Skull prep

[speedystu]

Hi all I am having trouble with my skull prep, I keep braking off the naisle cavity when sawing!
Shoot deer
Skin and clean
Boil
..saw..
Bleach
Mount

Am I doing it in the wrong order! Do I need to let dry after boiling? Also the saw with the set is poo! What are you using!!!!

Many thanks chaps stu...

 

[norma 308]

right order for me ,never let the skull dry out for best results ie straight from hot into cold after boil then pressure wash then cut then bleach i use a stanley wood saw and i dont go as far into the skull as you have been ,i basically just cut the teeth off and expose the brain cavity ,sounds easy but i did ==== a few up when i first started

edit the reason i dont let it dry out is i find the bleach takes better ,i dont go at the cutting like a demented navvy take yr time!

 

[mj robson]

You either need to cut the skull before boiling, or clean it off full skull and let it dry out before cutting. If you cut a wet skull the plate joints are not hard and will give way around the nose area.

 

[Paul 600]

You either need to cut the skull before boiling, or clean it off full skull and let it dry out before cutting. If you cut a wet skull the plate joints are not hard and will give way around the nose area.

Cut before you boil, that's what I do.

 

[Si]

Hi all I am having trouble with my skull prep, I keep braking off the naisle cavity when sawing!

Same here


View attachment 16847

 

[Overlay]

Anyone on here like to put up a do it this way, from boiling to colouring (as 2 of mine fell into the pot) I have just done four heads and they are all different in coluration and skull depth and non excistent nose on some

 

[bogtrotter]

You either need to cut the skull before boiling, or clean it off full skull and let it dry out before cutting. If you cut a wet skull the plate joints are not hard and will give way around the nose area.

Exactly cut before you boil or leave full skull

 

[bogtrotter]

Anyone on here like to put up a do it this way, from boiling to colouring (as 2 of mine fell into the pot) I have just done four heads and they are all different in coluration and skull depth and non excistent nose on some

Already done if you search Jelen have done a video of how to do it, someone also did a very good write up on it that was in the write up section I think, if you use the the search facility you should be able to find it.

 

[User00003]

I'm no expert but I put out good work on skull cuts. I peel off all skin and flesh, then remove the jaws and tongue, etc. then I cut the first 2-3" with the saw from the 'kit', which I then replace with a heavier saw for wood (which cuts faster), when I'm about 5cm from the end I switch to the blade of a steel saw (you know, the long thin bendy blades with small teeth), which means the nose does not break off, and it leaves nice clean edges.

I then scrape out all I can manuall from the insides, including eyes.

I then boil 10mins, scrape, clean, etc.

boil another 10 minutes, finish clean, scrape with knife blade, and then use a brass brush at the end (softish).

then I put under a hose on full power (not pressure washer).

works for me every time in under 1hr.

I then leave 24hrs covered in cotton wool soaked in 30% Hydrogen Peroxide sourced from ebay

Edit: I find a narrow chisel good for getting in under the coronets.

 

[Paul 600]

If you leave the skin fairly long around the pedicles and grab it with a set of long nose pliers and twist it the skin will come off and leave a perfect clean pedicle.

 

[bogtrotter]

PKL no doubt your method will work well but you are giving yourself a lot of unnecessary work, skin yes as the skin will contract and tend to break the nose if you boil before skinning if you are going to cut the skull there is no need to need to remove jaws tongue eyes or any flesh its all easier removed once the skull has been boiled.

If you use a cutting off stand then use the saw that comes with it, I don't I cut them free
hand its not that difficult, use a wood saw something like a sandvick , no need to change saws,

For a long nose cut take a line through the ear to the nose just passing the top teeth the cut should stop just in front of the first top tooth leaving the roof of the mouth in front of the teeth intact.

If you don't have a jig or choose not to use one, lay on its side and cut half way through turn over and repeat from the other side, that way if you do go off slightly it should not be noticeable, once you have done a couple you will find its easy, if on the unlikely chance you quite badly wrong, don't despair its possible to true up quite badly cut heads with an angle grinder, just wait till the head is dry after cleaning before doing it.

Boiling twenty minutes to forty minutes depending on the age of the animal, remove and scrape this is when its easy to break the nose, if you plunge the head in cold water when you remove from the boiler this will set the bone and make the chance of breaking much less quick scrape back in boiler for a few minutes if necessary finish with brush as PKL said I use an old tooth brush.

Some recommend washing soda , but don't use it if your pot is aluminium, I just use a couple of scoops of biological soap powder, have also heard that a dishwasher tablet works equally well but have never tried it.

Then peroxide PKL's method works fine, or you can get cream peroxide from a hairdressers, in my case where I have a lot of heads to do I use a bath and industrial peroxide dip heads making sure you can keep the antlers clear twenty minutes to one hour is usually enough to bleach a skull again depending on age.