Well I couldn't resist any longer, so this past Saturday I went to my parents farm and dug up the head of my 2011 buck. I've never done this before so I was a little skeptical of how it would turn up. Much to me surprise it turned out well. He still had a little hair attached but a garden hose took care of that. I still have to boil it to get rid of the discolored look. Any suggestion on cleaning it up?
The two I've done this approach with always stayed discolored...but I kinda liked it oddly enough. You can whiten it up with some peroxide from what I understand, but you want the higher percentage stuff.
I used a 1/4 cup of bleach in a 5 gallon bucket of hot water. Whitened mine up real well. Just be sure to rinse off well after you're done.
DO NOT USE BLEACH unless you want it to yellow over time and get chalky. I have done all manner of skull and will give you some advice you wont want to ignore. Get 40 Volume crème and paper mache it with small squares of paper towel. Wrap it plastic wrap for 24 hours and then rinse. http://www.ebay.com/itm/40-VOLUME-S...449?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416445d561 Here is a bear skull I recently did that shows the use of 40 volume. http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?34845-Cleaned-up-a-bear-skull
This is what I plan on doing if I ever do another one... *side note- forgot the pics of knife at home Rancid will get those to ya soon!
I believe this is the same stuff but in 32oz at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Salon-Care-Vo...id=1342453685&sr=8-4&keywords=40+volume+cream
You can for sure, seen guys do it...however there's something about just natural white bone...also I've seen pretty crappy paint applications. Paint will also fill in some if not all the little lines/cracks/growth lines on the skull...to some that would be good others would hate it.
So how small/big are the paper towel squares? like a quarter size? is this 40 volume crème something I can buy at stores like Wal-Mart, beauty brands, exc...? I'd like to get started ASAP so that I can get the finish product on the wall. Thanks for the helpful advice; this is exactly what I was looking for. That bear skull turned out exactly how I want this skull to turn out. Rancid you da man!
I cut the paper towels in 6 strips both length and width making a lot of squares that are a couple inches wide but you may find bigger or smaller squares work for you. You cant by this stuff at Walmart (I have never seen it) I get it from a relative you works at a beauty parlor. I have seen it on Ebay. Its pretty cheap at $5 a bottle and a bottle will do many skulls.
Maybe I am in the minority but I like the way the skull looks right now. It adds some character to it.
Just make sure to degrease the skull with a few soaks in hot water and lots of dawn shish soap. Any foreign matter will stink and turn yellow. The 40 volume is great but you still have to make sure you are dealing with only bone. DO NOT, I REPEATE, DO NOT get the 40 volume on the antlers or they too will whiten. Wrap the bases with black electrical tape quite a way up the beam.
I've never whitened mine before. But I can tell you a trick for getting the skin and meat off. I took a full deer head and put it in a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot, then I filled it entirely up with grass clippings from my yard. I let it sit for about two months, it didn't stink or anything, and when I pulled it out it was pretty much clean of all skin and meat. A little easier than burying it, IMO.
if i can go off rancid crabtrees idea, i am a taxidermist and do this quite often. definatly go with the 40 volume cream. Fill up a bucket/ sink with hot water with dawn. IF you have one use an air hose and "boil" the skull. Stick the nozzle in every little crevice you can. Do that for a white them rinse with clean water. Then once dry wrap bases with electrical tape as stated and cover the skull with an even coat of the cream. The next step is what really kicks the whitening process. HEAT. Put your skull in front of a heat source. Electric heater works best, however a heat gun or propane heating attachment work well too. Dont put it too close as not to burn it. and rotate every so often to get the whole skull somewhat hot. A little steam will start to come off and that is what your looking for. Next, rinse the skull in clean water and dry. If you dont have the desired whiteness repeat the process again.
