# Sticky  More European Mount ?'s but with a kit...



## NittanyDoug

I know there is alot interest in the european mounts. Well I bought a kit and started it. I had hoped to have it done so I could take it to my parents' in PA on Wednesday. Perhaps I should have waited....

I bought the Cabelas kit. I've boiled/cooked the two cycles but I still have "meat" on the bottom side and back of the skull. Plus part of the skull by the nostrils is still a little "pink". 

Right now I had to move on to other things, like sleep, work, wife....

The skull and jaw is soaking in water. What can I do to get this off the skull? Should I worry about it and just bleach it?








Thanks for any help. Do I have hope of getting this done and taking it?


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## MGV

Looks good so far. Looks like it will whiten nicely after it drys. I will bleach them with as little meat on as possible. Then i let it dry for a couple of days and then pick at it with a knife, wire, plyers or whatever will get in those cracks. I have heard of people using a wire brush on them. But that area has some soft breakable bones in it to wire brush it. After you do this picking i would do a short amount of bleaching if there are any really dark areas from where the meat was. How did you like getting the brain out?


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## mikieday

in my opinion get all the meat off (make sure you get the brain out too)...i use a wire brush (you can get tiny ones at the auto parts or hardware store) ...

looks good so far, just a touch of elbow grease and you will have a great mount


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## NittanyDoug

I almost lost it on the brain. I had some come out and then I stuck my gloved finger in there to help it and I had it squirt all over. I almost stopped right then and there. I'm going to pick up another wire brush. I think brass or bronze bristels are what I want (possibly even a plastic) to get more of it off. I'll give it one more go over with the brushes and then I'll probably bleach it so I can take it and if I need to do more picking when I get home, then I can do that. 

Thanks for the help. I was sure I was way off track. I spent 5 hours on it last night and I never thought I would have spent that much time. I think I still have that smell in my nose...


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## dsmithgall

NittanyDoug said:


> I almost lost it on the brain. I had some come out and then I stuck my gloved finger in there to help it and I had it squirt all over. I almost stopped right then and there. I'm going to pick up another wire brush. I think brass or bronze bristels are what I want (possibly even a plastic) to get more of it off. I'll give it one more go over with the brushes and then I'll probably bleach it so I can take it and if I need to do more picking when I get home, then I can do that.
> 
> Thanks for the help. I was sure I was way off track. I spent 5 hours on it last night and I never thought I would have spent that much time. I think I still have that smell in my nose...


Can you understand now why most taxidermist will charge about $175 for this job?, plus they usually put it on a really nice walnut base.. 
Get ALL the meat off of it before you bleach it, if you don't the meat will bleach yellow, and it won't look so good. Plus under that meat is still oil/grease... you have most of the hard part done, now just takes some attention to detail and some much needed picking and cleaning.. Good luck!


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## NittanyDoug

dsmithgall said:


> Can you understand now why most taxidermist will charge about $175 for this job?


Without a doubt, I understand why they charge what they charge. If this was a monster rack, there's no way I'd be doing this myself. The "meat" that is still on it, is all on the back/underside where the neck joins in. I figure I want all of it gone that way I don't have "rotting meat" hanging on the wall smelling up the place.


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## woodencanoe

The shop that butchered my deer did my deers skull into a Texas mount for $25 bucks. So cheap I won't do no more myself. They use a pressure washer he said, looks nice. When I did my own I would use car bondo on the back area [brain cavity hole] then drill a hole there to hang it by. Sorta hung with the nose up alittle off the wall like a reg. mount. I'd use white spray paint on them to.


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## skyhawk1

When I do my skulls I boil it for awhile and I use 4 different kinds of small craft knives. They are flexible enough to get into the small areas. Then when I get off ALL the meat I bleach it. I do all kinds of animal skulls not just deer. I have ****,beaver,fox,muskrat,possium. I would like to do a yote skull.I would like to have a skull of every animal I hunt still have alot to get though.The ones I do are full skulls.


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## bigjonbuck

what percentage of bleach to water do you guys use and for how long do you soak it. I've also herd of people using hydrogen peroxide. witch is easier and which is better.


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## MGV

Use the 3% peroxide in about 2 gallons of water. Watch it on the burner every 15 minutes. Some go really fast others will take up to 1 hour. 

Otherwise use the basic white clarol powder and the 30% peroxide paste. Just watch your hands and eyes the stuff will burn you


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## ArrowHawk

There are alot of tricks to doing them. I have done alot of them already this year.

You need to boil it one more time but keep an eye on it, then bleach it.

The brain matter should have just fell out with alittle shake, then all you had to have done is removed the membrain from inside.

I have a completed one in my gallery and will post a few more when they are done, I have 4 of them to get donethis week. Also check out InTheRiver's gallery, I did that one for him as well.


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## NittanyDoug

I'm doing a little bit of final spot bleaching/peroxiding. By tonight it should be totally complete. I'm pretty happy with the look. How do you get all of the linings out of the sinus area. I can see a little tint of black behind some of the thin bone. I've got a little odor too that I would guess is coming from there. Will the odor eventually go away?


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## skyhawk1

I use small pipe cleaners to get into them tiny holes. they are soft enought and flexiable to get everything out. I never had a problem with order when I was done bleaching.


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## NittanyDoug

I'm not even sure how to get into those little spots.... I'm doing the paste bleaching and not the submersed bleaching.


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## Dom

I always take brain out BEFORE boiling, as well as all hide, eyes, etc. After boiling, take the brain casing out, if you don't, that is one thing that WILL smell. Bent coat hanger hook gets brain out, needle nose pliers and exacto SHARP knife gets eyes out. After it's boiled is the time to scrape whatever is left off (I pull out all the nasal stuff), if the front nose bone separated, save and glue back in with Elmers when dry, then let dry for a day or two or a week, then submerse in the 3 percent peroxide for a few hours (not antlers tho) and put in the sun, Waidmannsheil, Dom.


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## MGV

How about the really bad blood clotted ones? The ones that are just blacker than black in the nasal cavity? I have a head shot one that is just full of blood clots. Thinking about soaking it in epsom salt to pull the blood clots outs? Will be a neat one if i can keep it together and get it cleaned up.


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## Dom

MGV -- find a band saw, lay the skull sideways on the band saw table, and cut just under the nose bone, even partly thru the top teeth, to the back of the skull. Take your time, this cut must be straight and done right, as it is what will lay on the plaque. Then take a needle nose pliers and pull out all the thin membrame material out of the nose cavity. This will gain you access to brain cavity and other areas to soak in peroxide and turn the dark colored bone white. I the cut is off or not flat, don't worry, just belt sand it flat. 

In the future, after you take hide, eyes, brain, meat off the skull, soak in cold water a couple hours, change water and soak a couple more hours, and change and soak again. This will draw a lot of the blood out of the skull, then boil it with soap. 

I hope I explained it right, if not, let me know and when I get time will post a photo, Dom.


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## MGV

I would love to cut it like you are saying. But we want to keep it a full skull. The other issue is it started to fall apart after one hour in the pot and cutting would not be a good thing. I am doing the soaking right now over night and that does help greatly. The one i am having the problem with i did not soak.


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## ArrowHawk

MGV said:


> I would love to cut it like you are saying. But we want to keep it a full skull. The other issue is it started to fall apart after one hour in the pot and cutting would not be a good thing. I am doing the soaking right now over night and that does help greatly. The one i am having the problem with i did not soak.


Don't boil it for more then 30 minutes at a time and also a slow boil not a fast boil. It may take 3 times of boiling it but the skull will not start falling apart or splitting.


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## MGV

I always say boil but i do it at a simmer. One of these times i will remember that. The head shot is what is making it fall apart not really the "cooking". The shoot caught most of the nasal cavity so there is not much structure to hold it together. I am sure i can glue it back together as long as i can get all the blood clotting out of it. Thanks for the tips though i appreciate it.


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## ArrowHawk

MGV said:


> I always say boil but i do it at a simmer. One of these times i will remember that. The head shot is what is making it fall apart not really the "cooking". The shoot caught most of the nasal cavity so there is not much structure to hold it together. I am sure i can glue it back together as long as i can get all the blood clotting out of it. Thanks for the tips though i appreciate it.



No problem just trying to help. I do the same thing with saying Boil. All I can say is good luck doing a Euro with a head shot. I only had trouble with one head with clotting in the nasal cavity. I posted a picture of one I completed (its in the Whitetail Forum). I also have 3 more that I'm doing right now and have 2 more to pick up this weekend.

Post the pic's when you get them done MGV very curious to see how the head shot one turns out.


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## MGV

Will post them by the weekend hopefully


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## chuckinduck

I swore off doing another euro mount when I did one about 8 years ago. Time heals all pain , so I'm going to attempt another one. First one came out good, but I didn't use the 30% peroxide, where can I find that stuff?


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## ArrowHawk

I order all my supplies from Van ****'s, but you can probably find it at other places.


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## MGV

Talk to your local hair dresser. Unless your like me and missing your hair. Then hit the wife up to ask.


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## Dom

Hey MGV, you and a lot of others do the Euro-Michi, or I guess you'd call it the modified European mount, by that I mean by not doing any cutting. That's also a different way to do the skull mount, the only unnatural thing I see about it is the teeth are also turned white. One thing I can add is you're going to have to try and get as much of the clotting out as you can, and then just peroxide the rest and see how it turns out. BTW, elmers glue does wonders, I've lost several of the front nose bones, not a problem, just save them and glue them back in. I've never had to glue anything beyond that though. You're probably right, the nose area after a bullet goes thru would make it much tougher. Pls post a pic when you're done, I know it's a bit of work but worth it, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Anyway, here's is the European mount, with cut, so you can easily mount it on a plaque:









View of the nasal area after pulling out all the membranes with pointed nose pliers:









It's like anything, don't get discouraged, it gets easier after you've done a few:


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## ArrowHawk

Those are nice but I think I like the looks of them better with the skull and teeth intact.

Here is one I just finished


















I'll post more as I get them done. I hope I will be able to get to my own soon, customers come first.


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## MGV

I like Arrowhawks style myself. That is the only way i have done them so far. Missing the upper teeth looses alot to the skull in my opinion. 

Well tonight i plan on working on the head shot special. Might have to take some extra pictures from start to finish. Just to show what a pain in the butt this one has been.


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## ArrowHawk

I feel for you on that one. Its like putting together a puzzle.


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## MGV

I know jig saw time. Alot of pieces will be missing but those are more from the hole from the shot.


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## Dom

Looking good Arrow Hawk, nice work. I know what it takes, and you do get a system down where the time it takes decreases with experience. I've got several with the teeth, just don't have any of those super duper plaques you got made there! Nice job. I've got a whole bucket full to finish up yet, winter project, since they're all boiled & cleaned already.

Good luck MGV, and they are easier if not shot in the head , Dom.


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## rickw

i also bought the cabela's kit and tried it for the first time last year. Worked great I used a coathanger for the brains too that was great. After I applied the paste I even sprayed lacker on there. I thought it was a neat look and so far the skull hasn't gotten dingy or yellow like many do with bleaching. be careful when putting the paste around the antlers though I was applying some finishing touches and just barely grazed the bases and messed it up. oh well as I look around many people do that as well. Overall I had 4 hours of work on it! good luck!


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## NMUTrapper22

im understanding all of this but, is there anything that you can put on the skull after bleaching?


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## TrackerCasey

Dropping a marble in the brain cavity while it is hot from boiling and shaking it around helps break up the brain then it just falls out.


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## Ryno

Myself and a couple friends just got done with our annual "Boil-a-thon". 5 deer and 1 coyote was the day's tally, I think. I usually come close to puking when digging the brain out too. 

Anyway, I made a quick YouTube video of the process and wrote a "how to" blog post. URLs to both are below. Most of my advice mirrors that of what others have posted previously, which is great b/c I guess it means we're doing something right. Definitely comment on my blog post if you have any additional advice. 

URL for HD European skull mount video: 
http://www.youtube.com/user/110sunview#p/u/5/V1lM03CxZp0&hd=1

Blog post with equipment list, pics, and instructions:
http://ecosportsmen.com/?p=256


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## MGV

Well i did not learn from the head shot buck. I am in the process of doing a road kill special. Jaw bone was shattered and the back the skull fell apart. Bad blood clotting in the nasal cavity again. This time just slowly worked it with the peroxide water and it seems to have whitened up decent. So far it is glued back together and looks ok. To many small pieces to get it back together fully.


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## iLiveInTrees

I do a lot of European mounts on the side. VanDykes Taxidermy has a great kit, with everything needed. The sodium carbonate is added to boling water, and makes the flesh "jelly-like" and falls off fairly easy.

Use pliers to get hard to reach areas inside the nose, eyes, brain cavity, and a wire wheel attached to a cordless drill to get the more stubborn flesh off.

Add dawn dishsoap to the boiling water, it takes the grease away, which aids in the bleaching process. Again, wash the skull in your laundry tub, or bucket like you would a dish. Removes nasty greases and dirt. Allow the skull time to fully dry, so the peroxide is not diluted by the water left over on the skull.

The kit comes with high stregnth Hydrogen Peroxide, and a powder, that when mixed, makes a paste that is applied to the finished skull. Repeat the process and the skull will come out looking great.

*A tip, spend time taking out the brain, and removing the lower jaw, and as much of the thick meat as possible, before boiling. Makes the process go much quicker, I can have a whole deer head turned into a European mount, ready for bleaching in about 1-1/2 - 2 hours.


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## natures way jeff

did you fix and finish this yet? jeff


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## Woods Before Water

ArrowHawk said:


> I order all my supplies from Van ****'s, but you can probably find it at other places.


I also was ordering mine from either van ***** or wasco, but found it is actually cheaper at most beauty supply stores. and easier to get when you need it now. LOL


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## motorcityskulls

if you want to whiten on the cheap 3%peroxide soak works. If you want fast go to a beauty shop and get their hair whitening solution 20% peroxide. To seal on the cheap use mop and glow. if you have to touch up the horns for the whitening on the cheap use a thinned out oak stain or coffee grounds.


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