" Sealing " a head for outdoors?

[teflon]

I have boiled & cleaned my first head and ts now ready for bleaching. I have a mind to mount this & fix it to the outside of my shed, would i need to apply any kind of sealer to protect it from the elements?
TIA

 

[VSS]

I don't know about protecting it from the elements, but you will need to protect it from squirrels.

 

[Dunwaters]

You can’t protect it, once you put it out it gets attacked by everything including the weather and bird poop.
Keep it under cover or just put it out and don’t fret.

 

[FISH BOY]

I have boiled & cleaned my first head and ts now ready for bleaching. I have a mind to mount this & fix it to the outside of my shed, would i need to apply any kind of sealer to protect it from the elements?
TIA

Had the same idea…didn’t last long.

If I was doing it again - would put it somewhere with a backstop.

 

[teflon]

Why are squirrels so attracted to antlers?

 

[Stalker62]

Why are squirrels so attracted to antlers?

Minerals.


Gnawing Shed Antlers for Nutrients. When hardened they contain roughly equal parts protein and minerals.

 

[teflon]

Minerals.


Gnawing Shed Antlers for Nutrients. When hardened they contain roughly equal parts protein and minerals.


View attachment 371523

Ah right, thanks.

 

[Stalker62]

Ah right, thanks.

To be fair, I don't mind if they chew the antlers on any head that I leave outside.

Wiring?

Not so much...

 

[oystercatcher87]

Had the same idea…didn’t last long.

If I was doing it again - would put it somewhere with a backstop.
View attachment 371505View attachment 371506

Such a nice head being shredded there!!!

 

[Heym SR20]

Antlers, bones and other animal parts are full of minerals, vitamins and proteins. Nature has a huge appetite for such things.

However I would try some form of thin epoxy that will soak in. West Systems do a series of clear coat for sealing wood against the elements.

No clue whether this would deter squirrels etc.

 

[Merlyn]

Hang it up and enjoy the wildlife. When it is old and tatty hang up a new one.
Got six or seven on my shed.

 

[teflon]

Hang it up and enjoy the wildlife. When it is old and tatty hang up a new one.
Got six or seven on my shed.

Well here it is, i didnt bother bleaching it. As you said, i'm going to leave it up there and enjoy it .

 

[griff]

You can protect the skull by drying completely and then soaking it either a water washable clear varnish or ordinary varnish diluted with turps
Skull has to be bone dry, then dilute the varnish with 50% water( for the water washable type), do the same if you use std varnish, dilute with turps, and immerse the skull for several days, it will not work if the skull is not bone dry..

 

[Merlyn]

Well here it is, i didnt bother bleaching it. As you said, i'm going to leave it up there and enjoy it .


View attachment 374270

Well done Teflon. Looks great and as nature intended. If I get one that looks different or 'odd', I just hang it up in a tree out of reach to ground predators and let nature do its thing. Then it gets nailed up on the shed wall at my mates house. My mate is a she and she is a fantastic cook so will have done the business with the rest of it. They give her endless conversations with her mates when they come calling.

 

[teflon]

Well done Teflon. Looks great and as nature intended. If I get one that looks different or 'odd', I just hang it up in a tree out of reach to ground predators and let nature do its thing. Then it gets nailed up on the shed wall at my mates house. My mate is a she and she is a fantastic cook so will have done the business with the rest of it. They give her endless conversations with her mates when they come calling.

Thanks Merlyn, i think thats what i'll do going forward. This is some of whats left after i processed the head:

T'was absolutely beautiful.