Since the subject comes up often I thought I'd post some good tips on the subject.

My mounts are usually pretty good, but when I was last in the UK I spoke with a bloke who does thousands of them a year for clients and they are truly spectacular.

First, let the head, skin and all soak in water overnight or 48hours.
This opens the pores in the bone and stops the fat from getting into the pores in the bone and turning the skull yellow. Now fat will leach out when you boil, not get trapped inside.

Cut through the ribbed bit of the upper inside of the palate transversly, this stops it from contracting when it is boiling and causnig the nose to snap downwards.

Sking the head.

After this, it will only need to boil 25mins or half an hour, just until the remaining tissue splits across the top of the nose or between the eyes.

After this, take to the head with a high pressure hose, it takes some care not to wreck it, but this avoids scratching and gets all the remaining tissue off very effectively.

While the head is still damp, apply hydrogen peroxide 100 volumes, or the pureist form you can get your hands on.

I use a paintbrush, you may want to let it soak, but find a way to set the skull up so that the liquid comes all the way up to the base of both antlers in an even line.
Mix the hydrogen peroxide with very hot water, and the bone should fizz on contact.

The skull should come out candid white. Leave to dry.

For the cutting, I used to use one of those little guides, but now I prefer to make a rough cut with a saw, leave plenty of skull remaining, then use a mini angle grinder or fine hand file to smooth off and perfect.

Mark the height you want to cut to on both sides in several places, then use a flat bit of wood to keep checking to make sure than you are grinding the whole thing smooth.

If you keep some of the bone powder, you can mix it with some PVA glue and use that for putty around the cut edge or to fill in any mistakes you might make.
Once the glue is dry, the mix will be the exact colour of the bone.

Presto; Taxidermist quality skull mount.

Express,

Thanks for the tips...although I have not had a chance of a buck this season yet to use them!

I never realise soaking the head was so important and its a step I often skip...I know now for future.

Why do you mix the hydrogen Peroxide with water as opposed to the usual method of covering with cotton wool and soaking that in the neat stuff?

Regards,

Pete

Pete, the cotton woll idea has never struck my mind! Sounds good to me, I'll have to try it.
I don't stand them in the H2O2 myself because it's hard to get it up the the lever of the antlers.

I normally use a brush an keep applying it to keep it damp.

All the best.

Express,

You need to find somewhere that sells Ladies hairdressing supplies to the "trade" so to speak as they are the best and cheapest sources of Peroxide I have found. The stuff they sell is stronger ( and cheaper) than we typically get on a Chemists shelf. Also they sell it as a normal liquid or as a paste which can be brushed and left... I have not tried the paste myself yet but you should get the same results as it is the same strength...Either sort is available in 1L containers too....

Regards,

Pete

Hi Express

I have done "some" skull prep. My self heres a tip to add.
b]Making a paste:To make a paste from hydrogen Peroxide mix it with chemically cleaned chalk. Apply the paste to the skull and leave it there for say 6-24 hours, depending on how strong the Hydr.per. is (I use 40%= 6 hours)

Perfecting the cut [ : Instead of tools, use a large piece of sanding paper lay it flat on a hard surface and sand the skull by pushing it back and forth.

Have fun
Niels

Niels,

How long does it take to sand a skull down?

FB

Depends on how close, to the size you want, you have made your cut. sanding takes me 5 minutes after cutting.