Bleaching a skull

[TheOldTool]

So my second attempt worked much better and it is now ready to bleach. I managed to get some 12% hydrogen peroxide. I did put the skull in a bucket of copld water with a fair bit of bleach in it for about a day after it was cleaned, but I still have some different coloured areas. Any tips and secrets to using the peroxide ? I know you can get them really nicely shiny white all over, as my first 2 deer, my mentor did for me and they are mint.

Thanks!

 

[lochty]

Pressure washer it first to get rid of all the little gristly bits. Liberally cover with peroxide (I use an old paintbrush) then place somewhere warm for 48 hours. Make sure to put it in something to catch the excess though.

 

[Freeforester]

So my second attempt worked much better and it is now ready to bleach. I managed to get some 12% hydrogen peroxide. I did put the skull in a bucket of copld water with a fair bit of bleach in it for about a day after it was cleaned, but I still have some different coloured areas. Any tips and secrets to using the peroxide ? I know you can get them really nicely shiny white all over, as my first 2 deer, my mentor did for me and they are mint.

Thanks!

You can thoroughly decrease the bone, first by using soda crystals ( not too much!) when boiling in the first instance, having removed as much meat, brain and tissue beforehand; after having cleaned the head if meat and gristle/non-bone tissue, dip it into a bath of solvent - acetone, even petrol - to help dissolve the fat within the bone.

There are paste preparations available to help whiten the head, but I’ve personally got on just fine with 6/9–% peroxide in a bucket or basin up to the underside of the coronets, then a few afternoons out in the sunshine.

 

[Sako6.5x55]

So my second attempt worked much better and it is now ready to bleach. I managed to get some 12% hydrogen peroxide. I did put the skull in a bucket of copld water with a fair bit of bleach in it for about a day after it was cleaned, but I still have some different coloured areas. Any tips and secrets to using the peroxide ? I know you can get them really nicely shiny white all over, as my first 2 deer, my mentor did for me and they are mint.

Thanks!

From the start - remove as much of the tissue as possible including brains and eyes, then boil (I use a tea urn but before that I had a big cooking pot on the gas bbq), boil for no more than 2 hours or you’ll be picking bits of skull out of your pot. Then jet wash (this is the key) this should remove 99% of tissue. Paint on 12% hydrogen peroxide gel and leave for at least 24 hours then wash off then paint with peroxide liquid and leave to dry (don’t dry too fast or bone joints will open up), if you only have hydrogen peroxide liquid paint it several times, you can even cover with white cotton or kitchen towel and soak that in peroxide liquid don’t rinse off, leave it too dry with the peroxide still on. The skull in the attachment was shot 7 days ago.

 

[lochty]

This is the one from my photo "need a bigger car." Boiled for 35 minutes, pressure washed and left beside the gas boiler for 24 hours. No peroxide, Sorgene etc. It'll do.