I have a friend who does projects using feathers.I have a salted and boraxed wood duck skin.She wants to use the feathers.They are really stuck and hard to remove.Is there a way of loosening them so they dont get damaged while trying to pull them free?

Mike,

I am sure I don't need to tell you how fatty ducks are. Had you removed the fat from the skin prior to boraxing it. If not the fat probably has dryed and hardened making it impossible to free the shafts of the feathers.If it has been defatted the salt and drying of the skin will also really grab ahold of those feather shafts. You may rehydrate the duck skin (skin side only) to free the feather shafts and pluck the duck! I would store the feathers with some cedar to prevent the attraction of dermestids,who will readily find and make a meal of any fat or meat on the shafts and work their way on the feathers in the meantime. I have used feathers for many a project and this method has safeguarded my feathers for great lengths of time.

Kindest Regards,
Mary

Thanks Mary,

How long do ya think the rehydrating of the skin would take?Minutes...days?

Mike,

Lay the duck, feathers side down on a doubled towel(not plastic)Put lukewarm water in a tub or bucket and soak a facecloth sized cloth in the water, wring almost all the water out of the cloth and dab onto the dryed skin. Keep repeating until the skin is pliable, should not take long, 10-15 minutes or so. Do not soak the skin or allow the water to puddle as it will wet and soil the feathers if it runs to the back side. If the feathers do get wet you can simply dry them on the low setting of a hairdryer while holding them with a tool by the shaft. Carefull not to get too much heat on feather as it will curl. Once skin is pliable the feather shafts will be freed and easy to pluck.

Kind regards,
Mary

Thanks again.......I will relay the message