Ok here is my dilema

I have shoulder mounted Caribou, my old house in Texas supported the mount because my ceilings where very high. I have now moved to Kansas and my ceilings don't support the height.

I would like to build a pedestal and modify my shoulder mount to affix it to the pedestal. Any advice on A) how to build the pedestal B) affix the mount to the pedestal.

Any help would be great.

Simply make your pedestal with habitat like a shore scene, rocks and moss and add a large piece of driftwood that would vertically be tall enough on the pedestal to simlpy use some long lag screws to go thru the wood and into the back of your caribou. Finish the back of your wall mount with some black felt before attaching it.

Good advice for a project for a non- taxidermist. Only thing I would add is to use leather for the back instead of felt. Felt attracts dirt, lint, etc. The leather is a much classier look for the back of a pedestal. You can purchase a leather scrap large enough from Tandy leather and adhere it to the back with barge cement or gel contact glue(exacto knife out your hanger or bolt area). If you want to kick it up a level, you can cut 3 long thin strips of leather and braid them, then glue that thin braided leather strip on decorativly where the hair and leather backing meet. That would finish the project off quite nicely.

Will post a picture of the leather back with braided leather border on Sunday. We are finishing up four pedestals this way tomorrow.

Kind Regards,
Mary

good stuff, dimensionally is there any rule of thumb I should follow on the size of the pedestal? What type of stock do you use when building the pedestal. I assume you build a frame with 2x4s and then "box" the frame with stock that your choose - 1/2" plywood or some type of hardwood and then trim it out with molding.

You never want your pedestal base to over power your mount. The mount should be the focal point...not the base.

Here's a few examples of table pedestal bases:



Here are a few free standing pedestals:





Here's a picture of the back of that bobcat pedestal with the leather and braided leather:


That's how we do them here as this is what our clientele prefer.

For your materials..definitly use 2x4's( for the size mount you are working with) and make it as solid as possible. Sounds like a good idea to trim it out with molding.

Best of luck to you!

Kind regards,
Mary

All good ideas. Depending on the design of the pedestal, you could use material smaller than 2 x 4 if the outer material is heavy enough. I built the following base out of 3/4" oak plywood with 1 x 2 framework. It's plenty heavy.

Incidentally, the rocks are not real. They are hollow to cut down on weight.



JDS

guys thinks for the tips, I will get to work and see what I can come up with.