Fellas:
My log home has 9-foot walls and the living room ceiling peaks at 22 feet. 1x6 tongue and groove pine is the covering. How could I hang a griaffe full skin on the ceiling without it sagging? If that works, on the other side I would like to hang a zebra and a kudu full skin.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Cal

As you know, they are very heavy.

You might ask Jerry Huffaker who posts here.
He is a world class taxidermist and seen about everything.

It will look cool when you get it up there!

Super glue!

Will hold anything!

Hundreds of small nails. Poke them into a piece of cardboard and paint the top end black.

I put up a big wildboar skin years ago using the same method.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Wonderful Wyoming:
Hundreds of small nails. Poke them into a piece of cardboard and paint the top end black.

I put up a big wildboar skin years ago using the same method.

Sounds silly, but the best way. You're fighting gravity.

Grizz

I would think a powered stapler and use narrow crown staples straight into the tongue and groove. You might have to brush the hair back out that gets stuck under the staple to hide the staples. I would first try a few staples into a piece of wood while still on the ground and see how it looks as an experiment.
The crown staples are what most taxidermists use to hold the skin to the back of the form on shoulder mounts.

Thanks for your suggestions, gents.

Cal,

I suggest that you lay out your giraffe hide on your floor. move your furniture to make a good lay out.

next find some 1 inch x 1 inch boards at your lumber company.

lay out the frame work on top of your giraffe hide. make sure it is how you would like to have it displayed on your celling.

then put the frame under the giraffe hide and tack it down. place nails or screws to attach to the celling. pre set for easy drilling or hammering.

now if you know any dry workers see if they will help you with the tools to place drywall ceilings. This may cost you a few drinks after your finished

have your step ladder and place.

this will work.

Thanks. This sounds like a winner.
Cal

I would want something that does not make holes in my ceiling. We used velcro to hang a heavy hand made quilt on the wall with great success. We could take it up and down to clean and no damage to walls and quilt. With the right velcro system and spaced right in the right amount, I can hypothesize it working and being the least intrusive to the integrity of skin and ceiling.

I think you have become the official guinea pig for 2021 Cal..Let us know how it works, I think it will have to come down from time to time to be cleaned of bugs, spider web, and what not..thinking a wall hanging would be much much better!!?? the best I have seen was the body in the entrance way and the neck and head down the haul, but on the floor it got a lot of wear..but being a PH he just shot another Giraffe...

Thanks for everything, fellas. Not enough wall room to hang this thing. I'll get it sorted with your assistance.
Cal

Yes, tack or glue to plywood, nail plywood to ceiling.

A really big version of this?:

Mr. Pappas,
How about suspending the skin from that beautiful ceiling by one side with several strands of solid copper wire in a fan pattern? Might look best if you keep the bottom of your skin in line with the top of the wall or slightly lower so it's easily seen.
CB

If you get into plywood, might as well make a frame for it and then hang from eye bolts to reduce damage to the house and you can take it down when you need to clean it or have your anti hunting friends over.