European Mount

[natvbearhntr]

After boiling the skull of my deer I sat and started painfully trying to remove all the excess meat and fat. After a few minutes the smell got to me and I had to call it quits. The skull sat in the garage for 2 days then I decided I was going to try the pressure washer. After about 10 minutes the skull was clean. All the cracks and little gaps were completely rinsed out of meat or muscle or fat. I even used it to rinse out the brain and everything inside the skull. It washed completely clean I was very surprised. The only problem is I was wet from the thighs down but well worth it for the amount of time it took. The only part I did not pressure wash was inside the nasal cavity becuase I know how delicate those bones are in there and I didn't want it washed out. If someone had a hot water pressure washer that would work better I think.

[Swampthing]

That came out real nice.

[Stanley]

Looks good. Takes a long time to slow boil one out. I too use a pressure washer to finish up.

[natvbearhntr]

I don't remember exactly but I know it was over 8 hours. I don't think I could wait 2 years for the bugs to eat it!! I just scored it myself with no deduction it was 137 2/8.

[James]

I don't think I could wait 2 years for the bugs to eat it!!

Dermestid beetles only take a few months. Some guys are pretty backed up with work though, so I suppose the wait could be longer. The guy I use is running about a year on his, about the same as a shoulder mount.

I boiled one out as well, I remember a constant 8-10 hours of messing around with that thing. I decided to pay someone for my newer ones. My guy charges $75

[natvbearhntr]

$75 isn't bad at all. What I do is wrap the antlers in aluminum foil, which I forgot to do this time, and then let it boil for 8 hours or more then take off all the big pieces. Now that I know to use the pressure washer it is a very simple process.

[Edcyclopedia]

Looks gr8 and the picture would make a nice screen saver too!!!

[Brad]

I have done a few euro's and they are nothing but a royal pain in the but. Its easy to get them clean, to get them degreased is another thing entirely. I will try your pressure washing technique, that sounds like it might shave off some time and the frustration too. I have been working on an antelope skull I killed last year and its driving me crazy. Do you just use the one at the carwash?

[natvbearhntr]

Edcyclopedia I actually put it on the background of my phone. I thought it made a good screen save too!!!

Brad I have a pressure washer from fleet farm. I will look to see the PSI tomorrow. Once is all de-meated I use as hot as water I can stand in the sink and dawn dish soap with a sponge scratcher, de-greases pretty good. Then I use peroxide 40 to whiten the skull.

[Swampthing]

Where do anthropologists get those flesh eating beetles? Mabey a guy good order a box of them online.

[ Post made via Android ]

[dirt nap giver]

I put oxiclean in the pot while boiling. Never thought of aluminum foil around the antlers. Will try that next time. I bringing to the car wash. Complete with torch mask, rain suit rubber floves and knee boots I always pressure wash the snout. pain in the but, but worth it.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[ah110]

8 hours to boil!?

I did two last night and it was 2 hours MAX.

[ Post made via Android ]

[natvbearhntr]

Don't know what to tell you ah110? I put it in the pot and leave it to boil for that long. When I take it out most of the flesh has fallen off and the jaw bone has fallen off.

dirt nap giver the I was told to put the aluminum foil around the antlers to keep them from softening but I have never had that problem yet. What I did notice was the soot from the flame coming up the side of the pot gets on the antlers. I use an old turkey cooker.

[dirt nap giver]

Don't know what to tell you ah110? I put it in the pot and leave it to boil for that long. When I take it out most of the flesh has fallen off and the jaw bone has fallen off.

dirt nap giver the I was told to put the aluminum foil around the antlers to keep them from softening but I have never had that problem yet. What I did notice was the soot from the flame coming up the side of the pot gets on the antlers. I use an old turkey cooker.

I use an old turkey cooker as well. Usually I have to sap and mud the base of the antlers after boiling from the oxiclean. I'll remember that trick later this year

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[backstraps]

I dont one this past fall and it turned out really nice.

I use the turkey cooker too. However I use latex around the base of my antlers, then black electrical tape over the top of the latex.

Then I use DAWN dish detergent in the boiling process. I take the skull out after the first 30 minutes, pick off all I can then put it back in the boiler. I clean it every 30 minutes. It took me about 3 hours to get it comepletely clean.

Then once it was bare bone....I cleaned the water and put in fresh water and dawn, and let the skull simmer for an hours. Changed the water and dawn again. I then simmered one more hour. Once I simmered two times for an hour each. I changed the water once more, and let the skull soak in the pot of dawn and water over night. I only done the steps of simmering and soaking to degrease the skull.

I have left them at that point as well as add a bleaching agent to the skull. If you decide to bleach the skull, be sure to wear protective gloves and eye protection. When bleaching, it is very important to make certain your skull is comepletly free of any grease or it will make dull spots.

I have some pictures I could dig up and show the process I done if you think it would help.

Tony