Finally kept the appointment and got this done today--

Dandy collection.
They going on a board?

George

George---don't know what I'll do with them--here is a young friend's Christmas present courtesy of her first--

Neat looking memento for a first pig, Good Job.

DO:

That's nice, bet she's tickled to get it.

George

George--unfortunately, when they returned home to Central Asia, the climate is so dry/low humidity, the tusks just disintegrated--crumbled to bits. She'll be back next summer to start college, so she'll get another shot at them--

Just an observation DO, while I have never had any crumble that I have done here in Texas, I have had several crack lengthwise over time.

Odd part is, I have not experienced the same with Javelina tusks.

I have heard if you fill them with melted wax they won't deteriorate.

Hmm, run this by Huffaker, bet he can give
you the straight info on how to eliminate the problem.

Being her first pig, that had to of been painful for the girl.

George

Wax doesn't work to well. Use a resin/apoxy.

These were filled with silicone caulk--obviously not the right stuff. Might try a lanolin treatment to keep them from drying so badly.

About 30 yrs ago I used silicone to glue a big fancy $250 mirror on the drywall. It's eaten the plating away, big black streaks all over the place. Too big a deal to rip the wall apart and another mirror over top of it wouldn't work worth a Sht! Since I'm alone, it's waiting for the next guy and his woman to fix it! HA!

Since seeing that, I've gone to ONLY using DAP 40yr clear. Same use about the same time and no sign of this problem. Man it's dandy glue too, give it a try. I use it for most everything now.

George

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Not an expert by far but I guess I have over 50 sets of warthog tusks in a basket on the coffee table in Joburg and some more in Germany.

When cleaned and dry I stick them in a cardboard box and over a few days I simply fill the cavity with off the shelf wood glue. Slow process to avoid bubbles and pockets of air. Then when dry I simply rub them over with baby oil and then oil them every 6 months.

Never had a crack or crumble since I started doing it this way.

Even the warty and bushpig shoulder mounts get their teeth oiled every 6 months .....


Charlie

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Thanks Charlie--I'll put your experience to good work--

Congratulations very nice

The key is not to boil if you can help it but to rot.

If you put the skull in a 5 gallon bucket and let them rot for 3 weeks, and every two or three weeks change out the water and pressure wash them off you don't destroy the strength of the bone. Takes more time, is 1000 times more disgusting, but makes for stronger pearly whites. Rotting does have one problem on skulls, it eats the non-bone tissue. So in a young pig, if you are saving the skull it will destroy their bone sutures as they haven't hardened enough to be solid. Of course you can glue them back together.