a bit of advice if possible

[ziggyfiley]

about 15 year's ago i shot a 10 point stag up in scotland on the edinchip estate. i brought the head home with me and for the last ten years have had it outside on my garden shed. obviously the antlers have faded a bit and have what looks like some moss on them and the skull is mucky. was wondering if the head could be spruced up as in the skull rewhitened and if there was anything you could put on the antlers to bring the colour back out. didn't want to try anything before i asked on here because don't want to ruin it was my first one and there alway's the best. any tips what to use would be a big help.
thanks in advance jason

 

[willie_gunn]

Jason

Others may be able to advise better, but to colour the antlers you can use Potassium Permanganate. It goes on purple but ends up a nice brown colour: http://www.ehow.com/how_5790365_use-potassium-permanganate-stain-antlers.html

Before you do that you might want to either powerwash the skull or try boiling it again, though I would be careful as it is likely to have become brittle having been exposed for so long. You could bleach it using peroxide by covering the skull with cotton wool or kitchen towel first and then soaking it with the peroxide.

willie_gunn

 

[Will Gallant]

You won't get potassium permanganate now as it's used in the illegal drug trade so they've made it a substance you can only get on licence. I applied for and got the licence but couldn't then find a supplier who'd sell me just the very small amount I needed that'd last me for years, so I've given up the licence now. You can however get a product called "Antler Back" Not as good as p.p but it does the job OK. If you've not already got this sorted contact me by all means via my site below and I'll put your nose in the right direction. I agree with everything else Willie advised.
Will Gallant
Wildform Taxidermy

4th. May 2012
Sincere apologies but I've just found out by pure chance today that you CAN get potassium permanganate without a Home Office licence after all in small quantities - and you have to sign a declaration stating what you want to use it for. Go to [url]www.reagent.co.uk and you'll find they'll sell it in a 500 gram quantityfor just under £20. That amount will last you the rest of your life for this purpose !!
Once again apologies for wrongfooting you.
[/URL]