Skull Cleaning explained.

[r00s7a]

Hey tslabaugh, what method do you use for whiten the skulls? Looks like a good job whatever you use. Very uniform.

 

[1mathom1]

I wait till the weather warms, tie a rope to it and throw it in a pond. Turtles, fish and bugs do the trick in very short order. Just need to watch it and not leave it too long. 2-3 weeks and it's done.

 

[aturp]

I always simmer mine and they turn out just fine. I have an old turkey fryer that I use. I just put about 3 or 4oz of dawn soap in the water and bring it to just under a boil. Then I wire it up with the antlers out of the water and let it go for about 8hrs. Every 2-3hrs I go out and clean off the stuff that is loose. You just don't want to go to long because the front part of the nose will get soft and come off and you'll loose teeth. Some other tools I use to clean out the brain and stuff from inside the skull are an air hose and piece of a coat hanger. The main thing is just don't let it go to long. I should mention that I don't bleach or whiten the skull. I like it to look like I found it laying in the woods, without the chewed up antlers. Also it does smell good like your cooking up a stew (with some soap in it).

 

[314alias]

I love how you guys make the boiling and simmering sound so easy and there aren't but a few steps to making a good looking skull. I've been doing this since I was 15 and there is not just an easy method. Each method takes quite a bit of work unless you leave it out in the elements and that usually takes more than just a week or two. especially if it is cold out. If its warmer and the maggots can grow then it doesnt take as long. it all just depends on how much work you wanna put in it and how good you want it to look.

 

[Perplexed]

Dermestid Beetles: Probably the most heard of since the beetles do all the work. They are good for really small skulls and can be used for entire skeletons because you can remove the skull/bones before the cartilage is eaten. They will eat any flesh and can/will eat carpet, leather, etc... if they get out. They have to be kept in a specific temperature range and like with any "pet", their enclosure substrate must be changed occasionally. They also stink to an extent.

I once saw a HBO documentary about forensic pathology, where they could - to some extent - determine the time of death of a corpse found outside, by examining the stage of development of dermestid beetles on the corpse. To demonstrate, they dragged a freshly dead hog into a wooded area and left it with a video camera recording the hog's decomposition over a number of days. It was amazing to see how quickly those beetles (and other insects) pared down a huge carcass.

 

[aturp]

I love how you guys make the boiling and simmering sound so easy and there aren't but a few steps to making a good looking skull.

It is pretty easy to me and like I said I like the more natural look.

 

[dlbleak]

i have wired/chained mine to the base of a wooden fence post. the sun bleaches the skull out but gives a "natural" look. the bugs that seem to live along an old wooden post fence will make short work of it.

this one is hanging in my sons room. i dusted the skull with a little white aerosol before it was done.

 

[tslabaugh]

Its not that is easy or hard...It is just dirty, smelly work.

The natural weathered bone look can be done the way I do it...just don't whiten or whiten very little.

 

[RedTape]

I simmered a pronghorn skull in Oct. Took about 7 hours. A few teeth came out, but a little epoxy will fix that. All I need to do is whiten the skull. I'm thinking a few days soaking in regular peroxide should give a good look...not bright white, but a little "cleaner" than it looks now.

 

[tslabaugh]

Redtape, regular brown bottle peroxide will work good. Just check on it in a couple days to so you don't get it too white for your liking.

It a horned skull?