Thats it! The round bits are African Mahogany found all over the base I live on. The Burl I cut off a standing dead tree and the standing slice at top left is Iron Bark I think. I cut the wood and mounted the teeth myself and I'm working on some goat horns next. The rounds on the wood are 45-70 and a 6.5X55.
Posts: 8093 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
I stuff cotton wool down the tusk (tease it apart and stuff it down with a satay stick)till about 1/4 inch from the top. Then pour in some olive oil, then I seal it with candle wax. I've had some of the tusks for 2 years with no signs of cracking. Some of the oil comes through the tusk and gives it a nice sheen.
Quote: How big around is it
The tusks, or the wood?
Mike
You'll have to come down and bag some mate.
Posts: 8093 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
Neither! The leather thong, which was in the preceding sentence.
You know, I didn't even realize the tusks were hollow. Then I just looked at a set I have from my wild boar and see that they are. I've had them laying on table for about 15 years, and they hadn't changed a bit. So I wonder if sealing them as you do is really necessary?? -TONY
Posts: 3269 | Location: Glendale, AZ | Registered: 28 July 2003
Quote: Neither! The leather thong, which was in the preceding sentence.
Oh
Its flat throng about 5mm wide. I cut the ends at an angle so it lies neatly against the last turn.
Quote: So I wonder if sealing them as you do is really necessary??
I suppose it depends on the climate where you live. A mate of mine has quite a few sets of tusks that he hasn't filled and most have a crack running the length of the tooth. Alot of taxidermist fill them with epoxy or similar, I have used that method as well, but the oil and cotton ball method is cheaper
Posts: 8093 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
Aha, I imagine the thong is the kind of stuff some folks use to lace leather or actually weave it into interesting things.
I did a Merino ram I killed on Santa Cruz Island. Made the wooden pedestal on the lathe in my shop and then shaped the skull plate with plaster of Paris and wrapped it with tanned buckskin. I used a 1"-wide strip of buckskin that I rolled lengthwise and glued to the base of each horn. -TONY
Posts: 3269 | Location: Glendale, AZ | Registered: 28 July 2003
Quote: My trophy room is my lounge room and here it is
Very nice idea Bakes. I have a set of old tusks still lying around and was planning to use a European style carved plaque. But a polished Aussie rough wood plague may just be better.
Posts: 10138 | Location: Wine Country, Barossa Valley, Australia | Registered: 06 March 2002
Nice tusks mate! What do you polish the wood with? About filling the tusks, does anyone here use just candlewax?? Is this treatment needed for warthog tusks? I have a few sets that haven't cracked yet but that may be due to being in rainy Europe... Also, how do you clean the tusks? A little sanding/polishing or do all of you go until the tusks are pure white (and lose a bit of width)?
Posts: 2360 | Location: London | Registered: 31 May 2003
The wood is sanded baby arse smooth then I put 3 coats of marine varnish on it (only stuff I had at the time). I then file a small section of the rim of the 45-70, empty of course,so it sits flat and glue on.
I've never used just wax, I suppose it might work. Filling your warthogs tusks wont hurt, would be a shame for them to crack for the want of some epoxy or olive oil and wax. I like to keep the stains on the teeth, after boiling to get them out of the jaw and to remove the core, I just fill them with the oil. If you want to remove the stains a dish scourer will work, one of those "soft" green ones.
Posts: 8093 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
My guy in NZ is throwing in a Merino ram if we get a chance at one. So if I kill one, I'll just keep the horns and probably give it a similar treatment. That way I'll have matching bookends. -TONY
Posts: 3269 | Location: Glendale, AZ | Registered: 28 July 2003
Nice tuskers, Bakes! That is something that still fails in my collection. I once had a chance at what looked like a decent boar, in Poland, but somehow I couldn't get the scope to focus. In retrospect I think I must have breathed onto the lens, and the cold did the rest....my breathing was probably heavier than normal due to anticipation ;-). And once I waited from sundown to 4 am at a bait that we knew had a big boar on it, but he didn't show. I left to be in time for the morning roe deer stalk. When I checked the bait at 10am it was nicely cleaned out.
That is great ingenuity! A friend of mine is filling some large tusks that he has and is going to use them for the handles on the french doors that lead into his trophy room. I thought that was a pretty good idea too.
That would be interesting! I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever build a house big enough to have a trophy room. I'm going to try my hand at mounting a pig shoulder mount this year, and if if turns out alright I may give this ago, pigs arse Not with warthogs mind but using feral pigs. Its tacky I know, but I never said I have class
Posts: 8093 | Location: Bloody Queensland where every thing is 20 years behind the rest of Australia! | Registered: 25 January 2001
