]

Re: Link to Euro mount?

This is going to be long but here goes.

Remove as much meat as possible first. Go to the store and buy some Arm & Hammer WASHING Soda. Same exact thing the Taxi Supply places sell as "Sal Soda".

Use a pot large enough to submerge the entire skull, but wrap those antler bases up to the brow tines. Rynelds wrap and duct tape works well. I like to use a small camp stove to cook skulls on because I can control the heat better than the larger outdoor cookers. Notice I said cook and not "boil". If you "boil" a skull to long it will become very brittle, chalky and it will damage.

Add your "Sal Soda" to the water in the pot. 1 cup is usually enough. You can also add a small amount of degreaser if you like but its not necessary.

Bring your water to a rolling boil and adjust your heat so it dont boil over and add your skull.

Let it cook for 30 to 45 min and pull it out and check it. The remaining meat and tissue should roll up into jelly looking blobs. If it has not, put it back in for another 15 to 20 min and recheck it. Now scrape off all this mess you can.

At this point you need to scramble and get rid of the brain. I would stay away from pressure washers because high water pressure could damage the delicate sinus bones. All you need to do this is a screwdriver {or something similar} and a garden hose.

Turn the skull upside down and run the screwdriver in and out of the brain cavity. {Insert wise crack here!}

Take the garden hose and flush out the brain cavity. Do this several times untill all the brain matter has been removed. You can also use the garden hose to flush out the sinus cavity.

Now go and chage your water & "Sal Soda" and repeat. This should take care of the stubborn pieces of meat left on the back of the skull.

There will still be a few nerves and tissue left in the brain cavity and you need to get all this out or it will stink! BAD! I just cut the back part off so I can get my finger inside and grab this crap. Usually if you can get a grip on it you can pull it out as one piece.

To whiten a skull you will need peroxide. Go to a Beauty Supply store and pick up some 40 volume peroxide and some clairol basic white powder. 3% peroxide will work but it takes much longer.

IF YOU USE THE 40% WEAR RUBBER GLOVES CAUSE THIS SCHITT WILL BURN YOU! Mix the peroxide and basic white in a small container into a mayonaise like consistency. {Dont use the whole bottle, just enough to cover the skull good} Use a small paint brush and spread the mixture on the entire skull. Be careful not to get any on the anltlers! Let this set for a few days and do it again if you need to. You can set the skull out in the sun to speed up the process.

To attach a skull to a panel, use 3" long 1/8" bolts that have the little collapseable wing nuts on the end. Drill a hole just below the brain cavity big enough to allow the collapsed wing nut to pass through and drill a 1/4" hole through the panel. Be sure to countersink it on the backside of the panel. Run you bolt through the panel, put on the wing nut, compress it and shove it through the hole you drilled in the skull. Thighten it down snug and hang er up.

Or you could avoid all this hassle and take it to a taxidermist!

Good luck, AW