Question on muntjac full-skull preparation and mounting

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone.

My brother is a palaeontologist specialising in mammals, and more specifically the evolution of their joints. He’s recently decided that he wants to start putting together an ossuary, and has asked that if I even happen to shoot a muntjac or CWD, I let him have all the bones. As you know, these two species (excitingly referred to as “sabre-toothed cervidae” by Dr Pine Marten Junior) are very primitive, so they’re of more interest to him than roe for instance. Now this is a bit tricky as it involves completely deboning the carcass, but on the other hand, after having lunch at my place a fortnight ago and inspecting the haunch of venison, he’s declared that the way I jointed it met his exacting standards, so that’s fine. Although cooking destroys the DNA apparently, but there’s still be loads of bones left for that. Anyway, I said that this was fine my me as long as he came and helped with the delicate butchery required, and even more specifically, since he intends to preserve the entire skeleton for cataloguing and measuring purposes, he could sort the skull out for me. He’s happy to do that, however given his interest, he really doesn’t want to cut any skulls, although he says I can have it back when he’s finished measuring and recording it.

So my question is at this stage, how would you go about mounting and displaying an entire muntjac skull, or at least the top half of it (my brother can have the lower jaw)? I suppose it may help with displaying the canine teeth too if it was elevated in some way from the shield or support. Any suggestions welcome.
 
Pine Martin
If you get a copy of "Managing An Alien Species" there is a template towards that back of the book for a shield and support that raises the skull up slightly. Adjusting the angle of the support would then accomodate an uncut skull (hopefully)....

Win Mod 70
 
Actually I have a copy of that which I bought for £1 in a second hand bookshop. Would I be correct in assuming that this just involves attaching the upper half of the skull to a triangular wooden wedge, then attaching that wedge to a shield in the normal way? Makes sense I suppose. I take it you could just glue to skull to the wood with Araldite or somesuch. Assuming Dr Pine Parten is done with taking samples and measurements...
 
Any decent glue would work. It's not going to take a great deal of weight. Something like No More Nails might be ideal. They use it for fitting skirting boards after all. Might just be worth trying what ever you are going to use on a spare peice of bone to make sure you wont getting any staining coming through...

Actually I have a copy of that which I bought for £1 in a second hand bookshop. Would I be correct in assuming that this just involves attaching the upper half of the skull to a triangular wooden wedge, then attaching that wedge to a shield in the normal way? Makes sense I suppose. I take it you could just glue to skull to the wood with Araldite or somesuch. Assuming Dr Pine Parten is done with taking samples and measurements...
 
The best method I've found for munties, is to get the metal bolts for cavity fixing with the spring loaded butterfly type nut on, inserted into the cranium with or without cutting, they then open up and hold it tight, plus you can remove at any point if you need to for whatever reason....
http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/spring-toggle/cat840118

View attachment 25829 I know this one has been cut, but it works just as well without.....
 
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I know its no munty but this is what i did with a roe . I made a stainless base and screwd some button m6 caps to give three feet and a piece of 6mm carbon rod fit over the back screw to support the skull ,atb wayne
iphone246_zps10befdd7.jpg
 
I just get a big silicon bronze woodscrew, say a 12mm, drill a clearance hole in the shield and countersink on the back so it fits flush against the wall when the head is in place then mark and drill a pilot hole into the bottom of the skull itself in the flat bone between the eye sockets and the atlas joint and screw straight into the bone from behind the shield.
 
I do the same as Jubnut and it works a treat on all skulls. I actually do three screws of a smaller diameter. As long as you do a pilot hole it seems to work fine.
 
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