Skull bleach and antler colour recommendations - nottinghamshire?

[GSP84]

I have a red stag skull that I'd like to have on the wall. It is not all that impressive but is was my first red stag so I'm keen to do something with it.

The estate boiled and cleaned it, but now I'm looking to have it bleached and some colour put into the antlers as it was partly in velvet. I've seen a few people offer this service but I'm struggling to get somebody interested in taking on the work.

can anyone recommend anywhere in or near Nottinghamshire?

 

[Scotty1980]

Nice head! Hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[lochty]

Bushwear used to do potassium permanganate kits to colour antlers. To get the skull whiter, cover with boiling water, remove and paint on some hydrogen peroxide and leave to dry somewherd warm for 48 hours.

 

[GSP84]

I don't have anything big enough to fit it in, and I know I wouldn't do a good job of the colouring

so want ant to avoid doing it myself

 

[User00001]

Trophy Preparation s High Seats

 

[GSP84]

Trophy Preparation s High Seats

Ive tried Keith a couple of times and his work is exceptional, but he seems insanely busy all the time so keeps saying try next week. It would be a good old drive to deliver it to

 

[jimmy milnes]

Gary Tatterton- Taxidermist
Although I do admit Gary is a very good friend of mine his work is second to none

 

[Rasputin]

Get some peroxide from boots. Paint it on and leave for 24 will
come out gleaming just need a brush and cling film . Can’t comment about the painting part.

 

[75]

I've just done very similar. I've done a few roe heads but never needed to colour antlers, so was a bit unsure about doing my first red stag. He was boiled out by the estate so I just used some standard hydrogen peroxide that I use for roe heads - wrapped the head in loo roll etc then poured the peroxide on - loads of advice on this site about how to do it.

I then used some of that antler stain / potassium permanganate from bushwear - really easy to do and you do multiple coats to get the colour built up - more coats on the main beams and less on the tines as you go on. I'll stick a photo up of the finished product but was happy enough with it. It probably wouldn't ever get you a very dark stain, and I know stags in some areas are really dark, but it's dark enough for me.

 

[75]

View attachment 88640

Not the best picture but he was in velvet and no colour at all when I started

 

[GSP84]

That looks really good 75, how did you got about doing the tines for a natural look?

 

[75]

I started off painting stain on the whole antler up to about a cm or two from the tips of the tines, then each additional coat I painted less and less of the tine to give a gradual blend from brown to white. Quick rub with some sandpaper brightens things up where needed and removes any drips and runs...

 

[GSP84]

Did you just paint it on with a brush? Also how many bottles to do the red head, as the bottles look quite small!

 

[75]

I just used a small 1/2" paint brush. You water down the stain and it goes a long way. I probably used 1/4 of a bottle or less to do that head. If you look on the Bushwear site somewhere there are instructions in English (all the packaging is in German so I was struggling to figure out how to use it initially!).

 

[GSP84]

Thanks for all the input.

i have ordered some herburtus potassium from bushwear, and just picked up some trade use 12% hyrodgen peroxide. I'll have a go Sunday and see how I get on!!!

should I soak the skull for 24hrs before using the hydrogen peroxide?

 

[75]

I pour the peroxide onto the head wrapped in loo roll / kitchen roll to make sue it's all soaked through and then leave it to dry - usually a good 24 hrs or so. Make sure (with gloves!) the loo roll is pushed into all the nooks and crannies once it's wetted through and you should get a nice white head. Avoid patterned / coloured loo roll obviously and don't get peroxide on the antlers

 

[TheOldGamey]

I used to buy the bottles of antler stain at Bushware, £9.99 for a 100ml bottle, I now buy a tub of granules on e-bay, £15, one spoonful, made up a bucket of fluid. Stand the antlers upside down so the stain runs down the antlers, and not onto the bleached skull, paint on with a paintbrush, keep adding to it , it keeps going into the antler better when its wet, the first few coats don't do much, the wetter the better .
For years I set the skull in a solution of peroxide and water, covered with cotton wool, now Sorgene 5 painted again with a brush onto a clean skull, perfect white results, no messing about with a tray of solution, and cotton wool.
As 75 above said, to get the tips white , if they get coloured , a light rub with sand paper.

 

[GSP84]

If it bleaches the skull as well as it has bleached and burnt my skin then great!... need gloves next time

work in progress!

look forward to colouring the antlers and will post back with results

 

[GSP84]

24hrs later and it seems a bit whiter, still needs to dry after washing the peroxide off so maybe will look more white when dry.

Hopefully the potassium turns up tomorrow and I can begin making a start on the antlers!

 

[GSP84]

It's all coming along quite nicely, and I'm amazed I've not messed it up to be honest haha quite a few more coats through the evening and tomorrow and it might be finished!